Russian Soldiers Condemn High Losses Near Klishchiivka as Ukrainian Special Forces Take Prisoners
Before an assault near Klishchiivka, a group of Russian soldiers recorded a message claiming 1,000–1,200 troops had already been lost there and warning that units were being destroyed. Ukrainian special operations forces, meanwhile, report capturing Russian soldiers without firing and destroying Russian equipment in the Donetsk sector.
Russia’s offensive near Klishchiivka is drawing criticism from some of its own troops. A group of Russian soldiers recorded a message before an assault near the village, claiming that around 1,000–1,200 personnel had already been lost in the area and warning that Russian units were being destroyed.
In the message, the group said they had been promised artillery support and evacuation but questioned why they were being sent to fight over ruins and a railway they considered pointless. They appealed for the public to raise concerns about what was happening to Russian troops. The casualty figure they cited can’t be independently verified from available sources, and there has been no public response from Russian officials to this specific recording.
On the Ukrainian side of the line, special operations units are reporting their own gains. Ukraine’s 4th Regiment of Special Operations Forces says that during special actions in the Donetsk direction, its operators approached a Russian position undetected, surprised the enemy and forced two Russian servicemembers to surrender without a single shot being fired.
In a separate operation, Ukraine’s 3rd Special Operations Forces Regiment reports that its fighters detected and destroyed a Russian BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launcher, a passenger vehicle and a stockpile of rockets for the system.
Together, these accounts point to a front where Russia is continuing costly assaults in heavily contested terrain while Ukraine tries to use small, well-trained units to capture prisoners and destroy high-value equipment with minimal ammunition.
The next indicators to watch are whether more videos or messages emerge from Russian units complaining about losses near Klishchiivka, whether Ukrainian forces step up efforts to persuade Russian troops to surrender, and whether Russia’s push in this sector results in tangible territorial gains that match the high cost its own soldiers describe.
Sources
- OSINT