Ukraine has wiped out a group of saboteurs from Russia’s special forces in a major blow for Putin’s army. The Russian army continues to launch attacks all along the frontlines in Ukraine, as it seeks to stretch and exhaust Kyiv’s military resources.
While some of the most intense and bitter fighting has centred in and around Pokrovsk in the east of the country, Putin’s army has also been trying to make headway in northern Ukraine. The Chernihiv region has seen its fair share of fighting and was subjected to a massive drone and missile bombardment yesterday, targeting civilian and energy infrastructure. The bombardment caused a total blackout in the region’s main city, Chernihiv – as the region was hit by over 100 Shahed drones and six ballistic missiles.
Kremlin special forces units are also active in the area, which shares a border with both Russia and Belarus.
Soldiers from the “Senezh” and “Kubinka” units have been attempting to carry out acts of sabotage deep behind Ukrainian defensive lines.
Both units are key elements of Russia’s Special Operations Forces (SSO), reporting directly to the General Staff. Their soldiers undergo meticulous selection and multi-year training, and are considered the “elite of the elite” among Russian security agencies.
However, a group of saboteurs from a Senezh unit were spotted and subsequently ruthlessly eliminated by Ukraine’s 54th Separate Reconnaissance Battalion and the 105th Border Guard Detachment.
Six Russian officers from the unit were killed and their weapons and equipment were seized, following the military operation.
The destruction of the Russian elite force was first reported by Ukraine’s “I Want to Live” project.
Operated by Ukraine’s intelligence service, the organisation is instrumental in persuading Russian soldiers to defect.
The agency said in a video: “The destruction of entire groups of such specialists means not just tactical, but strategic losses – the weakening of the personnel core of the Russian special services and the reduction of their capacity to conduct complex operations outside of Russia.”
It comes as Ukraine’s army confirmed it had retaken the village of Kucheriv Yar, about 40 kilometres from the besieged city of Pokrovsk. The settlement had been captured by Russian forces in mid-August during a breakthrough to Dobropillia.
The Ukrainians said they had taken several dozen Russians as prisoners in a post to their Telegram channel. “The exchange fund for our state has been significantly replenished,” they wrote.