Secret Ukrainian Forces Enter Russia To Kidnap Kremlin Officials, Destroy Military Facilities: Report

A group of secretive Ukrainian special forces has entered Russia where it is tasked to kidnap Kremlin officials and destroy critical Russian military infrastructures, according to a report.

The group is known as the Bratstvo battalion, a volunteer group of Ukrainian special forces. The unit recruits mainly civilians or soldiers from other voluntary battalions and is operating independently from the Ukrainian army.

Part of the group's operations involves positioning themselves deep into Russia where they can kidnap senior Kremlin officials, destroy military facilities, or down Russian aircraft, The Guardian reported, citing the battalion's commander Olexiy and two other members.

Speaking with the outlet, a 23-year-old Bratsvo battalion member, Taras, claimed they had recently brought a large number of explosives into Russia. He, however, noted that he was not made aware of what and for whom the explosives were intended.

Taras also claimed that in December 2022, the battalion was tasked to "destroy a Russian helicopter transporting high-ranking officials of the Russian ministry of internal affairs" using a portable anti-aircraft missile system. Taras noted that they heard an explosion but did not see the hit.

"We showed we can enter the territory of Russia and show the Russians that Ukrainians can act," Taras told the outlet. "It is very demoralizing to the enemy. The helicopter was for the Russian leadership. And the very fact that Ukrainian saboteurs are shooting at Russian commanders is already a point of tension for Russians. This makes the Russian command nervous."

The International Business Times could not independently verify the claims.

The reporting comes as Russia's invasion of Ukraine extends into its 12th month. Since the start of the war in February last year, Russia has lost a total of 131,290 military personnel, according to estimates from the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. The figure includes 700 soldiers who were killed over the past day.

Ukraine is showing no signs of retreating from the city of Bakhmut in the Donbas region where Kyiv's forces have been heavily involved in fighting against Wagner mercenaries for the past three months, CNN reported, citing Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin's Telegram channel.