Near Vovchansk, border guards captured a Russian assault soldier
Near Vovchansk, Ukrainian border guards captured a Russian assault soldier who, after his group was routed, had taken cover near a Ukrainian position. The Russian spent three days in a dugout while the soldiers waited for an opportunity to evacuate him; during that time, the position came under attack from FPV drones, mortars, artillery, and a guided aerial bomb. According to a border guard with the call sign “Greek,” an aerial bomb fell just a few meters from the shelter, but the Ukrainian soldiers and the captive survived.
The border guard with the call sign “Greek” recounted this incident in a video released by the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine. According to him, Ukrainian soldiers were setting up their positions when they heard suspicious movement in the bushes. They began to search the area and spotted a Russian soldier there. He apparently realized he had been detected and tried to convince the Ukrainians that he was on their side. “He started shouting, ‘Friends, 34th Division!’” We replied, ‘You’re in the wrong place, buddy,’” “Greek” said.
During his arrest, an automatic rifle and grenades were found on the Russian soldier. Afterward, the Ukrainian soldiers figured out how he had ended up near their position. According to the captive, he signed a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense about a month before being sent to the front. As he himself explained, the reason was debts related to child support payments. After brief training, the man was sent to storm Ukrainian positions in the Vovchansk area.
The commander ordered them not to retreat
The Russian soldier told the border guards that during the assault, their unit came under attack from Ukrainian drones. The group began suffering casualties, and the situation for the occupiers quickly deteriorated. According to the prisoner, the Russian command forbade them from retreating, threatening the soldiers with execution. In other words, the assault troops were effectively caught between Ukrainian fire and a threat from their own command.
When Ukrainian drones decimated their group, the Russian commander abandoned his men and fled. The prisoner himself decided not to continue fighting and hid in the bushes. That is where Ukrainian border guards later found him. For the Russian soldier, this marked the end of an assault that had begun just a few weeks after he signed his contract. Instead of returning to his own lines, he found himself at a Ukrainian position and was forced to wait for evacuation alongside the very people he had just been fighting against.
Three Days in a Dugout Under Fire
They were unable to evacuate the prisoner immediately. Ukrainian troops remained at their position under constant threat of attack, so the Russian spent three days with the border guards. During that time, the soldiers did not leave him without assistance. The prisoner was given water and food, allowed to use the restroom, and had his wounds dressed when necessary. “They scared him by saying that prisoners in Ukrainian custody are tortured and killed. In reality, they fed him, gave him water, allowed him to use the restroom, and dressed his wounds,” “Greek” said.
This detail stood out particularly because, according to the border guard, the Russian had been told something entirely different before being sent to the front. He had been told about the allegedly brutal treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war. Instead, after his capture, he received basic care and remained under the supervision of Ukrainian military personnel until his evacuation.
The Russians began shelling their own lost position
The most dangerous moment came when the Russian command realized that the position had already been lost. After that, a massive barrage of fire began on the area where the Ukrainian border guards and the prisoner were located. According to “Greek,” the position was targeted by FPV drones, “Molniya” missiles, mortars, and artillery. Russian aircraft also joined the attack.
One of the guided bombs landed just a few meters from the dugout where the Ukrainian soldiers and the captured Russian were sheltering. The strike was so close that the border guard calls it a miracle that the people in the shelter survived. “We survived by a miracle,” said “Greek.” Despite the intense shelling, the Ukrainian soldiers held their position. They also managed to keep the Russian soldier alive. Once the situation allowed, the border guards organized his evacuation.
The prisoner was transferred to the prisoner exchange pool
After his evacuation, the Russian assault soldier was handed over to the relevant Ukrainian authorities. He was added to the prisoner exchange pool, meaning he can be used in future prisoner exchanges. This incident near Vovchansk demonstrates just how complex the situation on the front lines remains. Ukrainian troops not only had to fight and hold their position but also had to ensure the prisoner’s safety for several days while under attack from Russian artillery and airstrikes.
At the same time, the story of the Russian assault soldier once again illustrates how people in Russia are being drawn into the war. According to him, he enlisted due to problems with child support payments; after that, he received brief training and found himself in an assault position near Vovchansk. In the end, the Russian soldier was unable to complete his mission; his group was wiped out by Ukrainian drones, his commander fled, and he himself went into hiding and was taken prisoner. Ukrainian border guards spent three days under fire alongside him, after which they were able to evacuate the prisoner and hand him over for a future prisoner exchange. This was recounted by a border guard with the call sign “Greek” in a video released by the State Border Guard Service.
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