Ukraine’s Third Assault Brigade said on Nov. 25 that it had cleared out Russian troops from the Kopanky village in Kharkiv Oblast, taking several prisoners of war (POW) from Russia’s First Tank Army.
Russian forces were reportedly pushed out after they attempted to break into Kopanky, a village in eastern Kharkiv Oblast close to the administrative border with Luhansk Oblast.
The settlement lies around 40 kilometers (25 miles) southeast of Kupiansk, a key logistics hub under increasing pressure from Russian troops.
In a video published by the unit, seven POWs are seen in a basement-like room during a filmed interrogation. According to the unit, the POWs' positions came under artillery fire from the Russian military after their capture.
Russia has been recruiting prisoners for high-risk assault operations in Ukraine to offset its staggering losses during the full-scale war.
The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify the unit’s claims or where the video was recorded.
The Third Separate Assault Brigade is known to have been operating around the village of Borova in Kharkiv Oblast. They launched a successful counterattack in the region in August, advancing almost 2 square kilometers deep into the front line area.
The Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk