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Russia Stages Village Capture Video—Then Ukraine Captures the Star
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![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
Ukrainian troops captured a Russian soldier who appeared in a propaganda video presenting the Ukrainian-controlled village of Zirnytsia in the Zaporizhzhia region as having been seized by Russian forces.
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Ukraine’s 142nd Separate Mechanized Brigade said the prisoner was a serviceman of Russia’s 5th Tank Brigade who had been sent to the area to display a Russian flag and record footage that could later be presented as evidence of a Russian advance.
The brigade released footage of the captured soldier describing the assignment given to his group by Russian commanders. “They gave us an order and promised leave,” the prisoner said.
According to his account, the group was ordered to move toward Zirnytsia through fields while Ukrainian drones were operating in the area. On the third day of the mission, the soldier reached the designated location and waved a Russian flag for the camera.
When questioned about the purpose of the operation, he said he believed the footage was needed for a military report or an information campaign. He remained in the area after completing the assignment and was later captured by Ukrainian forces.
The 142nd Brigade released the testimony to challenge Russian claims that troops from the Vostok grouping had taken Zirnytsia.
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The village remains behind Ukrainian lines in the Huliaipole sector of the Zaporizhzhia region. DeepState mapping places Zirnytsia approximately 15 to 20 kilometers from the current line of contact.
The Huliaipole sector remains one of the most active areas of the southern front. Ukraine’s General Staff reported eight Russian attacks there on August 7, including near Vozdvyzhivka, Rivne, Staroukrainka, and Charivne.
The incident follows another disputed Russian battlefield claim in July, when military channels circulated footage purporting to show the capture of Bilyi Kolodyaz in the Kharkiv region. The video appeared digitally manipulated, featuring an oversized soldier and a Russian flag that disappeared from the frame, raising questions over the authenticity of the claimed advance.
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