On August 12, units of the Russian Armed Forces’ 72nd Motorized Rifle Brigade (MRB) held ceremonies marking the fourth anniversary of the brigade’s formation. The 72nd MRB was formed in 2022 as one of the formations of the newly established 3rd Army Corps of the Russian Armed Forces. As of 2026, units of the 72nd MRB are actively engaged in combat operations on the Kostiantynivka front in Donetsk Oblast. Russian resources affiliated with the brigade regularly publish reports on combat operations in the Kostiantynivka area.

Area of operations of the Russian Armed Forces’ 72nd MRB on the Kostiantynivka front. Map: DeepState.

From a hacked email account to anniversary photographs

The 72nd MRB has already attracted the attention of InformNapalm international intelligence community before.

In July 2023, we exclusively published personnel lists and documents of the Russian Armed Forces’ 72nd MRB, obtained by Ukrainian cyber specialists from the hacked email account of a Russian officer serving in the brigade.

At the time, personnel lists, orders, and other internal brigade documents were also obtained. A total of ten files were made public, some of which were classified as “Restricted.” InformNapalm saved these documents for further use by OSINT researchers, journalists, and other interested specialists.

This time, however, the additional source of information was not hacked correspondence but the Russian unit’s own media activity.

The brigade published photographs of its servicemen after marking the anniversary of its formation. Analysis of these photographs and comparison with other available data made it possible to identify at least four servicemen of the 72nd MRB.

Evgeny Sotov

Sotov Yevgeny Aleksandrovich (Rus.: Сотов Евгений Александрович), born in 1988, a native of Kursk Oblast, Russia.

He holds the rank of Senior Lieutenant.

Before serving in the 72nd MRB, he served in the 27th CBRN Protection Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces.

Photographs of him published by resources affiliated with the 72nd MRB were matched with photographs previously posted on Russian social media.

Dmitry Reshetnikov

Reshetnikov Dmitry Aleksandrovich (Rus.: Решетников Дмитрий Александрович), born in 1991, a native of Rostov Oblast, Russia.

He is known by the call signs Shrek and Reshala.

Before the military service, he worked at a bakery plant in the city of Salsk, Rostov Oblast. According to available data, he had previously been convicted under Article 222 of the Russian Criminal Code for the illegal trafficking of weapons and ammunition. In the context of the criminal conviction of Dmitry “Reshala” Reshetnikov, we would also like to recall an InformNapalm investigation into how officers of the Russian Armed Forces’ 291st Regiment and Vostok-Akhmat established an arms-smuggling operation through Crimea.

Alexander Cherkashin

Cherkashin Aleksandr Anatolyevich (Rus.: Черкашин Александр Анатольевич), born in 1989, native of Tambov Oblast, Russia.

During his conscript military service, he served in the Russian Airborne Forces. He later worked in the Russian Interior Ministry structures in Tambov, including at a temporary detention center for minors, in a personnel department, and as a psychologist.

Within the 72nd MRB, he uses the call sign Simba.

According to available data, while holding the rank of Senior Lieutenant, he performs duties of a deputy commander for political work and those of a psychologist.

Dmitry Nikiforov

Nikiforov Dmitry Alekseyevich (Rus.: Никифоров Дмитрий Алексеевич), born in 1991, a native of Volgograd Oblast, Russia.

He was also identified among the servicemen appearing in photographs published by brigade-affiliated resources. The images were matched with photographs from open profiles on Russian social media.

The currently available dataset does not contain sufficient information to establish his current military rank or specific position within the 72nd MRB, so these details require further clarification.

Russian propaganda as a source of OSINT

Official and semi-official resources of Russian military units regularly provide open-source data themselves by publishing photographs, videos, and other materials featuring their personnel. When combined with previously obtained documents and archives, such data make it possible to identify individuals and update information on units participating in Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Systematic documentation has long-term value. Individuals identified today with evidence of their participation in the war may later be used in investigations of international crimes, to establish chains of command, and to hold those responsible accountable. At the same time, an individual fact, photograph, or confirmed link to a military unit may in the future become an entry point for further analytical or intelligence investigations.

This case also offers a lesson for Ukraine and NATO countries: even a publication containing no obviously sensitive information today may acquire substantially greater intelligence value over time when combined with other datasets. Modern OPSEC therefore needs to take into account not only the content of an individual publication, but also its potential cumulative effect.

Read more:

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• OKBMLeaks: classified documents from a Russian components manufacturer for Su-57 fighter and PAK DA Poslannik next-gen bomber
• CYBINT operation against the Gonets satellite system, dubbed “Russia’s equivalent of Starlink”
• Wildberries caught in the crossfire of drone strikes and cyber operations
• Ten years later: from OSINT detection to target destruction. Ukrainian Navy hits Russian Bastion missile system in temporarily occupied Crimea

By Irakli Komakhidze and Andriy Lysytsyn specially for InformNapalm readership. Distribution and reprint with reference to the source is welcome! (Creative Commons — Attribution 4.0 International — CC BY 4.0). Subscribe to InformNapalm social media pages.

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