Ukrainian Special Operations Forces (SSO) dropped 13 kilograms of plastic explosives into a Russian dugout, reportedly eliminating four Russian soldiers, according to an SSO report shared on Telegram on Wednesday, Jan. 29.
The operation was carried out by fighters from the 3rd Regiment of the Special Operations Forces, who discovered at least four Russian soldiers inside a dugout previously occupied by Ukrainian Defense Forces.
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The SSO did not specify the exact location of the operation but indicated that it took place in one of “the hottest operational sectors of the Russo-Ukrainian War.”
“The SSO is at work: operators carried out a raid and destroyed the Russian positions,” the caption accompanying the video read.
Kyiv Post was unable to independently verify the time and place of the footage. The video, filmed using a chest camera and thermal imaging, shows the details of the operation, including the moment of the explosion. It ends with the SSO fighters in a Humvee, saying, “We’re leaving, we’re leaving. They (Russians) were blown up there. Good!”
The operation was meticulously planned, according to the report. The SSO fighters approached the Russian position in an armored Humvee, securing the dugout’s exit under controlled fire.
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Once in position, they dropped the 13 kilograms of “semtex,” a plastic explosive made from hexogen (RDX) and pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), inside the dugout.
13 kilograms of Semtex is approximately equivalent to 22 kilograms of TNT.
“A powerful explosion left only a crater and the remains of the Russian occupiers at the site of the enemy dugout,” the report added.
After the successful raid, the SSO fighters safely withdrew without casualties.
Fighters from Ukraine’s 3rd Special Ops Regiment were recently filmed reclaiming Ukrainian positions that had been seized by Russian troops. During the assault, they eliminated several Russian soldiers and captured one prisoner.
According to the SSO, the operation involved clearing Russian fortifications and securing the area for an infantry unit from Ukraine’s Defense Forces.
A commander of the special operations reconnaissance group, known by the call sign “Bashka,” said that these positions had originally been under Ukrainian control before falling to Russian forces. However, the SSO did not disclose the exact location of the battle.
He described the mission as difficult, citing the intensity of Russian attacks in the area. Footage from a chest-mounted camera revealed the harsh battlefield conditions, showing a tree line reduced to burnt stumps that offered little concealment for Ukrainian fighters.
The SSO report detailed that the tactical group carried out extensive reconnaissance before advancing, using UAV operators, fire support teams, and evacuation units. The paths to the Russian positions were heavily targeted by artillery, and all approaches to their dugouts had been mined.
Video footage showed Ukrainian soldiers maneuvering through trench lines, throwing grenades, and engaging Russian troops with rifles as they worked to retake the Russian-occupied position.
The captured Russian soldier, identified as Alexey, served in the 394th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the Russian Armed Forces. He reportedly told his captors that his commander had confiscated soldiers’ documents and bank cards, claiming the funds would be used for equipment and provisions.
Instead, he said, the commander spent the money on Snickers bars while sending troops into battle unprepared.
“Bashka” added that Russian forces in the area had deployed anti-retreat squads, which, according to Alexey, made him more fearful of his own military than of Ukrainian forces.
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