‘Elite’ Russian troops captured in Donetsk Oblast
Ukraine’s 24th Mechanized Brigade captured several soldiers from Russia’s 98th Guards Airborne Division—which is regarded as one of the elite units of the Russian military—near Chasiv Yar, Donetsk Oblast.
According to a Facebook post by the Ukrainian brigade’s press service on July 16, the Russian division once fought in Chechnya, Georgia, and Syria, but how has its makeup changed drastically. The unit now includes poorly trained troops with criminal records who are released from prison and sent into combat as expendable human resources.
The captured soldiers admitted they were exhausted, demoralized, and confused about their mission.
“Money, amnesty, other promises—none if it matters after experiencing the first artillery barrage,” the message said.
The 24th Brigade has held the line in Chasiv Yar for months, despite Russia’s relentless attempts to seize the town and all of Donetsk Oblast. The unit credits its drone operators for doing the heavy lifting in stalling the enemy offensive in the area.
The military war may be swinging in our favor, but the information war continues.
Just as an army needs soldiers, so does a free society need its journalists to ensure that people have access to honest, trustworthy voices to understand the world around them.
For the past five years, The New Voice of Ukraine has been working tirelessly to push back against Russian narratives and defend democracy. But we cannot do it alone.
Please consider supporting us on Patreon for just $5 a month – your donation does directly to supporting journalists and ensuring that this front of the infowar says solid and defended.
Thank you.
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News
