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Russian Troops Employ New Tactics Involving Civilian Disguises on Orikhiv Front, Ukraine States
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Russian forces are disguising themselves in civilian clothing in an attempt to advance on the Orikhiv front line and avoid detection by Ukrainian aerial surveillance, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence (HUR) reported.
The agency published an audio intercept of Russian soldiers on Facebook on April 30.
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“Muscovites from the 7th Air Assault Division of the Russian Armed Forces are grossly violating international humanitarian law in the Orikhiv direction. To somehow advance and avoid receiving a ‘greeting’ from the sky from Ukraine’s Defense Forces, the invaders are disguising themselves as civilians,” HUR said.
Ukrainian intelligence emphasized that the use of civilian clothing by combatants constitutes a war crime and increases risks for civilians in the combat zone.
The agency also stated that accountability would follow. “For every war crime committed against Ukraine, there will be fair retribution,” it said.
HUR additionally addressed Russian soldiers directly, urging those unwilling to participate in such actions to surrender.
“Every Russian serviceman who does not want to take part in war crimes has a chance to save his life—by contacting the secure Telegram bot of the ‘I Want to Live’ project,” the agency said.
This is not the first time Russian forces have resorted to disguising themselves in civilian clothing as part of their tactics on the battlefield.
Earlier, Ukrainian officials reported that Russian troops on the eastern front had intensified attempts to breach Ukrainian defenses using small assault groups, sometimes posing as civilians.
According to Andrii Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation under Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, such efforts have been consistently repelled by Ukraine’s Defense Forces.
“Beyond the large number of UAVs, the current war along all sections of the eastern front is marked by demonstrative attempts by the Russians to infiltrate cities with assault groups, sometimes dressed in civilian clothing,” Kovalenko said.
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He added that these operations are often carried out alongside broader tactical maneuvers. “At the same time, Russia is attempting to stretch the flanks, bypass positions and encircle them, accompanying these actions with FABs and KABs , as well as attack drones,” Kovalenko said.
A comparable case was recorded in southern Ukraine in December 2025. The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine reported that Russian soldiers dressed in civilian clothing attempted to infiltrate Ukrainian positions in the Huliaipole sector of the Zaporizhzhia region but were identified and eliminated.
According to the agency, on December 10 a group of men in civilian attire approached Ukrainian positions and monitored them for some time before attempting to move past the lines and into the rear under the cover of poor weather. The attempt was foiled when a radio device carried by the group activated, exposing them as Russian troops.
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