Footage has emerged of the preparations of the Ukrainian armed forces prior to their invasion of Kursk, showing the courageous work that went into the crushing defeat.

Knewz.com has learned of a video that shows the various activities used in this operation, including mines, infiltration, the silent capture of Russian soldiers and surveillance.

The video began with breathlessly muffled conversations of soldiers loaded down with gear as they trudge through the tall grass. One agent can be seen holding a piece of equipment in the thick foliage while one of his teammates searches the ground beneath the dense undergrowth for anti-personnel traps.

Another gives a silent command with his arm outstretched, after which the footage focuses on a camouflage-clad duo laying mines on a tarmac road and then running back to their watchful teammates.

The next phase of the covert operation was to cut a hole in the barbed wire as the road behind them exploded when the mines were detonated.

Later, the troops are seen leading a group of men (presumably captured Russian soldiers) in single file along a forest path with their hands tied behind their backs.

When the group reached a clearing, Putin’s captured soldiers were kneeled down and examined by their captors. At this point, the Ukrainian soldiers appear to be looking for scars and body markings.

When a burn mark is discovered and examined, a Russian can be heard explaining: “I just burned myself, everything is fine.”

The footage was taken two weeks after Volodymyr Zelenskyy invaded Kursk. At that time, 1,000 soldiers and several armored vehicles allegedly surprised the Russian forces stationed there with a surprise attack.

During the Ukrainian operation, reports emerged of hundreds of Russian elite soldiers being captured while others fled.

Kadyrov’s special forces, highly revered in the Chechen Republic, were also sent to the area. However, their presence was soon tarnished by pro-Vladimir Putin bloggers who accused them of collaborating with Ukrainian troops and, in some cases, of fleeing.

Ukraine has now claimed responsibility for the destruction of two bridges in Kursk. One of them was (allegedly) an important link in Russia’s military supply chain.

The Kremlin has since confirmed the attack on the bridge, but claimed that the missiles used were of Western origin.

In a video released by a Ukrainian Air Force officer, the building is shrouded in a cloud of smoke and dust.

When the air calmed down, the images showed that a significant piece of the bridge was missing.

The Ukrainian president has since commented on the activities of his troops in the region, claiming that they are currently focused on strengthening their positions.

According to these and other reports, Putin’s troops are making steady progress in their westward advance in the Donetsk region.

According to the Moscow TimesThe Russian military released a statement claiming to have captured the “large” settlement of Artemovo (Zalizne for Ukrainians).

The publication, which the Kremlin classifies as a foreign agent, attributes Ukraine’s failures in the region to a lack of manpower and equipment.