Ukrainian troops crush elite Russian Spetsnaz “Senezh”, involved in operations in Syria: commander killed, six eliminated

Ukraine’s 105th Separate Territorial Defense Brigade has reported that its soldiers have destroyed an elite Russian special forces group from the “Senezh” Center, which had been conducting raids in the Kharkiv and Sumy oblasts. The battle resulted in the elimination of the group’s commander and at least six Russian operatives. 

According to a Ukrainian intelligence source, Senezh follows a brutal “blood ritual” — each graduate must “bring back a kill” from a raid in Ukraine, as per Suspilne. If they fail to kill a soldier, they murder a civilian instead.

“Criminal raids” by Russian elite forces

According to Ukrainian troops, a unit of the 3rd Directorate of the Senezh Special Purpose Center (military unit 92154), which trains operatives for Russia’s special operations forces, crossed from Belgorod Oblast into Ukraine to carry out “criminal raids against civilians and military personnel.”

“But the incursion quickly met a harsh response: fighters of the 105th Territorial Defense Brigade crushed the enemy group and eliminated its commander,” the brigade reported.

"Little green men"

In 2014, Senezh commandos acted in Crimea as the so-called “little green men,” paving the way for the peninsula’s annexation. There are also indications that they participated in combat in Donbas in 2014–2015.

One such civilian victim was Victor Tupytsia, a resident of the border village Kostobobrova, whose car was shot up by Russians on 10 January 2024 between Hremyachka and Leonivka.

Confirmed Russian losses

Ukrainian forces confirmed through radio intercepts that the enemy suffered six killed (“two hundred”) and eight wounded.

“A few days later, six new graves appeared inside their training center in Russia after a closed burial,” the brigade reported.

The destroyed Spetsnaz operatives were identified by their callsigns: Teacher (group commander), Djambul, Varus, Griga, Voron, Harley, Filin, Armen, Fakir, Hacker, Henry, and Khrust.