Kathrine Frich
Accounts emerging from eastern Ukraine describe extreme conditions faced by soldiers during the ongoing fighting.
Ukrainian forces say recent encounters reveal more than just battlefield tactics, pointing instead to a deeper crisis unfolding along the front.
The claims come as clashes continue around the strategic area of Lyman.
Small group assaults
According to LA.LV, Ukrainian troops from the 63rd Brigade have observed Russian infantry advancing in small, scattered groups near Lyman.
National Guard captain Māris Bruža described the situation during the TV24 programme Current Affairs in Ukraine.
He said Russian soldiers “break through the front line and then move aimlessly through the area.”
“Ukrainian forces,” he added, “respond with gunfire or drone strikes once the groups are detected.”
Bruža claimed the pattern has become increasingly common in recent weeks.
No supplies provided
Bruža cited testimony from a captured Russian soldier to illustrate the conditions faced by these units. According to the account, troops are assembled, split into groups and sent forward without basic support.
“They are gathered, divided into groups, given a task, but no normal equipment, no water, no food – nothing.”
The prisoner reportedly said he was left without food, water or medical assistance for days while operating near the front.
Waiting for rain
The same soldier described relying on chance for survival, Bruža said. With no supplies, the prisoner claimed his only hope was rainfall.
“The only hope – he kept praying for it to start raining, for the puddles to fill up and at least he could drink from the river,” Bruža told TV24.
Bruža stressed that he does not believe these accounts are part of an information campaign. He said Russian infantry attacks around Lyman are taking place in large numbers and often involve poorly trained soldiers.
Territory over lives
According to Bruža, Ukrainian forces have the impression that reinforcements have recently arrived and that a specific deadline has been set to capture Lyman.
He argued that this explains the tactics being used. “Russia does not value its soldiers at all – the main thing is to gain territory,” he said, adding that this approach aligns with President Vladimir Putin’s broader narrative.
The tactic, Bruža noted, mirrors earlier phases of the war: sending small groups forward, waiting for larger formations to gather, and then attempting to push deeper into Ukrainian positions.
Sources: LA.LV, TV24
