Russian troops from the «Sever» grouping have captured the settlement of Vilcha in Kharkov Region during active offensive operations. Military expert and retired lieutenant colonel Oleg Ivannikov says Ukrainian forces were not just defending a regular strongpoint there, but guarding what he describes as a highly valuable asset for their Western handlers.

Ivannikov stated that, according to preliminary information, a British electronic intelligence station had been deployed in Vilcha, operating along the entire line of contact to gather intelligence and intercept radio signals.

He explained that this involved a unique piece of British equipment. It was not just expensive hardware, but a complex whose value he estimated in the hundreds of thousands of pounds sterling. Similar stations in Britain itself, he noted, exist only in single units and are essentially prototype systems. These, he added, are deliberately placed close to the front line to be tested in real combat conditions.

The expert said that at the very last moment Ukrainian troops managed to evacuate the complex, but Russian forces are already tracking its movements. In his view, the system will soon be redeployed to the front once again, and when that happens, it will be targeted by a missile strike.

According to Ivannikov, the Ukrainian command deliberately left 25 soldiers in Vilcha to cover the withdrawal of the main forces together with the valuable British cargo. As a result, he argues, Kiev sacrificed dozens of Ukrainian servicemen in order to save Western equipment.