Crutches vs. Drones: Combat Videos Show Crippled Russian Troops Sent Into Combat

Videos circulating online allegedly show Russian soldiers fighting on the battlefield despite being severely injured. The ASTRA Telegram channel reported, citing footage posted on several social media accounts which showed troops using crutches to fend off drones, while others struggle to move.

One video, shared on the Donbass Case Telegram channel, appears to show a Russian soldier using a crutch to fight off an attacking drone.

“This is another very difficult video from the other side, showing our fighter trying to defend himself with a crutch. We hope he survived and is safe, but why is an injured serviceman at the front line? This should not be happening,” the channel wrote.

Another video, published by Ukrainian journalist Yuri Butusov, allegedly shows two Russian soldiers in a dire condition - one is seen walking using crutches while another is crawling on the ground.

Butusov captioned the video: “The Walking Dead: a new crippling assault on the Pokrovsky front. They weren’t even given donkeys.”

Last week, another video surfaced online, showing Russian soldiers from the 503rd Motorized Rifle Regiment on crutches being forcibly loaded into military trucks by military police officers at the Kadamovsky training ground in Russia’s Rostov region. A person behind the camera can be heard saying on the video, “Look at how these guys are being sent to war - people who shouldn’t be going. It’s unbearable.”

Other Topics of Interest

EXPLAINER: Ukraine’s Punishing Mid-Range Drone Bombardment of Russia – The Aircraft

Ukraine’s SBS drone campaign in occupied southern Ukraine relies on a layered system of reconnaissance and strike drones working together to disrupt Russian logistics. Small reconnaissance aircraft provide continuous battlefield surveillance, locating rail movements, fuel storage sites, and air-defense positions and feeding targeting data to strike units. Strike operations are carried out by a mix of short- and mid-range drones designed to hit vehicles, depots, and infrastructure along occupied routes. For deeper targets, longer-range Ukrainian drones such as Bober, Lyutyi, and FP-1 extend the reach of the campaign into rear areas. These aircraft are used against rail hubs, fuel depots, and air-defense systems supporting the occupied territories.

ASTRA also published a video on Feb. 16 showing wounded soldiers from the 5th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade preparing to go into battle. According to ASTRA, one soldier had previously been taken from a hospital in Yeysk despite having an open wound on his leg and missing a finger. He was reportedly forced into an ambulance and sent back to the front.