Azov Reports 18 Russian Troops Captured in 24 Hours During Zolotyi Kolodiaz Operation

Ukraine’s 12th Special Purpose Brigade “Azov” said its International Battalion captured 18 Russian servicemen over 24 hours during an operation in the village of Zolotyi Kolodiaz on the Dobropillia direction, according to the brigade's press service statement on February 5.

A fighter from the unit said the captures came on what he described as the “second to last day” of an operation that lasted 21 days, as the battalion was tasked with clearing a street where Russian troops were spread across buildings and basements.

He said the first prisoners were taken in the “third house from the start of the street,” and that initial questioning helped persuade the second group to surrender, and that communication was eased after it emerged one of the prisoners spoke English.

The Azov fighter said the unit offered Russian troops a choice to surrender, saying: “If someone is inside, give up, you will live,” while adding that those who responded with resistance would be killed.

Captured soldiers described being under heavy pressure from armored vehicles, drones, mines, and artillery, and several contrasted their treatment in captivity with their experience under Russian command.

One prisoner said, “They fed us, gave us blankets… They gave us coffee to drink,” while the Azov fighter said all captured troops received medical assistance.

Another prisoner criticized Russia’s leadership and said, “Who is to blame for the war? The Russian government.”

The incident came as Russia has long singled out the Azov formation in its messaging about the war, and Russia’s Supreme Court designated Ukraine’s Azov Brigade a “terrorist” organization in August 2022, a move that Russian authorities have used to pursue terrorism-related prosecutions of captured fighters and others linked to the unit.

Earlier, it was reported that Ukrainian Air Assault Forces said Zolotyi Kolodiaz in Donetsk region was liberated following coordinated actions by the 79th Separate Air Assault Brigade.

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