8 October 2026
The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) detained two Russian soldiers who had fled their positions near Kramatorsk and tried to reach Kyiv while posing as civilians.
The SSU press service reported the incident.
The two detainees were contract soldiers serving with Russia’s 291st Motor Rifle Regiment, part of the Southern Military District.
According to investigators, the two Russian soldiers had recently been sent to attack Ukrainian positions near Kramatorsk. They later fled the frontline and made their way into a settlement in the“grey zone.”
There, they found civilian clothing in an abandoned house and changed into it to disguise themselves. They then buried their military uniforms and service-issued weapons.
An SSU statement on the detention of two Russian servicemen. Photo credits: SSU
The two men then set off on foot toward a nearby district center. Along the way, they flagged down a car, and the driver agreed to take them to Dnipro. From there, they planned to travel to Kyiv, where one of the detainees has relatives, and go into hiding.
However, SSU officers detained both men at a checkpoint as they entered the Dnipropetrovsk region. During a check, officers found a Russian military dog tag hanging around one of the men’s necks.
What Is Known About the Detainees
According to investigators, one of the detainees is a resident of the temporarily Russian-occupied city of Dovzhansk in the Luhansk region who had previously served two prison sentences for murder.
He had fought against Ukraine alongside Russian-backed armed formations since 2016. After Russia launched its full-scale invasion, he took part in battles near Bakhmut, serving as an assistant gunner for an anti-tank missile system.
Russian servicemen. Photo credits: Russian media
The second detainee was identified as a Russian citizen who signed a contract with Russia’s Ministry of Defense while serving a prison sentence for murder.
SSU investigators have formally notified the resident of the Luhansk region that he is suspected of violating two articles of Ukraine’s Criminal Code:
- Parts 1 and 2 of Article 111 – High treason, including treason committed under martial law.
- Part 7 of Article 111-1 – Collaboration with the invading authorities.
The suspect is currently being held in custody without the right to bail. He faces a potential life sentence, along with confiscation of his property. The second detainee, a Russian citizen, is being held as a prisoner of war.
Illustrative photo of an arrest. Photo credits: Open sources
In August, reports emerged of a Russian serviceman dressed in civilian clothes who was carrying out the demolition of a building in Kostiantynivka.
In October, the SSU, working jointly with the National Police and the National Guard, detained a Russian serviceman in the Kharkiv region who is suspected of shooting dead five Ukrainian soldiers.