---
title: "HUR Publishes Intercept: Commander of Russia's 39th Brigade Ordered African Mercenary Sent Into Kill Zone 'Ahead of Himself'"
description: "HUR of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine published an audio intercept from the 39th Motorized Rifle Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces: a commander ordered an African mercenary to be sent into a kill zone 20 meters ahead. Intelligence calls this the systematic use of foreigners as human shields."
date: 2026-11-09T14:22:50.222Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/gur-publishes-intercept-african-mercenary-human-shield
tags: [russia-ukraine-war, african-mercenaries, gur-intelligence, human-shields, rf-military, hulyaipole]
author: "Alexander Buran"
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# HUR Publishes Intercept: Commander of Russia's 39th Brigade Ordered African Mercenary Sent Into Kill Zone 'Ahead of Himself'

![African mercenary in Russian military uniform outdoors in Ukraine](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/09/gur-pokazalo-radioperexvat-afrikanskikh-naymnikov-zhivoy-shchit/gur-pokazalo-radioperexvat-afrikanskikh-naymnikov-zhivoy-shchit-1.webp)

## Key Points

- HUR released an intercept of the Russian 39th Motorized Rifle Brigade with instructions to use an African mercenary as a human shield in a kill zone
- The commander ordered the mercenary to walk 20 meters ahead of the Russian serviceman along a path under enemy fire
- According to HUR, Russian forces systematically involve mercenaries from Africa and Asia in assault operations in the Huliaypole direction
- African prisoners of war previously appealed to participants of the Russia–Africa summit to ensure their return home

The Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has released an audio intercept recording in which a unit commander from the 39th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces gives a direct instruction to a subordinate to use a recruited African mercenary as a human shield while advancing through an enemy fire control zone. This is reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing HUR data. According to Ukrainian intelligence assessment, the recorded incident is yet another illustration of the systematic attitude of the Russian military leadership toward recruited foreign citizens who, according to HUR representatives, are viewed exclusively as "expendable material".

### What Exactly Was Captured in the Intercept

Ukrainian intelligence officers managed to intercept a conversation between officers of the 39th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces. In the recording, the unit commander instructs a subordinate on how to act when moving along a path under conditions where the terrain is under heavy enemy fire. The core of the instruction is that the African mercenary must walk ahead of the Russian serviceman at a distance of about twenty meters, essentially performing the function of reconnaissance by fire and drawing fire onto himself. The commander emphasizes the need to remain calm, "listen to the air," and, if necessary, correct the mercenary's movement by voice.

### Quote From the Intercept

"Along the path, along the path go all the time: walk calmly, listen to the air — send the 'chocolate one' ahead of yourself. Let him walk about twenty meters away. If anything, you'll prompt him by voice," says the commander of the Russian unit in the recorded conversation. The term "chocolate one", used in the recording, is a derogatory designation for the African mercenary and, according to HUR, reflects the attitude of the Russian military toward foreign fighters, whom they do not consider full participants in hostilities but perceive as a tool to reduce their own casualties.

### Context: Recruitment of Mercenaries From Africa and Asia

HUR notes that the recorded incident is not isolated. According to Ukrainian intelligence, Russian occupying forces systematically involve recruited mercenaries from African and Asian countries in assault operations, particularly in the Huliaypole direction. Foreign fighters, as a rule, do not receive the proper training, equipment, and protection characteristic of regular units of the Russian Armed Forces, making them vulnerable and turning them into the front line that absorbs the main volume of fire. According to Ukrainian intelligence officers, this practice allows the Russian command to minimize the losses of its own servicemen at the expense of the lives of people who have no opportunity to influence tactical decisions.

### Appeal of African Prisoners of War

Recall that earlier, African prisoners of war held in Russian captivity appealed to the participants of the Russia–Africa summit with a call to influence the Russian authorities to ensure their return to their homeland. This appeal indicates that some of the recruited mercenaries find themselves in a situation from which they cannot escape on their own and are forced to appeal to diplomatic channels and international platforms. HUR emphasizes that this practice of using foreign citizens as "expendable material" undermines Russia's reputation on international platforms and demonstrates the real attitude of the Russian military leadership toward people it attracts into the combat zone.

### Intelligence Assessment and the Significance of the Intercept

The publication of this radio intercept by HUR has both informational and evidentiary character: the recording captures not an abstract statement, but a specific tactical instruction given by a commander at the unit level. For the Ukrainian side, this is also an element of information confrontation aimed at demonstrating to the international community the conditions in which foreign citizens recruited to fight on the side of the Russian Federation find themselves. In conditions where Russia positions itself as a state participating in a "special operation", such recordings, according to the logic of Ukrainian intelligence officers, call official rhetoric into question and expose the real mechanisms of combat management on the ground.

## Fact-Check & Sources

- ["Шоколадного" вперед: ГУР показало, как россияне гонят африканских наемников на смерть](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/shokoladnogo-vpered-gur-pokazalo-k-rosiyani-1794233508.html) - Primary source: report by HUR of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, transmitted via RBC-Ukraine. Contains a quote from the radio intercept and intelligence assessment. Independent verification of the recording is not presented. The Russian side has not commented.

## FAQ

### What exactly was recorded in the radio intercept?

According to HUR, a conversation was recorded between a unit commander of the 39th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces and a subordinate, in which the commander instructs to send the African mercenary ahead at a distance of about 20 meters while advancing along a trail in an enemy fire control zone.

### Which brigade does the intercepted unit belong to?

HUR indicates that the conversation was intercepted within the 39th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces.

### What does HUR say about the systematic nature of such cases?

HUR states that the recorded incident is another illustration of the Russian military's attitude toward foreign citizens and that Russian forces systematically involve mercenaries from African and Asian countries in assault operations, particularly in the Huliaypole direction.

### Did the Russian side comment on this intercept?

Information regarding a comment from the Russian side is absent in the provided sources.