“Ukrainian Marine Blows Himself Up To Stop Russian Tanks”
Every war has its heroes, some unwillingly. A Ukrainian soldier who had to blow up a bridge in Henichesk to stop the advance of the Russian army. Marine Vitaliy Volodymyrovich was killed in the action itself but managed to stop an advancing column of tanks.
The Ukrainian army staff reports the ‘heroic act’ on Facebook.
“On this difficult day for our country, when the Ukrainian people have to fend off the Russians from all directions, the isthmus (a narrow strip of land connecting two larger landmasses, ed.) of Crimea was the most difficult place,” the report reads. “There, a secluded battalion of marines encountered the first enemies, and it was decided to blow up the Henichesk Bridge to stop them.”
Lack of time
Engineer Vitaliy Volodymyrovich volunteered to place the explosives, the army command reported. He managed to place the explosive charges, but he couldn’t escape in time. The Russian column of tanks was approaching, and there was no time left to launch the charges from a distance.
According to his comrades, Vitaliy radioed that he would manually detonate the bridge. He said goodbye briefly, and almost immediately afterwards an explosion could be heard. “Our comrade in arms died, but his act of heroism slowed the enemy considerably,” it sounds.
‘Hero of the moment’
Blowing up the bridge at Henichesk gave the Marines an opportunity to join other battalions and regroup the defences. Vitaliy has been called the ‘hero of the moment’ on Facebook and is nominated for a special medal by the Marine Corps. “Russian invaders, know that the earth will burn under your feet,” the army staff wrote, still belligerent. “We will fight as long as we live!”
For a long time, the Russian troops were not stopped by Vitaliy’s self-sacrifice. The same day, they captured the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station, on the Dnieper River, and all government agencies in Henichesk district came under their control. All other bridges over the North Crimean Canal eventually fell into Russian hands as well. To get the latest stories, install our app here.
