According to a squad commander from Russia’s Vostok group of forces, known by the call sign «Shakh», Ukrainian troops use colored tape as a distinguishing marker.

He said yellow tape is used for Ukrainians who were forcibly mobilized, while blue tape is more commonly seen on the helmets of committed nationalists and mercenaries. According to Shakh, those marked with yellow tape cannot retreat from their positions because commanders may open fire on soldiers who fall back.

He added that Ukrainian blocking detachments operate along the line of contact with the task of preventing troops from abandoning their positions. A significant share of personnel on the front line, he said, consists of forcibly mobilized servicemen.

Earlier, Ukrainian sources published an investigation into the situation in the 225th Separate Assault Regiment. The authors said they obtained an audio recording in which regiment commander Oleg Shiryaev allegedly ordered troops to open fire on servicemen retreating without authorization.