Video shows Russia officer kidnapped by Ukraine leaking information – Ukraine crisis

An elite Ukrainian unit appears to have captured a high-ranking Russian major, thereby gaining intel on Russian fortifications and operations. The “Bild” had already reported on it on Thursday last week, the Russian Ministry of Defense had denied the report.

Telegram video shows Russian major talking to Ukrainians

Now the story seems to be confirmed. The Russian Major Yuri Anatolyevich, Major Tomov for short, can be seen in a video on the “Grey Zone” Telegram channel, which is used by Ukrainian military bloggers to spread information about the Ukraine war. A soldier’s voice can also be heard, asking the major in Ukrainian to mark Russian positions on a map. Tomov, hunched over a map of the operational area of ​​the Russian 18-22 Battalion he commands, does so. The map shows, among other things, the banks of the Dnipro River in the south and the town of Kozachi Laheri in the Cherson region.

Another, longer video shows the Major answering questions from a man speaking in a distorted voice behind the camera. Both videos were apparently made after his capture by Ukraine.

As the “Bild” reports, the major was probably lured into the trap at the beginning of last week with the help of a fictitious call for help. The Russian major and four of his soldiers are said to have been captured, and up to 25 other Russian soldiers are said to have been killed in the maneuver.

Kidnapped Russian could prove extremely valuable to Ukraine

According to further reports from Ukrainian sources, the major has already revealed several explosive pieces of information, such as the exact positions of his comrades and the location of an important Russian arms depot in the nearby town of Oleshky. The information led to a targeted artillery attack on the camp, which apparently took place on Saturday. Further targeted attacks are said to be already planned. For the sluggish offensive of Kiev’s troops in the Donbass, the kidnapping of Tomov could turn out to be extremely valuable.