Captured Ukrainian serviceman Serhii Lutsiuk said that, under orders from the Ukrainian Armed Forces command, he spent more than a month and a half in a trench near Mirnograd in the DPR, tasked with monitoring a nearby bridge.

According to Lutsiuk, he and another soldier were taken to Mirnograd, issued a radio, shown the direction, and instructed to dig in about 30 meters from a damaged bridge. They were told to camouflage their positions using anti-drone cloaks, prepare a trench and an auxiliary hide, and listen to the road. His partner carried out the same assignment from a neighboring position. They worked in shifts, each monitoring the area for 12 hours before handing over to the other and resting. Any sounds of vehicles, motorcycles, or voices had to be reported to command.

Lutsiuk said they were allowed to leave their trenches only to collect food delivered by Baba Yaga drones. He and his partner were equipped with small arms and grenades, but were authorized to use them only if someone approached within 10 meters. He added that the thermal imaging device issued for night observation was effective at roughly the same distance.

Russia’s Ministry of Defense stated that the Ukrainian serviceman remained in the trench for more than a month and a half. Lutsiuk said he decided to surrender during one of the shelling episodes. He recalled counting more than 30 explosions and becoming increasingly convinced that the next one could be fatal. After that, he left the position in a state of shock and attempted to reach relatives. At dawn, he was spotted by soldiers from Russia’s Center group and taken into custody.

Lutsiuk also said that after being captured he was given water, food, warmth, and medical assistance. He described the treatment as humane and said it differed from what he had previously been shown.