The Defence Intelligence of Ukraine has released new details of the special operation Flag, during which Ukrainian paratroopers were rescued from the occupied territories.
According to the DIU, the main part of the special operation took place in 2023 and ended with the successful withdrawal of two paratroopers who were seriously wounded in combat in Luhansk Region and had been behind enemy lines for almost a year and a half.
In the occupied territories, the soldiers were sheltered by the citizens of Ukraine, who provided them with shelter, medical care, food and communication.
"From the very beginning, the paratroopers were in contact with the Security and Defence Forces of Ukraine - they transmitted the coordinates of the enemy's locations in the occupied territories and other important information that allowed not only to destroy significant forces of the invaders, but also to save the lives of Ukrainian soldiers who were fighting in eastern Ukraine at that time," the intelligence said.
After partial recovery of the soldiers, it was decided to conduct a special operation to rescue and evacuate them. The DIU's Special Forces, the Navy's Angels special forces and the Air Assault Forces' command took part in the preparation and implementation of the mission. Ukrainian intelligence noted that a Russian citizen, Dmitriy, who had been mobilised into the Russian armed forces, joined the operation. The Russian applied to the project of the Coordination HQ for the Treatment of POWs "I Want to Live". Then the DIU operatives, who are engaged in the withdrawal of such Russians across the front line, decided to involve Dmitriy in a special operation. As part of the mission, we made fake documents for the paratroopers, which were delivered to Dmitriy from Russia. He was also given an evacuation route and passwords to pass checkpoints. Dmitriy obtained Russian uniforms and equipment for the Ukrainian paratroopers, as well as a car in which they moved around the temporarily occupied territories," the DIU said.