Known as the Shaman battalion for their “supernatural” capacity to slip into enemy positions undetected, Ukraine’s elite 10th Special Forces Detachment fighter described how he constantly points his gun at his adversaries groyne.
In his interview with The Times, the man, who went by the code name “Twenty Two,” stated that Ukrainian forces attempt to confront the Russians at point-blank range in order to evade the artillery of the invaders.
Twenty Two stated that it is challenging to walk silently while carrying a heavy load of equipment, and it has become even more challenging since the clip on his night-vision goggles broke, forcing him to hold them instead of attaching them to his helmet.
Replacing destroyed weaponry and equipment is always a challenge, he said, even with the consistent imports from Britain and the US.
Nevertheless, despite all of their challenges, the Shaman battalion manages to surprise Putin’s forces.
The first person to see me, according to Twenty Two, “didn’t expect us.”
“He was scared, so I just shot him from under the [bulletproof] plate carrier, maybe seven metres away.”
Since there is no adequate defence there, you are constantly shooting at the enemy’s balls.
“You’re breaking his pelvis and killing his arteries. He is unable to flee, run, crawl, or perform any other actions. A man injured in this region cannot receive first help. A bandage or tourniquet are not permitted.
He claims that he and his teammates can sense that the Russians’ morale is low during their close-quarters battles: “We’re always trying to keep tight, to hold the enemy’s belt, since at that moment they can’t utilise their artillery.
Although they have a lot more artillery than we have, their morale is quite low, and they are unable to fight one another directly. Being in a battle while employing frag grenades and underslung grenade launchers is highly challenging psychologically.
Despite having vastly greater air and artillery resources, the Shaman battalion’s daring stealth tactics, which occasionally involve crossing the border to attack ammunition and fuel installations inside Russia, are levelling the playing field. The elite special forces combatants are aware that they cannot continue to use hit-and-run strategies indefinitely.
