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Russia Today
a day ago
- General
- Russia Today
Russian soldiers hijack Ukrainian armored vehicle (VIDEO)
Footage shared on social media has shown the moment Russian soldiers audaciously hijacked a Canadian-made Ukrainian armored vehicle. The driver of the vehicle was seen attempting to give chase before realizing the futility of his effort. Several Russian Telegram channels posted the undated drone video on Monday from Ukraine's border Sumy Region. In the clip, Russian service members can be seen taking over a LAV Super Bison parked near a small pond, before driving it away along a dusty rural road. A single Ukrainian crew member, apparently unarmed, attempts to intervene and catch up with the speeding vehicle, but fails. It's unclear why the Russian soldiers did not engage or capture the Ukrainian driver. After the vehicle disappears into the distance, the driver apparently realizes the futility of his chase and walks off in another direction. According to the Voyennoye Delo Telegram channel, the operation was carried out by a reconnaissance unit of Russia's 22nd Motorized Rifle Regiment. Introduced in 2016, the LAV Super Bison is an 8x8 armored combat support vehicle built by General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada. It is designed for troop transport and battlefield support and offers its crew protection against mines and improvised explosive devices. The vehicle is typically equipped with a 25mm gun or a 7.62mm machine gun. In late May, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow intended to create a 'security buffer zone' along the border, after troops successfully routed a Ukrainian incursion into Kursk Region. In recent weeks, Russian officials have also reported strikes on Ukrainian troops in Sumy Region.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Russian soldiers surrendered because 'abuse in units is worse than captivity,' Ukrainian paratroopers say
A group of Russian soldiers fighting in the Kursk direction surrendered to Ukrainian paratroopers because "abuse in units is worse than captivity," Ukraine's Airborne Assault Forces said in a video posted on social media on May 31. "In their units on the territory of the Russian Federation, they were subjected to inhumane treatment, psychological pressure and threats," the post reads. Russia's abuse of its own soldiers has been well documented throughout the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. An investigation by the Insider last July reported that Russia uses a systematic program of "gulag-style" abuse directed at its soldiers in Ukraine in order to "maintain order" and punish perceived offenders. According to the Insider, the patterns of abuse of Russian soldiers in Ukraine "borrow heavily from Soviet labor camp traditions." Russian units have employed "punishment squads" that seek out soldiers who are abusing alcohol, refuse orders, or are simply disliked, and then subject them to a variety of abuse, including beatings and "confinement pits." A report in Foreign Policy in 2023 detailed a decades-long system of "sadistic hazing" in the Russian army that included one soldier who had to have his legs and genitals amputated after he was forced to squat in the snow for several hours. The video released by Ukraine's Airborne Assault Forces shows at least eight Russian soldiers interviewed at an undisclosed location. One describes being sent to the front less than a month ago and being "blown up immediately," leaving just two men alive in his unit. Another said his unit was left to dig trenches and fend for themselves when they were spotted by a Ukrainian drone and "after that everything fell apart." "The prisoners were provided with the necessary medical and psychological assistance," the military said. Intercepted calls released by Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) suggest numerous abuses by Russian commanders against their own troops, including one incident where one lost his temper and ordered his soldiers to shoot at their own comrades in a neighbouring unit. "F**k the 55th (an adjacent Russian unit), shoot them, that's the battalion commander's order, shoot them," a Russian commander can be heard saying in an audio published by HUR on April 5. The unidentified Russian commander appears frustrated at the adjacent Russian unit for not properly following an order and revealing their positions to Ukrainian troops. The Kyiv Independent couldn't independently verify the authenticity of the audio published by HUR. Read also: Russian military freight train blown up en route to Crimea, Ukraine's HUR claims We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
The Guardian
25-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Ukraine and Russia complete prisoner exchange
Ukraine and Russia completed the exchange of 1,000 prisoners each on Sunday. Each side brought home 303 more soldiers, after each had released 307 combatants and civilians on Saturday and 390 on Friday. The agreement to exchange 1,000 prisoners each was the only concrete step towards peace to emerge from talks in Istanbul
Daily Mail
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Russia's faulty invisibility cloaks leave Putin's troops as sitting ducks for Ukraine's drones and soldiers with night-vision cameras
