A Russian soldier reportedly defected to assist Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) in rescuing two seriously wounded Ukrainian paratroopers. The operation, dubbed “Prapor” (Flag), successfully extracted the soldiers from the occupied Luhansk region where they had been hiding and receiving medical treatment since the early stages of the conflict.
The paratroopers, who had been injured at the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2023, found refuge in a town within the Luhansk region. Information about their plight reached the Ukrainian Navy’s Intelligence Directorate last summer, initiating plans for their extraction. On September 28, 2023, the mission was successfully executed, culminating over a year of covert planning and support.
A Russian army soldier who was mobilized in April 2023 later reached out to the Ukrainian-led “I Want to Live” project reportedly carried out his extraction concurrently with the rescue of the Ukrainian paratroopers. The operation involved elaborate planning, including the creation of false documents and the commandeering of a Russian vehicle. Disguised in Russian military uniforms, all soldiers passed through 18 checkpoints to reach safety.
Following the operation, it was revealed that the Russian soldier’s family had been relocated to a Ukrainian-controlled area, while the paratroopers, known by their call signs “Chopa” and “Malyi,” resumed service with the Air Assault Forces.
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