Captured Russian marine exposes poor training before deployment to Kursk region
Russian troops deployed to the Kursk region received inadequate combat training, with older soldiers used as mock enemies during drills, according to a captured marine from Russia’s 810th Separate Marine Brigade.
The 50-year-old soldier, captured by Ukrainian defense forces in the Kursk region, shared details of his experience in an interrogation video published on the Telegram channel Krymsky Veter.
He said he was drafted in October 2024 and sent to a training site in Rostov just days later. Refusing the draft, he added, wasn’t an option due to the threat of up to 15 years in prison.
“Training lasted about a week, maybe 7–8 days,” the prisoner said. “It was an old tank division base with two ranges—one for tactics and one for shooting. During tactical drills, pensioners over 50 were sent to bunkers and used as mock defenders while we practiced storming fortified positions.”
The marine also said older soldiers were tasked with defending positions while younger troops learned basic maneuvers.
“I didn’t train with drones or engineers—they said I was too old for that,” he added. “Most of our training focused on repelling attacks. We also did some chemical and biological defense drills and basic medical training. That’s it.”
The training, he said, was supposed to last 2–3 weeks but was cut short when commanders hurriedly ordered troops to the Kursk region.
Background on Russia’s 810th Marine brigade
Reports about the deployment of the 810th Marine Brigade to the Kursk region surfaced on Aug. 10, 2024, via the Krymsky Veter Telegram channel.
Later, the Astra news outlet, citing relatives of fallen soldiers, reported that marines from the brigade were among those killed when a Russian convoy was destroyed in Kursk on Aug. 9.
The brigade had previously suffered heavy losses during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In May 2022, Ukraine’s General Staff reported that the 810th Marine Brigade had taken significant casualties and was being replenished with personnel from other Black Sea Fleet units, including sailors.
Additional losses were reported in Kherson Oblast, and by Dec. 30, 2024, Forbes noted that the 810th Brigade had been forced to retreat from the Kursk region after four months of fighting, at least temporarily.
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