Video: Hero Ukrainian soldier sacrifices himself to blow up bridge and stop advancing Russian troops



A Ukrainian service member reportedly sacrificed his life to detonate explosives on a bridge before Russian forces could cross it into Ukraine.

What are the details?

According to reports, Vitaly Skakun Volodymyrovych blew up the bridge — sacrificing himself — to prevent Russian tanks from advancing over a bridge from Russian-occupied Crimea into mainland Ukraine.

Volodymyrovych was said to have mined the bridge with explosives before making the decision to detonate it.

In a Facebook post, the general staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said that Volodymyrovych positioned himself at the bridge as Russian tanks began their advance. When he realized that he would not be able to get out in time, he detonated the bridge while still on it.

In video obtained from social media, a vehicle believe to be driven by Volodymyrovych can be seen entering the bridge. Just moments later, the screen is filled with blinding light from the huge explosion's fireball.

Ukraynal\u0131 denizci Vitaliy Skakun, Rus Birlikleri ge\u00e7mesin diye Henicesky K\u00f6pr\u00fcs\u00fc'n\u00fc bindi\u011fi ara\u00e7la patlatt\u0131.\n\n#notwar #D\u00fcnyaSeyrediyor, #UkraineRussiapic.twitter.com/gt4Zy38pMQ
— mete KALIN (@mete KALIN) 1645793670

The apparent aftermath of the blast can be seen in a second video, which shows the remainder of the structure rutted with deep cracks and covered with broken rocks and other debris.

Rus tanklar\u0131n\u0131n ilerleyi\u015fini durdurmak i\u00e7in Henichesk K\u00f6pr\u00fcs\u00fcn\u00fc havaya u\u00e7urma karar\u0131 al\u0131nd\u0131. M\u00fchendis Skakun Vitaliy bu g\u00f6rev i\u00e7in g\u00f6n\u00fcll\u00fc oldu. K\u00f6pr\u00fcye patlay\u0131c\u0131 yerle\u015ftirdi ama ayr\u0131lamad\u0131 ve kendisiyle birlikte havaya u\u00e7urdu #Breaking #Ukraine #StopPutinpic.twitter.com/zN3mMYcGBq
— \ud835\udd41\ud835\udd60\ud835\udd66\ud835\udd63\ud835\udd5f\ud835\udd52\ud835\udd5d\ud835\udd5a\ud835\udd64\ud835\udd65 (@\ud835\udd41\ud835\udd60\ud835\udd66\ud835\udd63\ud835\udd5f\ud835\udd52\ud835\udd5d\ud835\udd5a\ud835\udd64\ud835\udd65) 1645790536

What else is there to know about this?

In a lengthy statement on Volodymyrovych's bravery and sacrifice, Ukraine's general staff said, “The bridge was mined, but he didn’t manage to get away from there. 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.”

A Friday report from the Sun noted that his comrades are now hailing him as a hero for "significantly slowing down the advancement of the enemy" — a move that also afforded the Ukrainian force time to "regroup and redeploy its defenses."

The statement added that the Marine Command plans to "apply to the High Command to award the state award to sailor Skakun Vitaliy Volodymyrovych.”

Video of Ukrainian woman confronting Russian soldier goes viral: Put sunflower seeds in your pocket 'so at least [flowers] will grow' when you're killed



A fiery Ukrainian women went viral for her reaction to a Russian soldier patrolling a Ukrainian street earlier this week.

What are the details?

The unnamed woman — dressed in nearly all black and wearing a white winter hat — was seen in a video shared to social media telling off a Russian soldier and suggesting he carry sunflower seeds in his pockets — so that when he is killed on foreign soil, flowers will sprout from his decomposing body.

“Put them in your pockets,” she stoically told the soldier during one point of the interaction, “so at least sunflowers will grow when you all lie down here.”

The sunflower, which is Ukraine's national flower, is often said to represent power, strength, warmth, and more.

Elsewhere in the video, the woman could be heard telling the soldier, "You're occupants, you're fascists! What the f*** are you doing on our land with all these guns?"

She added, "From this moment, you are cursed. I'm telling you. You f***ing came here uninvited."

"Pieces of s**t," she concluded.

The original video, shared by Twitter account UkraineWorld, was captioned, "Ukrainian woman confronts Russian soldiers in Henychesk, Kherson region. Asks them why they came to our land and urges to put sunflower seeds in their pockets [so that flowers would grow when they die on the Ukrainian land]."

The video has been viewed more than 5.3 million times at the time of this reporting.

What else?

Author Thomas Rid tweeted about the interaction and provided a translation.

He wrote, "One of most formidable images I've ever come across, and I study war for a living: a Ukrainian woman handing sunflower seeds to a Russian soldier, asking him to pocket the seeds, twice, so that 'at least' sunflowers will grow when he will be killed."

One of most formidable images I've ever come across, and I study war for a living: a Ukrainian woman handing sunflower seeds to a Russian soldier, asking him to pocket the seeds, twice, so that "at least" sunflowers will grow when he will be killed. https://twitter.com/ukraine_world/status/1496866811110834176\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/ZGC15RGc0j
— Thomas Rid \ud83c\udf3b (@Thomas Rid \ud83c\udf3b) 1645762257

Breaking: Biden says US troops will head 'in the near term' to NATO countries in Eastern Europe



President Joe Biden said Friday evening that he would be sending U.S. troops to NATO countries in Eastern Europe "in the near term."

The decision is seen as a challenge to Russian Federation president Vladimir Putin, who has amassed more than a hundred thousand troops on the border with Ukraine.

Biden made the comments to reporters at Joint Base Andrews after returning from Pittsburgh where he gave a speech on infrastructure spending.

“I’ll be moving troops to Eastern Europe in the NATO countries in the near term,” said Biden. “Not too many.”

Numerous countries have made statements in support of Ukraine and have pledged to help defend the country if Russia invades. Moscow has denied any plans involving an attack on the former Soviet satellite country.

Biden has twice made statements that appeared to accept the possibility of an eminent invasion, but the White House has twice walked the statements back. Ukrainian officials have called on the U.S. president to stop creating panic about the tense situation.

He has also promised that Russia would face damaging economic sanctions if Putin follows through with a military attack.

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley pressed for a diplomatic solution in a media briefing Friday and said that a Russian invasion would incur "horrific" costs.

“Given the type of forces that are arrayed, the ground maneuver forces, the artillery, the ballistic missiles, the air forces, all of it packaged together. If that was unleashed on Ukraine, it would be significant, very significant, and it would result in a significant amount of casualties,” Milley explained.

But he said the U.S. was ready to defend its NATO ally.

"We are ready, capable and prepared to uphold our obligation under treaty to NATO," Milley said. "An attack against one NATO ally is an attack against all."

The Pentagon has placed about 8,500 troops on high alert in anticipation of deployment to Eastern Europe.

Here's more about the escalation of hostilities:

Biden to move U.S. troops into Eastern Europewww.youtube.com