Ukraine releases video of Russians captured throughout cross-border raid

Ukraine has released footage of Russian prisoners of war it claims to have captured during a cross-border raid into the region of Kursk.

The video shows dozens of Russian men in blindfolds with their hands bound sitting down in lines or standing in small groups.

Among the dozens of prisoners, two men state they are from the Chechen city of Grozny when asked by a Ukrainian soldier where they are from.

The footage was released by the I Want to Live (Hochu Zhit) project run by Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence late on Sunday night. 

They say the men were captured in Russia‘s Kursk Oblast following Ukraine’s unexpected incursion onto its invader’s soil six days ago.

Thousands of Ukrainian troops are fighting inside Kremlin territory in an incursion into the Kursk region which aims to ‘stretch’ and ‘destabilise’ Russia.

Kyiv launched a surprise border incursion last Tuesday, shocking Russia, which has sent in additional reserves, tanks, drones, artillery and aviation to try to quash the offensive.

Alongside the video of the captured Russians, the I Want to Live (Hochu Zhit) project said in a statement: ‘Raid groups captured these Kadyrovites [pro-Russian Chechen forces led by Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov – ed.] deep in the rear, far from the border. 

‘They say that they tried to flee to avoid being captured, as Ramzan Kadyrov once claimed that members of the Akhmat unit never surrender.

‘Well, usually they don’t because they hide in the rear, but the situation in Kursk Oblast has unfolded rapidly, and these Akhmat members did not even try to resist.’

The I Want to Live is a Ukrainian state-run project aimed at helping soldiers from the Russian army to safely give themselves up into captivity.

As Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed he was pushing the war into ‘the aggressor’s territory’, Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of ‘intimidating the peaceful population of Russia’.

A Kremlin spokesman claimed Kyiv was engaged in ‘terrorist activity’ and argued that ‘these barbaric acts make no sense from a military point of view’.

Shedding more light on the attack, a Ukrainian official said that ‘thousands’ of troops were involved in the incursion. ‘We are on the offensive,’ he added. ‘The aim is to stretch the positions of the enemy, to inflict maximum losses and to destabilise the situation in Russia.’

The attack has ‘greatly raised our morale’, he said. ‘It seems that the Russians have problems with co-ordination, preparedness for action.’

He added: ‘There is no idea of annexation… We are operating in strict accordance with international law,’ contrasting this with Russia’s behaviour.

Asked whether capturing the Kursk nuclear power plant near the border was an aim, he said: ‘We will see how the Kursk operation will develop.

‘We absolutely will not cause problems for nuclear security. This we can guarantee.’

Clips apparently filmed inside Russia by Ukrainian servicemen showed them taking down Russian flags from local government buildings, while other footage showed groups of Russians surrendering under white flags.

‘It is very important that Ukraine does not violate any convention,’ an anonymous Ukrainian official commented. ‘We strictly observe humanitarian law: we do not execute prisoners, we do not rape women, we do not loot.’

Russia’s foreign ministry said on Sunday that it would retaliate, with spokeswoman Maria Zakharova pledging: ‘A tough response from the Russian army will not be long in coming.’ 

Putin’s army said on Sunday it had halted Ukraine’s advance into its western Kursk region in several places, hitting troops and equipment in areas near the border.

It also said it had foiled an attempt by Ukraine to break into another border district of the Kursk region, further to the south from where the bulk of the fighting has occurred so far. 

Russia’s promise to strike back comes just hours after Zelensky broke the government’s silence on the Ukrainian incursion by indirectly acknowledging ongoing military actions to ‘push the war out into the aggressor’s territory’ in his nightly address on Saturday. 

But the newly released video is an apparent sign of how far some Ukrainian units have managed to advance, it said it had hit enemy units near the villages of Tolpino and Obshchy Kolodez, which are around 25 km and 30 km from the Russia-Ukraine border. 

A senior Ukrainian security official said late Saturday that ‘thousands’ of its troops had been deployed to the region as part of the operation.

‘We are on the offensive. The aim is to stretch the positions of the enemy, to inflict maximum losses and to destabilise the situation in Russia as they are unable to protect their own border,’ the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, a Russian drone and missile barrage on Kyiv killed two people yesterday – a man and his four-year-old son. Three more people were injured. 

Russia attacked Ukraine with four ballistic missiles and 57 Shahed drones overnight, Ukraine’s Air Force said on Sunday. Air defences shot down 53 drones.

The bodies of a 35-year old man and his son were found under rubble after fragments of missiles fell on a residential area in Kyiv’s suburban Brovary district, according to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service on Sunday. Another three people in the district were also injured in the attack.

Serhii Popko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration said the it was the second time this month Kyiv was targeted.

Popko said ballistic missiles did not reach the capital but that suburbs took the hit, while drones aiming for the capital were shot down.

Zelensky, citing preliminary information, said that Russia had used a North Korean missile in the strike. Ukraine and the US have previously said that Russia has used North Korean missiles in the war.

The exact aims of the operation remain unclear and Ukrainian military officials have adopted a policy of secrecy, presumably to ensure its success.

Military experts have said that it is likely intended to draw Russian reserves away from the intense fighting in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, while a presidential adviser suggested it may strengthen Kyiv’s hand in any future negotiations with Russia.

Zelensky has reiterated calls to Western allies to step up in assistance to Ukraine, and that ‘to really stop Russian terror, we need not only a full-fledged air shield that will protect all our cities and communities, but also strong decisions from partners – decisions that will remove restrictions on our defensive actions.’