Ukrainian media and social media users have speculated that a top Russian commander has been arrested as Kyiv’s counter-offensive against Moscow’s forces is mounting.

Photos and videos shared on Twitter And Telegram allegedly shows Lieutenant-General Andrei Sychevoy among a group of Russian troops handcuffed to their knees, and one social media user said they were near Balaklia, in the Kharkiv region.

Many note the similarity of one of the captured men with other images of Sichevoy.

Nexta TV tweeted a screenshot of the alleged general next to a previous photo of Sychevoi in his picture.

“It appears that the Ukrainian armed forces did not arrest the usual ‘Lieutenant Colonel’ but the commander of the ‘West’ grouping, Colonel General Andrei Sychevoy,” she added.

Lviv Magazine chirp A clip he said of Russian soldiers after their capture, with the message “Time will tell if it is General Andrei Sychevoy who appears in the video.

“What I find interesting is that 6 Ukrainian soldiers surround him and they look at him like he’s a big fish, the way he looks away from the camera [he surrendered after all]”, he added.

Military analyst Rob Lee tweeted: “Russian Telegram channels already exist [pointing] The finger is on Lieutenant-General Syshevoy, commander of the “Western” group responsible for this region.

On the uniform of the man believed to be Sychevoi are the two stars worn by a Russian lieutenant general. Two stars also appeared on the shoulders of his festive outfit, in photos shared with him on social media.

“A striking resemblance, isn’t it?” Twitter user Nordic Arctic wrote Fox The activist who also tweeted a collage of the Russian taken with Sychevoi in his attire.

The arrest has not been confirmed NEWSWEEK Contact the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the Russian Ministry of Defense for comment.

If verified, it would be a huge coup for Ukraine although other social media users have disputed whether Sychevoi really was.

Open source intelligence analyst Oliver Alexander was among many who noticed a difference in hairline and facial mole between commander and prisoner of war.

There also appears to be doubts about Sychevo’s current role. When he was punished before European Union On February 28, he was the commander of the 8th Guards Combined Arms Army of the Southern Military District.

But in June, Conflict Intelligence Team [CIT] She added that according to her sources, Syshevoy, who was a former commander of the Eighth Army, took the position in the Western Military District.

He was apparently replaced “a month ago,” analyst Lee said in a subsequent tweet, citing a Russian Telegram channel.

Rights group Charter 97 named Sychevoy, 53, who it said has held his current rank since 2019, a “highest-ranking war criminal” who “gives the orders in the war against Ukraine.”

Update 9/9/22 6:00AM ET: This article has been updated to remove some redundant words.

Update 9/9/22 5:40AM ET: This article has been updated to add additional comment and context.