Russian soldiers escaped from captivity in the Kharkiv region and abducted a local resident

Four Russian occupiers who had escaped from captivity abducted a resident of the Izyum district and, at gunpoint, forced him to drive them toward the front lines. Before releasing the man, they threatened to kill him and his family if he reported the incident.

 

According to the investigation, the incident occurred in the summer of 2026. Four Russian servicemen with the call signs Lesnik, Magadan, Puma, and Ibrahim arrived at a private residence in the village of Pidvysoke after escaping from captivity.

The armed occupiers burst into the yard and, threatening the homeowner with weapons, forced him to get behind the wheel of his own car. The man was ordered to drive them toward the front line, from where they planned to return to Russian units.

Throughout the entire trip, the local resident was held at gunpoint with an automatic rifle and a pistol. When the car began to run out of fuel, he turned toward the village of Slabunivka.

On the outskirts of the village, the Russians abandoned the car. Before doing so, they threatened the driver, saying they would return and shoot him and his family if he revealed anything about the abduction.

This was reported by the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office.

Earlier, a false story circulated online about armed prisoners escaping in the Kharkiv region; the Ukrainian Armed Forces responded to the disinformation.

Special Operations Forces (SSO) soldiers captured a Russian soldier disguised in a Ukrainian Armed Forces uniform.

Also, near Vovchansk, a captured Russian soldier helped evacuate the body of a fallen Ukrainian soldier.