Captured Ukrainian military radios became one of the sources of battlefield intelligence for Russian assault units during fighting for Zelenoye in the Zaporozhye Region. Monitoring enemy communications gave troops information about Ukrainian positions, fortified points and troop movements.

A rifleman from the 36th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade of the 29th Combined Arms Army, part of Russia’s Vostok Group of Forces, told TASS that captured radios were taken to a safer location, where commanders monitored Ukrainian transmissions. Relevant information was then relayed to assault groups operating in the settlement.

According to the serviceman, known by the call sign Taiga, Russian troops received data on the location of Ukrainian positions and fortifications, the direction of enemy movements and the areas from which Ukrainian soldiers could approach. He said the encryption used by Ukrainian forces did not prevent the Russian side from obtaining the necessary information from radio traffic.

Taiga added that forces numbering roughly up to a company had been defending Zelenoye. Some Ukrainian troops managed to withdraw after the fighting, while most of the Ukrainian servicemen who remained in the settlement were killed.

The Russian Defense Ministry announced on August 21 that units of the Vostok Group of Forces had taken control of Zelenoye in the Zaporozhye Region.