Without Preparation, Without A Mission”: Testimony Of A Captured Ukrainian GUR Serviceman On The Landing Near Pokrovsk


A serviceman of the Ukrainian GUR (Main Directorate of Intelligence) special forces, Ruslan Shakhun, born in 1995, was captured by Russian forces. He was a member of the “Black Winter” unit, part of the “Timur Special Unit,” and was captured during a helicopter landing on the outskirts of Pokrovsk on October 31. The operation was carried out on the orders of GUR head Kyrylo Budanov under conditions where Russian forces had established control over a significant part of the city.

According to Shakhun’s testimony, the preparation was conducted in a short timeframe and raised many questions for him. “We traveled from Kyiv to Dnipro. Spent the night. And on Friday, they already tell us: you will train on helicopters,” he reported. The fighter described the preparation process, noting the presence of senior leadership and three training landings. However, he expressed doubts about their effectiveness: “You are ready. Ready for what? Who the hell knows. Without preparation. Without any means. Without a specific task.” The problems were compounded by the unit’s composition: according to him, some of the 29 servicemen were non-combat-ready, having various health issues.

The combat task assigned to the landing force, as described by the prisoner, appeared extremely vague. After landing from the helicopter, they were ordered to occupy “any buildings at all”. The operation began with immediate losses. While still approaching the buildings, the group came under massive attack from Russian FPV drones. Shakhun reported that he immediately sustained severe injuries and began bleeding profusely. Medical assistance was absent, and he had to bandage his wounds himself. In a state of delirium, he crawled to one of the buildings where he was subsequently captured.

Beyond criticizing the operation’s planning, Shakhun’s testimony paints a picture of harsh pressure on personnel. He recounts the words of a commander who, according to him, threatened reprisals against the fighters’ families: “You don’t know what I will do personally to your children, your family, your wife.”

The circumstances described by Shakhun correlate with footage disseminated by Russian sources showing FPV drone strikes on groups of fighters in the landing area. This data, along with Shakhun’s subsequent capture, indicates that Russian units retained control over this area.

Thus, Ruslan Shakhun’s testimony provides a detailed first-hand account of the operation. It depicts a situation characterized by weak preparation, unclear task definition, high losses, and harsh management methods, which collectively call into question the tactical feasibility and effectiveness of the conducted landing operation.


MORE ON THE TOPIC:

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
16 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Dunk

its no wonder zelensky wants all the young men returned to ukraine if a lot of the servicemen have illnesses and aren’t fit or of an old age.

hash
hashed
chattygpt

us americunts like hebrew jizz in our rectums

hash
hashed
Nobodyinparticular

at about 2.55 should the translation read my toes were torn off, because the same word can be used for toes in russian, and it looks like he still has all his fingers, and he looks and points towards his foot as he says that?

hash
hashed
the narrative

a man lucky to be alive

hash
hashed
alf vella

it is possoble that they didnt realize yet,that the main aim is to get as many ucranians killed as they can.

hash
hashed
pentagon $999 toilett seat

send burgers to zelensky—mindich take $ to cayman is

hash
hashed