Helmet camera video released by troops from the LPR fighting near Soledar captures an engagement with Ukrainian troops. The LPR troops utilize small arms and rockets in the engagement, however their objective is unclear.

It is known amongst all infantrymen that movement without fire is suicide. It is also known that fire without maneuver is a waste of ammunition. That is what is confusing to me about this video. We see a lot of fire happening, but not a lot of movement. The video ends before any progress is made, and then we cut to the LPR troops returning to what appears their original trench line.

All of that said however, there could be moving pieces we aren't seeing. For all we know, this small contingent of Ukrainian troops are acting as a support by fire position for another maneuver element off screen. They could also be advancing towards Ukrainian positions instead of returning to their own fighting positions. We really can't be sure.

The one thing that sticks out to me however is the state of the positions the LPR troops are at towards the end of the video. In an overwhelming majority of the videos we see from both sides, the Russian forces and Ukrainian forces have a stark contrast in their levels of discipline which has an immediate impact on the way their fighting positions look. On the Ukrainian side of the conflict, you see positions that are well maintained and that are relatively clean. On the Russian end of the spectrum however, you see positions that indicate a lack of senior non-commissioned officers enforcing good order and discipline within their ranks.

While it's hard to tell from the short video itself, a quick pause towards the end of the video will show you a fighting position that has trash littered about it in quite a few places. To me, this is indicative of a fighting position run by the less disciplined and worse trained Russian forces.

Regardless, this is some footage from the LPR recorded near Soledar. The exact date is unknown.