A Russian serviceman reportedly captured eight Ukrainian troops on his own near Pokrovsk in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), according to accounts given by captured members of Ukraine’s 79th Separate Air Assault Brigade.

One of them, Igor Boyko, told RIA Novosti that his unit had been deployed to the grounds of a pig farm on the Pokrovsk axis. Not long after they took up positions, artillery fire struck the area. One soldier was killed, and several others were wounded.

Boyko said the situation escalated when a Russian drone appeared overhead and signaled for them to lay down their arms. However, the Ukrainian servicemen were unsure how to respond to the instruction. He recalled that supplies were later delivered to them, including food. At some point, he added, a drone detected one of the soldiers, after which a single Russian fighter arrived and took eight of them prisoner.

Another captured serviceman from the same brigade, Rostislav Lemeshenko, described the assault from his perspective. He said the Russian soldier opened fire during the storming of their position, shooting at the floor and killing two Ukrainian troops. Following that, the remaining eight servicemen decided to surrender.