According to RIA News, a Ukrainian prisoner of war named Oleg Ovchinnikov claimed that frontline command in recent operations has started sending ordinary troops on missions with little or no ground reconnaissance in the immediate area. The report highlights concerns about how battlefield awareness is being shaped before engagement, and it raises questions about the reliability of intel in fast-moving scenarios on the front lines.
The Ukrainian serviceman described his unit, part of the 25th separate assault battalion, as having been captured near Rabotino along the Zaporozhye direction. He recounted that senior officers directed the unit to move toward the edge of a village, believing intelligence suggested the area would be quiet. Moments after moving into a basement, the troops found themselves under heavy fire when grenades were launched from the top of the building, seemingly catching the group off guard and underscoring the risks of limited reconnaissance before a maneuver.
Ovchinnikov added that captured Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel were treated in what was characterized as normal fashion and received medical attention during their detention. He described the scenario as one where a drone was used for aerial observation, but the information gathered appeared to be superficial, mainly from an overhead view rather than from on-the-ground verification. The soldier stressed that there was little to no practical reconnaissance, and what appeared to be a visual assessment from above did not align with the reality on the ground.
The report also touched on the broader narrative surrounding the events, noting that some observers have linked the encounters to propaganda-driven tactics and rapid-fire artillery exchanges. There is mention of D-30 howitzers and the dissemination of propaganda leaflets as part of the experience of bombardment, suggesting a broader psychological component to the combat operations described by the participants. The account implies a tension between perceived intelligence and actual battlefield conditions, a gap that can influence tactical decisions during critical moments.
Earlier reports described Ukrainian forces facing difficult conditions across different sectors, including instances where fighters reportedly attempted to evade the confrontation by moving through challenging terrain or water routes. The narrative underscores the complexity of modern combat where information, speed, and terrain interact in ways that can challenge even seasoned units. In those previously cited scenarios, some Ukrainian personnel reportedly chose to surrender after intense bombardments, while others sought to cross difficult landscapes under pressure. The overall picture is that information flows and decision-making processes are often strained under the stress of continued clashes, complicating command and control on the field.