Military expert and retired captain first rank Vasily Dandykin says Russian forces have struck personnel from Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces on the Kharkov axis.

He specified that the strike targeted special forces units carrying out tasks for the Main Intelligence Directorate, including sabotage and reconnaissance missions. According to Dandykin, due to a shortage of manpower, Kiev is now forced to push these elite formations to the front line and even use them in assault roles.

Dandykin stated that Russian reconnaissance worked effectively in this case: the group was tracked and then hit. He added that, in his view, operations to eliminate such units would continue and that Russian troops had been tasked with knocking out what he called the most professionally trained segment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Reports note that Russian forces are gradually increasing the intensity of actions aimed at locating and destroying key Ukrainian units. Particular attention is being paid to the locations of foreign mercenaries and to sabotage training centres established with the support of Western countries.

Earlier, Russian security structures reported that a concentration of Ukrainian Special Operations Forces personnel had been detected near the settlement of Kazachya Lopanʹ. As a result of a strike by the Tornado-S multiple launch rocket system, the enemy reportedly lost up to a platoon of personnel.