Putin’s Troops Crushed: Russian Commander Captured as Ukraine Wipes Out Major Assault
A Russian armoured vehicle caught fire after being hit by Ukrainian forces. Ukraine’s army has captured a Russian commander and caused serious damage to Russian troops during heavy fighting in the east. Despite ongoing peace talks with the US in Saudi Arabia, Russia increased its attacks in March.
A research group called Deep State reported that Russian attacks in March rose by 17% compared to February. Recently, there have been over 200 attacks a day — the highest since the start of 2025. The most affected areas include Kupyansk, Limansk, Pokrovsk, and Kursk.
Ukraine’s 12th Azov Special Forces Brigade captured a Russian commander along with 19 soldiers near Toretsk in the Donetsk region. The brigade said the captured soldiers were lucky to survive, as many of their fellow soldiers died during failed assaults. A video showing the captured Russian troops was shared on the unit’s social media.
The commander identified himself as Alexey Vadimovich Anikeev, born March 4, 1998, from Irkutsk, Siberia. In the video, he says they are Russian soldiers now held by the Ukrainian army and that they hope to be exchanged for Ukrainian fighters from the 12th Special Forces Brigade.
In another part of Donetsk, Ukrainian troops stopped a large Russian attack, killing 26 Russian soldiers and injuring 33 more. They also destroyed five armoured vehicles and 71 drones.
Russia has been trying for months to take over the remaining parts of Donetsk, focusing on towns like Pokrovsk, Kurakhove, Toretsk, and Chasiv Yar. Pokrovsk is facing the most pressure, followed by Kurakhove.
