Drones Lead Rescue of Ukrainian Soldiers From Russian Captivity Without Ground Forces

Ukrainian forces carried out a daring drone-only operation to free two captured soldiers from Russian captivity, without deploying ground infantry, the 225th Separate Assault Battalion reported on March 31.

The operation unfolded after a reconnaissance drone spotted a Russian soldier escorting two Ukrainian prisoners.

The footage, released by the battalion, shows the moment the soldier and his captives were detected by the drone. Following this, several strike drones were deployed to the area.

When the Russian soldier became aware of the approaching drones, he made a fateful decision. He fled toward the nearest building in an attempt to hide. In the meantime, the two Ukrainian prisoners seized the opportunity to escape, running toward another building for safety.

The operation culminated in the successful rescue of the Ukrainian soldiers. The Russian soldier was left trapped, unable to prevent the escape of his captives.

The 225th Separate Assault Battalion emphasized that the entire mission was carried out without the need for infantry forces.

In a daring operation near Pokrovsk in February, Ukrainian drones successfully disrupted a Russian attempt to capture Ukrainian soldiers, the 7th Air Assault Corps reported.

Russian forces had captured four Ukrainian servicemen during an assault on an observation post. However, their capture was short-lived. As the Russian sabotage and reconnaissance group escorted the prisoners, aerial reconnaissance detected the Russian group’s movement.

In response, strike drones from the 25th Separate Airborne Sicheslav Brigade, the 68th Separate Jaeger Brigade, and other nearby units were quickly deployed to the area. The swarm of FPV drones deployed by the Ukrainian forces caused confusion among the Russian soldiers, diverting their attention. Seizing the opportunity, the Ukrainian prisoners managed to escape their captors and break free.

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War in Ukraine

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In another development along the same front, Ukrainian forces successfully repelled an unusual mounted attack by Russian troops near Oleskiivka, situated on the Alexanderivka–Novopavlivka axis.

The 67th Separate Mechanized Brigade's UAV battalion, known as the "Iron Falcons," reported that their drone operators spotted the Russian assault group advancing on horseback. Using precision UAV strikes, they were able to disrupt and halt the attack effectively.

While seemingly unusual, the battalion emphasized that “Russian cavalry assaults are not a legend, but a real phenomenon, no matter how absurd it may sound.”

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