The Ukrainian military said on its Facebook page that Marine Battalion Engineer Vitaly Skakun Volodymyrovich had been deployed to the Henichesk bridge in the southern province of Kherson, when Russian tanks advanced.
“On this difficult day for our country, when the Ukrainian people give way to the Russian occupiers in all directions, which is one of the most difficult places on the map. Ukraine The Crimean crossroads was where one of the first enemies met a separate Marine battalion,” according to the Post.
When the battalion decided that the only way to block the armored column was to blow up the bridge, Volodymyrovich volunteered to place the mines on the span, said the General Staff of the Armed Forces.
By the time the bridge was rigged with explosives, Volodymyrovich realized that he did not have time for safety. The brave soldier made the final sacrifice on the bridge, which connected Russian-occupied Crimea and mainland Ukraine.
“According to his brothers, Vitaly approached [with them] and said he was going to blow up the bridge. Immediately after an explosion,” said the army, “our brother died.” His heroic act significantly slowed down the enemy’s advance, which allowed the unit to redeploy and organize the defense.
Military commanders said they plan to posthumously award Volodymyrovich for his “heroic act.”
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