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UKRAINE’S Navy special forces have rescued four soldiers from deep behind enemy lines in one of the most daring missions of the war so far.
Showing astonishing heroism, the elite Ukrainian troops infiltrated Russian-held territory under cover of darkness to save a Marine and three National Guardsmen.
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They also rescused the medic who hid them from Moscow’s forces for an incredible three years.
Injured early in the war, the soldiers had been taken to a local hospital in the Donbas region shortly before the area was overrun by Kremlin troops in 2022.
The doctor looking after the men bravely chose to hide them from the invading forces, despite knowing it would put his life at risk if his efforts to save the Ukrainian soldiers were discovered by the Russians.
Incredibly, the medic was not only able to hide the injured fighters, but also managed to treat their severe wounds, nursing all four back to health as Russian forces searched for Ukrainian soldiers and sympathisers.
In a stroke of good fortune, the whereabouts of the men came to the attention of Naval Commanders after the twin brother of one of the men was returned to Ukraine in a prisoner swap with Russia.
Vice Admiral Oleksiy Neizhpapa, the officer in charge of the Ukrainian Navy, personally oversaw the operation to rescue the five men.
The highly respected commander said: “I made the decision to begin special evacuation measures.
“Later, it turned out that, along with their twin brother, three other soldiers of the National Guard of Ukraine, there for more than three years, were also in the hospital.”
When planning the mission, Neizhpapa and Angels operators decided that abandoning the courageous medic responsible for saving their compatriots was not an option – insisting he be rescued alongside the wounded soldiers.
To add to the difficulty of the mission, Ukrainian intelligence officers had warned commanders that a high number of Russian ‘Spetsnaz’, or special forces, were operating in the area the commandos planned to infiltrate.
Despite the danger, Neizhpapa and the Angels were not deterred.
Neizhpapa said: “The operation was planned and divided into several phases, taking into account the illegal position of all persons, the high activity of combat, which was complicated by increased filtering measures by the Russian special forces.
“The primary goal was to disable the threat to the life and health of our soldiers.”
Admiral Neizhpapa’s team later released an emotional video showing the Marine being reunited with his wife and brother after more than three long years apart, their faces blurred to protect their identities.
Security surrounding the rescue has remained tight, with intelligence agents and military sources staying tight-lipped about where exactly the raid took place for safety reasons.
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Under the command of the Navy, the Angels are designated as a ‘Special Intelligence Unit’.
They are one of Ukraine’s most highly trained and secretive covert units.
Primarily undertaking high-risk reconnaissance and search-and-rescue missions, the unit has been credited with rescuing 88 people from behind enemy lines, although the real number is likely to be far higher.
Operating in a similar fashion to the UK’s Special Boat Service, Angels operators are mostly drawn from Ukraine’s Marine brigades, meaning rescuing their comrade took on a heightened degree of importance.
The most recent operation was such a success that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are considering expanding the unit – bringing the Angels unique approach to other branches of the military to execute daring raids, gather intel, and bring home soldiers and civilians.
Prior to this mission to rescue the five men, the Angels most high-profile assignment involved rescuing the family of a Ukrainian officer from occupied Crimea in 2024.
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The family of the officer, including his parents, sister, and young niece, had been detained by the FSB and threatened with torture in an attempt to blackmail the officer into working for the Kremlin.
But fearless special forces operators from the Angels launched a bold undercover mission.
They entered enemy-held territory to snatch the family from under the noses of Putin’s feared security agency – before smuggling them back to the mainland to be reunited with their loved ones.
Speaking of the Angels latest audacious mission, Admiral Neizhpapa said: “This story is about resilience and faith.
“Our boys survived where there seemed to be no chance.
“It’s about the power of the Angels, who were able to return fighters, even from the heart of enemy territory.”
He added: “Our warriors are safe and finally with their relatives.
“The Angels have proved once again that nothing is impossible for Ukrainian soldiers. We fight for each one… we never leave our own.”
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