Faulty invisibility cloaks being used by Russian soldiers have turned Putin 's troops into sitting ducks for Ukrainian drones. The coats and blankets are designed to hide army members from thermal and night vision sensors by masking their body heat. But a fault in the technology and the Russian soldiers' lack of training in how to use the garments has made them a a bold target for Ukrainian drone strikes, The Telegraph reports. Footage shows how Russians are standing out more than ever, with their arms, legs and heads seen peaking out from their clothing. This is because rather than concealing body heat, the so-called invisibility cloaks are creating cold spots against a warmer natural environment, making the Russians easier to detect. Ukrainian drones often pick up on Russian activity by using thermal imaging, allowing them to conduct precise air strikes, even at night. As a result, Russian soldiers are essentially being led towards their enemy despite believing that they are going unnoticed. It comes as Russia and Ukraine today exchanged hundreds of prisoners as part of a major swap that was a moment of cooperation in otherwise failed efforts to reach a ceasefire. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russia's defense ministry said each side brought home 307 more soldiers, a day after each released a total of 390 combatants and civilians. 'Among those who returned today are soldiers from our army, the State Border Service, and the National Guard of Ukraine,' Zelenskyy said on his official Telegram channel. 'We expect more to come tomorrow,' he added. Russia's defense ministry also said it expected the exchange to be continued, though it did not give details. The news came hours after Kyiv came under a large-scale Russian drone and missile attack that left at least 15 people injured, according to local officials. Explosions and anti-aircraft fire were heard throughout Kyiv as many sought shelter in subway stations. In talks held in Istanbul earlier this month that marked the first time the two sides met face to face for peace talks since Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion, Kyiv and Moscow agreed to swap 1,000 prisoners of war and civilian detainees each. It was a rare moment of cooperation in otherwise failed efforts to reach a ceasefire in the three-year-old war. Russia attacked Ukraine with 14 ballistic missiles and 250 Shahed drones overnight, officials said, adding that Ukrainian forces shot down 6 missiles and neutralized 245 drones — 128 drones were shot down and 117 were thwarted using electronic warfare. The news of the prisoner swap came hours after Kyiv came under a large-scale Russian drone and missile attack that left at least 15 people injured The Kyiv City Military Administration said it was one of the biggest combined missile and drone attacks on the capital. 'A difficult night for all of us,' the administration said in a statement. The debris of intercepted missiles and drones fell in at least six city districts of the Ukrainian capital. According to the acting head of Kyiv's military administration, Tymur Tkachenko, six people required medical care after the attack and two fires were sparked in the Solomianskyi district of Kyiv. The Obolon district, where a residential building was heavily damaged in the attack, was the hardest hit. There were at least five wounded in the area, the administration said.
Telegraph
23-05-2025
- Science
- Telegraph
Russian soldiers' ‘drone-proof' thermal coats actually mark them for attack
Russian soldiers are struggling to hide from Ukrainian drones, despite being given coats and blankets designed to hide them from thermal and night vision sensors. The garments are intended to mask body heat, making soldiers harder to detect with night-vision and infrared optics. However they are constructed with faulty technology, and troops are often given inadequate training in how to use them. Rather than concealing body heat, the coats create cold spots against a warmer natural environment, making bold black targets for Ukraine to strike. 'This is no invisibility cloak,' Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, a former British Army colonel and chemical weapons expert, told The Telegraph. 'In fact, because of the contrast, it makes them more acquirable than less.' Ukrainian drones, often operated by special forces or intelligence units, combine thermal imaging with real-time targeting capabilities. This technology allows Ukraine to conduct precise strikes even at night, taking out hidden or camouflaged Russian positions. Russian soldiers are now being sent towards the enemy believing the equipment will keep them safe from attacks. But video footage and photographs taken in Lyman earlier this week show soldiers standing out more than ever as Ukrainian drones hover low behind them. The soldiers moved towards positions held by the Ukrainian army's 63rd Mechanised Brigade with coats draped over their shoulders before a barrage of first-person view (FPV) drones descended on them. The 'funny occupiers in the Lyman region… put on anti-drone raincoats and thought that now they are safe,' the brigade said after the attack. A different Russian assault group used higher-quality thermal blankets but lacked proper training on how to use them effectively. They could be seen with their legs, arms, or heads peeking out from the covers, suddenly highlighting where they were standing. Nick Reynolds, research fellow for land warfare at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), said that there have been 'instances of incompetence by Russian personnel who clearly do not understand how to use their equipment'. Mr de Bretton-Gordon added: 'It does highlight how difficult it is to hide on today's battlefield... They need to cover their whole bodies.' Details found online showed Russian versions of the suits on sale for just $47 USD. Improvements in Ukrainian technology are also making it even harder for Russians to hide. 'Thermal cameras on drones are both improving and becoming cheaper as manufacturing processes improve,' explained Mr Reynolds. Ukrainian soldiers have previously used thermal camouflage suits, reportedly to much better effect than their Russian adversaries. The suits, which weigh 2.5 kilograms, are made by a variety of multilayer materials, in particular polymers, microfibres, and fabrics interspersed with metal particles. 'Our goal is to disguise the military and equipment from the enemy as reliably as possible,' Vitalii Polovenko, the deputy defence minister, said last year.
