A Ukrainian marine who blew himself up in order to destroy a bridge to slow the advance of Russian forces has been hailed a hero.
Vitaly Shakun could not get out in time from his position on Henichesk bridge in the Kherson region so decided to sacrifice himself to cut off a key route for Kremlin troops.
Volodmyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s President, has now announced he intends to make Shakun a Hero of Ukraine, the highest national title that can be conferred upon an individual citizen by the country’s president.
On Friday, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine outlined the soldier’s heroics on post on Facebook.
They said the battalion had decided the only way to stop Russian forces was to blow up the bridge.
Troops placed mines on the crossing but Shakun could not get to a position of safety in time.
He texted colleagues to say he was going to blow up the bridge and then, seconds later, they heard an explosion.
Shakun’s efforts dramatically slowed down the Russian advance and allowed his comrades to regroup and re-deploy, the Facebook post said.
Russia has encountered stronger than expected resistance to its invading forces so far in the conflict, which has slowed their advance considerably.
There have been dozens of stories of brave soldiers and citizens standing up against the might of the Russian military.
People have armed themselves with rifles and Molotov cocktails to defend their cities and stood in front of tanks to prevent them from advancing.
On Sunday, Ukraine’s ambassador to the UK Vadym Prystaiko told the BBC that President Vladimir Putin is ‘not achieving what he wanted’ and it is feared his tactics will become even more severe.
Russia-Ukraine war: Everything you need to know
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, the country has suffered widespread damages and loss of life amid a major bombing campaign.
Millions of people have fled the country, with thousands of British people opening up their homes to Ukrainian refugees.
During the course of the war, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has remained in Kyiv, despite the Ukrainian capital being subjected to a barrage of bombing.
Zelensky has continuously pushed for aid and support from world leaders, as well as pressing for fast-tracked NATO membership.
Meanwhile, Russia's President Vladimir Putin has been widely condemned for his attack on Ukraine.
His actions have been met by harsh economic sanctions, bans from competing in major sporting events, and countries moving away from using Russian oil.
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But he said he believes his country will hold out out for ‘as long as needed’.
Mr Prystaiko told the Sunday Morning programme with Sophie Raworth ‘we have friends, we have support’, adding that he believes Russia has ‘miscalculated’ and their 150,000 troops would not be enough.
He said Russia believed Ukraine would be an ‘easy target’, adding that that is not the case.
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‘The whole nation is against them,’ he said, adding: ‘People know how to create simple weapons.
‘We’re not talking about complicated machinery, but simple weapons.’
He said 18,000 rifles that have been handed out have not yet been registered.
The ambassador said they have to fight ‘right now’, adding they can be registered later ‘when we win’.
MORE : Russian officials arrive in Belarus for peace talks ‘knowing it’s pointless’
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