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Ukrainian soldier Vitaly Shakun, who blew himself up along a bridge in the Kherson region to prevent Russian tanks, is being hailed as a hero amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Shakun was manning a bridge near Crimea when Russian soldiers advanced towards the area and mined the bridge. Shortly after, he realized the only way to stop the Russian troops was to blow up the bridge.
The soldier immediately radioed his battalion and carried out the mission by exploding the bridge, sacrificing his own life in the process. Shakun’s heroic move reportedly slowed down the Russian advances and allowed his comrades to regroup for a strategized defense against the opponents.
A look back into the life and sacrifice of Vitaly Shakun
Vitaly Shakun was a marine soldier and part of the Ukrainian army who recently sacrificed his own life while fighting for his country during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
On February 24, 2022, Shakun was manning the Henichesk Bridge in the Kherson region near Crimea when he faced one of the first sets of Russian tanks advancing towards the area. The soldier immediately realized the only way to stop their enemy was to blow up the bridge manually.
Shortly after, he informed his comrades about his plans. The battalion heard an explosion within a few seconds as the soldier detonated the explosives. Shakun did not have enough time to escape and decided to blow himself up along the mined bridge to prevent the Russian troops.
His heroic story of sacrifice was later shared on Facebook by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The post mentioned that Shakun was among the separate battalions of marines who met one of the first enemies of the Ukrainian army in the Crimean Isthmus.
The area has been defined as "one of the most difficult places on the map of Ukraine” at the moment.
Authorities further mentioned that the bridge on Genichesky road had to be blown to stop the advances of the Russian tank column, and Shakun volunteered to perform the task:
"Vitaliy Volodymyrovych Skakun, an engineer of a separate battalion, volunteered to perform this task. The bridge was mined, but he did not have time to leave. According to the brothers, Vitaliy got in touch and said that he was blowing up the bridge. An explosion was heard immediately. Our brother died.”
Tributes pour in following the Ukrainian soldier's heroic sacrifice
Shakun’s heroic deed reportedly slowed down the Russian army and allowed the Ukrainian unit to redeploy and plan its defense. Following Shakun’s demise, several people took to social media to remember his sacrifice for his country:
Vitaly Shakun is among the many Ukrainian soldiers praised by the netizens for their bravery amid the Russo-Ukraine crisis. According to CNN, one senior defense official mentioned that Russian troops are facing “more resistance than they expected” as the Ukrainian army continues to fight.
Meanwhile, Marine Corps Command has reportedly decided to present a posthumous award to soldier Shakun for his heroic sacrifice.
