When Russian forces withdrew from the town of Balakliia in eastern Ukraine in late 2022, pursued by Ukrainian troops and under artillery fire, they left a poorly equipped group of volunteers to guard their retreat. The force of around 50 men came from the National Army Combat Reserve - known by its Russian acronym BARS - a loose assembly of units totaling several thousand fighters that Russia's defense ministry has deployed in Ukraine to supplement its regular forces. About four hours of footage from a bodycam worn by one of the fighters, obtained by Reuters, provides a rare first-hand view of the combat operations of a BARS unit, according to three military experts who reviewed the video to provide an assessment for the news agency of the unit's military capability.
The Week the Ukraine War Hit Home in a Russian Border City usnews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from usnews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Air raid sirens blare, and people take cover in basements. Scenes long familiar to Ukrainians from 22 months of war are now playing out in one of Russia's own cities. A Ukrainian attack on Dec. 30 killed 25 civilians including five children in the Russian city of Belgorod, 40 km (25 miles) from the border, according to local officials.
Air raid sirens blare, and people take cover in basements. Hundreds are evacuated from their homes while experts defuse unexploded bombs. Well-wishers place heaps of flowers, toys and sweets to.