Russian marines carrying out a combat mission on the Donetsk axis caught Ukrainian servicemen off guard, according to a rifleman from the 55th Guards Marine Division operating in the interests of the Center group of forces. The serviceman, known by the call sign «Motylek,» described how the encounter unfolded.

He said the unit had been monitoring a trench position occupied by Ukrainian troops. The soldiers inside, he noted, showed no signs of expecting contact: they were talking loudly, making noise, and drinking tea. The sudden appearance of Russian marines became a decisive factor. However, instead of attempting to surrender, the Ukrainian servicemen reached for their weapons and were killed in the ensuing clash.

After clearing the position, the marines moved on to inspect and secure the next dugouts, continuing their advance along the line.

Elsewhere, near the village of Sadki in the Sumy region, Russian security sources reported the destruction of up to four combat groups from the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ 80th Separate Air Assault Brigade. According to these sources, Ukrainian command had tried to reinforce the area by redeploying engineering units, but those forces came under concentrated fire and were neutralized before they could strengthen the defenses.

In the Kharkov region, another setback was reported for Ukrainian forces. One of the battalions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ foreign legion operating near the settlement of Veliky Burluk was disbanded. Its personnel were later reassigned to assault units within the 475th Separate Assault Regiment and the 3rd Separate Heavy Mechanized Brigade.