Ukrainian Soldier Self-Destructed After Planting Landmine... Citizens Kneeling in Front of the Government Building

The funeral of Vitalii Shakun Volodymyrovych, a Ukrainian Marine engineer who sacrificed his life to stop the advance of the Russian army, was held on the 3rd (local time).
[Photo by Oleksandr Sherba, Twitter capture]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] The body of a Ukrainian soldier who sacrificed his life to stop the advance of Russian forces has returned to his hometown.

Recently, former Ukrainian diplomat Oleksandr Sherba revealed on social media (SNS) that "Marine engineer Vitalii Shakun Volodymyrovych risked his life to blow up a bridge to stop the Russian army."

According to Sherba, Volodymyrovych's funeral was held on the 3rd (local time). Sherba stated, "Volodymyrovych was buried in his hometown cemetery, and many people knelt before his coffin to pay their respects."

Earlier, on the 25th of last month, the Ukrainian military reported that Volodymyrovych died during an operation to blow up the Henichesk Bridge in Kherson Province, southern Ukraine.

The Henichesk Bridge is a strategic point connecting the Crimean Peninsula and central inland Ukraine, a location that must be defended to stop the Russian army's advance. The Ukrainian military planned to blow up this bridge to prevent Russian forces from entering.

At that time, Volodymyrovych volunteered to install mines directly on the bridge. While placing the mines, he realized there was not enough time to evacuate to a safe location. After completing the mission, he contacted his unit to inform them he would choose to self-destruct and then died.

His heroic sacrifice significantly delayed the Russian army's advance and bought time for his unit to rebuild defensive lines. Foreign media such as CNN reported that with the bridge destroyed, the Russian forces had to take a longer route to advance into Ukrainian territory. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military was able to gain time to reconstruct their defenses.