Ukrainian Special Operations Forces (SSO) on Tuesday said they have eliminated a Russian assault group and captured a Wagner mercenary during a recent operation in the Pokrovsk sector of Donetsk.
According to the SSO’s Telegram channel, the 144th SSO Center carried out the mission with support from reconnaissance UAVs, FPV drones, drone drop teams, and mortar and grenade launcher crews.
The SSO released a video highlighting key moments of the operation, including brief interviews with participants.
Pokrovsk is hell, but the boys are holding up.
Fighters of the 144th SSO Center, together with operators of reconnaissance UAVs, FPV drones, tanks, mortar and grenade launcher crews, destroyed a 🇷🇺 assault group that had prevented a rotation the day before. 🫡 pic.twitter.com/IrUgNr9128
— Maria Schmid – 🇵🇹 (@MariaSc90701399) June 25, 2025
The operation began with a targeted strike on a locomotive where Russian soldiers had taken shelter. FPV drones hit the target, setting the locomotive on fire and prompting six Russian soldiers to attempt an escape.
The fleeing soldiers moved toward a ruined building near a gas station, where Ukrainian units engaged them using drones, artillery, and munition drops. The pursuit lasted about 40 minutes. At least five Russians were killed in the fighting. One soldier pretended to be dead but drone reconnaissance confirmed that he was still alive. Instead of launching a follow-up strike, Ukrainian drone operators used UAVs equipped with munitions to signal him.
SSO group commander “Pravyi” said taking him alive was a tactical choice. “If we can exchange him for one of our guys without taking too much risk, why not?”
The prisoner, identified as a Wagner fighter, was escorted roughly two kilometers to Ukrainian lines and retrieved by SSO troops in a Humvee.
According to the SSO, the Russian assault group they targeted had earlier disrupted a unit rotation, killing one Ukrainian servicemember and wounding another.
