Russia Uses “Expendable” Wounded Soldiers to Locate Ukrainian Positions, Video

On January 18, 2025, video footage emerged on social media showing Russian soldiers on crutches being deployed in battle near Novotroitske in Donetsk region.

Shared by Andrii Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, the video has drawn significant attention for capturing two wounded soldiers using crutches to move across an open field.

Their movements were detected and neutralized by Ukrainian forces using drones.

Kovalenko, commented on the footage, stating that wounded soldiers are being used to locate Ukrainian defensive positions. Kovalenko noted, “These individuals are deployed to provoke defensive fire or to carry out tasks deemed expendable.”

Furthermore, Ukraine’s Operational Strategic Command “Khortytsia” reported on similar tactics employed in the Toretsk direction. In these cases, unarmed but heavily armored soldiers, referred to as “camel kamikazes,” are tasked with delivering equipment or explosives near Ukrainian positions.

Earlier, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) reported that North Korean troops stationed in Russia’s Kursk region had been ordered to commit suicide rather than risk capture by Ukrainian forces.