A Ukrainian soldier, Vitaly Skakun Volodymyrovych – blew himself up to destroy a bridge and stop Russian forces from storming in from Crimea.
Armed Forces official who hailed the sacrifice of Vitaly, for halting a column of Russian tanks at Henichesk, in the southern Kherson region, noted that the brave soldier, had volunteered for the dangerous mission to rig the bridge with mines.
According to reports, the bombed bridge is a key strategic point linking annexed Russian-occupied Crimea and mainland Ukraine.
Ukrainian Armed Official said as Russian’s forces advanced towards him, Vitaliy realised he did not have time to set a fuse and get to safety.
“The bridge was mined, but he didn’t manage to get away from there,” said the General Staff of the Armed Forces.
“According to his brothers in arms, Vitaly got in touch [with them] and said he was going to blow up the bridge
“Immediately after an explosion rang out.”
The sacrifice of Skakun, a military engineer, has been described as heroic, and he was hailed by his comrades for “significantly slowing down the advance of the enemy”.
“It also allowed Ukrainian military units to regroup and redeploy its defences, defence forces said.
Commanders are now looking to award Vitaliy with posthumous honours for his “heroic act”.
Because of Vitaly’s sacrifice, Russian tanks and missile launchers had to take on a longer land route into the southern Kherson province.
