Ukrainian Soldiers Risked Their Lives Resisting Russian Military, Refusing Surrender and Self-Destruction, Leading to Annihilation...

On the second day of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, on the 25th (local time), Ukrainian soldiers are preparing for combat in the city of Kyiv, the capital, in anticipation of the Russian army's advance.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seoyoung Kwon] Heartbreaking stories of Ukrainian soldiers, including a border guard unit who all died resisting the Russian army and a soldier who chose to self-detonate on a bridge, have been reported by foreign media.

On the 25th (local time), the British Guardian and others reported that on the previous day, the 24th, a Russian warship approached Zmiinyi Island, a small rocky island about 300 km west of the Crimean Peninsula in Ukraine. At that time, 13 Ukrainian border guards were stationed on the island, and it is reported that they all died resisting the Russian military bombardment.

The Russian warship demanded the Ukrainian forces surrender via radio communication. According to the Guardian, the Russian military warned them, saying, "This is a Russian warship," "Lay down your weapons to avoid bloodshed and unnecessary casualties," and "Otherwise, you will be bombed."

An audio file released by local media included the Ukrainian side briefly falling silent before saying, "Russian warship, go away." It is known that immediately after exchanging these words, the Ukrainian soldiers were all killed by Russian shelling. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated, "All border guards died heroically but did not surrender," and "We hope those who gave their lives for Ukraine will be remembered forever."

Henichesk Bridge, presumed to have been blown up by Volodymyrovych.
Photo by Dailynationtoday

Meanwhile, the story of a young soldier who sacrificed his life to stop the advance of Russian tanks has also been shared. According to the Ukrainian military, Marine Corps engineer Vitalii Shakun Volodymyrovych was stationed at the Henichesk Bridge in Kherson Province in southern Ukraine when the Russian army invaded. This bridge is classified as a strategic point connecting the Crimean Peninsula and mainland Ukraine.

The Ukrainian military judged that the only way to stop the Russian tanks pushing forward was to blow up the bridge, and engineer Volodymyrovych volunteered to plant mines on the bridge. However, while installing the mines, he realized he had no time to move to a safe place and chose to self-detonate.

Before his self-detonation, Volodymyrovych contacted his brothers in the military to inform them that he would blow up the bridge. His sacrifice significantly delayed the Russian army's advance, allowing the Ukrainian forces to rebuild their defensive line. Volodymyrovych's brothers expressed their determination to resist, saying, "Our brother was killed," and "We will fight as long as we live." The Ukrainian military announced plans to award Volodymyrovych a medal.

Meanwhile, Serhii Kyslytsia, Ukraine's ambassador to the United Nations, mentioned Volodymyrovych's sacrifice after a UN Security Council resolution demanding Russia's withdrawal was vetoed by Russia. He tearfully said, "The young hero self-detonated on the bridge to stop the advance of Russian tanks," and "He sacrificed his life so that Russian tanks could not move forward."