‘They Ran Like Rabbits’ – Ukrainian Spec Ops Wipes Out Russian Assault Group, Captures Wagner Fighter

Ukrainian Special Operations Forces (SSO) fighters reported June 24 that they had eliminated a Russian assault group before capturing a Wagner fighter in the Pokrovsk sector of the Donetsk region.

According to the SSO report on Telegram, the operation was carried out by fighters from the 144th SSO Center, supported by reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), first-person-view (FPV) drones, drone drop teams, mortar, and grenade launcher crews.

The SSO released a video showing some details of the operation along with brief interviews with its participants.

Senior Sergeant “Velik” from the UAV platoon said the Russian group had infiltrated the Ukrainian rear and disrupted the rotation of nearby units, killing one and injuring another Ukrainian defender.

The operation began with an FPV drone strike on a diesel locomotive where the Russians were hiding.

“There was a diesel locomotive, they all climbed in together and sat there,” he said.

Drone operator “Bimber” added, “We flew out, hit the locomotive, and a minute later they started running out. That’s when the hunt began.”

After the locomotive caught fire, six Russian soldiers fled. Velik recalled: “I can’t say where they ran, but they ran like rabbits.”

“Botsman,” another drone operator, said the Russians headed toward a destroyed building by a gas station, where the SSO teams continued targeting them with coordinated artillery, UAVs, and drone drops.

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“The hunt lasted about 40 minutes,” the soldiers said.

In the end, five Russian soldiers were killed. One wounded fighter initially pretended to be dead, but after a grenade was dropped near him, he began moving and signaled his surrender.

“He prayed, asked for something, and waved his arms while our drone guided him to the surrender point,” said drone operator “Taychik.”

The POW walked about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) along a road before being picked up by SSO troops in a Humvee.

The captured fighter turned out to be a Wagner mercenary with a criminal background and possible awards from the Russian command.

“If we can exchange him for one of our guys without taking too much risk, why not?” “Pravyi,” the group commander who helped evacuate the POW, said.