Ukrainian paratroopers said they have captured two Russian marines from a brigade that reportedly murdered Ukrainian captives earlier this month, according to a Ukrainian blog site.
Kyiv said the 155th Independent Marine Brigade of the Russian Pacific Fleet was seen in drone footage shooting dead Ukrainian captives following an attack on Ukraine drone operators on October 10.
A retaliatory attack in Kursk between the “warriors of the 95th Brigade of the DSHV,” the Ukrainian Air Assault forces, and the Russian marines resulted in the surrender of two Russian prisoners, according to a Facebook post made by the Airborne Assault Troops of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces wrote that Ukrainian troops “mercilessly destroy the occupier, but mercifully preserve his life if the enemy drops weapons and surrenders captive!”
Newsweek reached out to the Airborne Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation for comment via email.
Russian marines complete tactical combat training exercises in Murmansk region, Russia, photographed on February 3, 2022. Ukrainian troops recently captured and killed Russian marines, and took two who surrendered as prisoners in Kursk.
Pavel Lvov/Associated Press
The Facebook post also said that the 155th Independent Marine Brigade had conducted “special cruelty to Ukrainians,” and that Polish paratroopers in the assault “destroyed all militants from the so-called Akhmat Special Unit and the 155th Marine Brigade.”
The two Russian marines who surrendered were given medical attention, and “only those who voluntarily surrendered remained to live,” the blog post said.
The Ukrainian marine offensive was supported by combat drones and artillery utilizing cluster munitions.
The Airborne Assault Troops of the Armed Forces of Ukraine also posted on Telegram a video of the attack and footage showing the two Russian captives in the forest.
In the October 10 attack, Russian marines in the 155th brigade attacked Ukrainian drone operators in the Western area of Kursk Oblast and took them as prisoners.
The Russian marines then forced the Ukrainians to remove their clothing and lie down on the ground before shooting and killing nine of them, Kyiv said.
After drone footage of the nine Ukrainian soldiers being stripped and killed was released, Ukrainians urged international organizations including the U.N. and the International Committee of the Red Cross to condemn the attack and respond.
The Russian troops who killed the Ukrainian drone operators were later accused of committing war crimes.
Following the incident, the Ukrainian Prosecutor-General Andriy Kostin said that his office had launched a criminal investigation.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces’ retaliation against the Russian brigade accused of war crimes caused Russian families to go to social media to express their anger.
The two fighting armed forces have been engaged in counterattacks since, and Ukraine’s 95th Air Assault Brigade attacked a Russian marine platoon on October 18, killed 30 Russians, and destroyed armored vehicles, Ukraine said.
Ukrainian forces began fighting in Kursk in early August and have been battling in the Russian territory Kursk Oblast to “free Ukraine’s border areas from Russian forces,” as reported by website The New Voice of Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made an announcement on October 16 that his victory plan, which he presented to various world leaders, includes continuing to operate in Kursk and improving Ukraine’s offensive capabilities.
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