In a "Bold" Operation.. Ukraine Announces the Surrender of 250 Russian Soldiers and Reveals Details

- Kyiv announced that a bold Ukrainian operation - which involved robots dropped behind enemy lines and explosive armored personnel carriers similar to a "Trojan Horse" - resulted in the capture of more than 250 Russian soldiers. A video released by the Ukrainian Third Army Corps this week shows dozens of Russian soldiers surrendering and walking through a forest in a single-file line, forming a long human chain; they walk with their heads down under heavy guard from Ukrainian forces, who later gathered them into a tight formation and forced them to conduct an impromptu roll call.

The video shows some of the Russian prisoners explaining that they surrendered because they "did not want to die in vain," describing how they had to eat tree bark and grass and drink water from puddles after running out of basic supplies. The Afaq News network cannot independently verify the video or the Ukrainian claims regarding the surrender, but some prominent Russian military bloggers expressed regret over the recent Ukrainian advances and called on the Russian leadership for explanations regarding reports of leadership failures and supply shortages, which contributed to these surrender cases.

Russia continues to bombard Ukrainian cities with nearly nonstop airstrikes, exploiting the severe shortage of air defense missiles that Kyiv is experiencing; the past four months have been among the deadliest periods for Ukrainian civilians since the full-scale invasion began in 2022. The Ukrainian army continues to gradually regain control of territories held by Russians in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, as part of a counteroffensive dubbed "Vivaldi."

These successes have brought a glimmer of hope and optimism amid months characterized by bleak conditions for Ukraine. The "Vivaldi operation" has largely been marked by Ukraine's innovative use of technology, particularly drones (both aerial and ground) and armored personnel carriers.

According to Andriy Biletsky, commander of the Third Army Corps, the Ukrainian army was able - during one of the attack operations - to drop automated systems equipped with heavy weapons more than 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) deep behind Russian lines. These ground robots were controlled from safe locations within command centers located deep in Ukrainian-controlled territory, allowing them to attack Russian forces from an unexpected direction.

For years, the atmosphere along the front lines in Ukraine has been filled with drones, posing a very serious threat to infantry forces; this has led Ukraine to make ground robots an essential part of its military arsenal. These ground robots are characterized by their difficulty in being detected and intercepted compared to larger military vehicles; unlike their aerial counterparts, they can operate in all weather conditions and carry much larger weights and loads.

However, the "Vivaldi Operation" represents the first time it is known that these robots have been smuggled behind Russian defensive lines. Russian President Vladimir Putin is keen to seize the eastern Donbas region in Ukraine, and in a speech he delivered on Thursday at the "Valdai Club" - a discussion forum based in Moscow - he claimed that Europe and Ukraine fear that Kyiv will not be able to withstand the Russian advance for more than another 18 to 24 months.

Putin also hinted that Moscow is capable of controlling what remains of the Donetsk region in less time than that, considering that Ukrainian resistance is futile. However, recent military operations have raised hopes in Kyiv that Russia may not be able to seize the rest of the Donbas region that quickly; while Moscow continues to gradually undermine what is known as the "fortress belt" in the east, its progress is characterized by slowness and high human and material costs.

Western intelligence agencies estimate that Russia is losing about 40,000 soldiers monthly, which equates to a rate of 340 casualties (dead and wounded) per square kilometer. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) concluded that at the current pace, Russian forces will not be able to control the rest of the Donbas region before 2032 - if they are able to seize it at all.