150 days on the front lines, injuries, and a battle with saboteurs: the story of National Guard soldier Mykhailo Rudya

Mykhailo Rud, a soldier with the 2nd Galician Brigade of the Ukrainian National Guard, spent 150 days on the front lines near Rodynske, close to Pokrovsk. During that time, he endured enemy drone attacks, a difficult rotation, artillery shelling, injuries, and a firefight with an enemy sabotage group. The soldier survived and returned to his unit, fulfilling the promise he had made to his wife.

In late January, National Guard soldiers set out for positions near Rodynske. The route to their positions was over 15 kilometers long and lay under constant surveillance by Russian drones.

Due to the severe cold and wind, the soldiers had to navigate the difficult route, moving as cautiously as possible. However, near the settlement, the Russians spotted a group of National Guard soldiers and launched attack drones into the sky.

The soldiers managed to take cover among the ruins of a former maintenance station. Despite this, Russian FPV drones continued to attack their position.

During the shelling, Mykhailo Rud sustained a minor shrapnel wound to his left hand but continued to carry out his combat mission.

The National Guard’s position was one of the most forward-deployed, and the Russian military was unaware of its existence. This allowed the Ukrainian defenders to take advantage of the element of surprise: the very next day, they eliminated a group of Russian assault troops who were planning to advance deeper into Ukrainian defensive lines.

After that, the soldiers began five months of defense.

Mykhailo Rud arrived at the position on January 26. According to him, he tried to boost the morale of soldiers from other units who were arriving at the position.

“I arrived on January 26, and then I tried as best I could to encourage the guys from other units who were arriving at the position. I wanted to support them morally when things got tough. I believed in the power of my word, because I had promised to return home alive. I prayed every day. The voice messages from my wife, which were played over the radio, helped me a great deal. And those messages from home, somewhere on a subconscious level, gave me strength; I knew I would make it through this difficult journey,” says a National Guard soldier from the 2nd Galician Brigade.

In June, Mykhailo faced yet another ordeal. One morning, a group of Russian assault troops crept up on the positions of the Ukrainian defenders. The National Guard soldiers let the enemy get almost right up close before a firefight broke out.

At the same time, Russian mortars began shelling the defenders’ position. The hut where the soldiers were stationed quickly turned into ruins and a charred wreck.

“At one point, I felt a very strong blow to my face. I lost consciousness and fell into the basement. The others rushed in there too. We were lucky that we were just buried under the rubble. It took us three days to dig ourselves out. And then came the evacuation—a long and difficult one,” recalls Mykhailo.

The route to the Ukrainian positions depended on weather conditions and the time of day, as Russian drones were constantly monitoring the front line.

In one of the forest belts near Rodynske, Mykhailo once again encountered the enemy. A sabotage group unexpectedly emerged right next to his shelter.

The National Guard soldier was the first to spot the enemy, opened fire, and neutralized the threat.

When darkness fell, the soldier continued moving toward his unit. By that point, he had already been on the march for 11 days. While passing through another forest strip, Mykhailo stepped on a mine. The explosion injured his right leg.

Despite his injury, he administered first aid to himself and continued on.

“After I was wounded, I had to cover about 20 kilometers. And so, with the help of painkillers and my desire to return home, I made it to the evacuation point. I even jokingly suggested that the driver take the wheel himself,” recalls the indomitable Guardsman.

Mykhailo Rud is currently undergoing treatment and preparing for further rehabilitation.

The soldier kept the promise he made to his wife—to return home alive. His story serves as a reminder of just how important the support of family, the voices of loved ones, and faith in one’s own strength become for defenders in the most difficult circumstances.

This was reported by the Western Territorial Administration of the National Guard of Ukraine.

As a reminder, Andriy Chverenchuk from the village of Skomorokhy in the Ternopil region returned home after four years in captivity. The Ukrainian soldier was captured while severely wounded.

Yevhen Uimanov, a marine from the Mykolaiv region, has returned from Russian captivity.

Long-awaited exchange: Ukraine has repatriated 270 Ukrainians from Russian captivity.

As a reminder, Ukraine and Russia carried out a prisoner exchange on a 270-for-270 basis.

On October 23, Ukraine repatriated seven more civilians from the occupied territories to government-controlled areas. Among them were a 90-year-old woman with limited mobility, a 50-year-old Ukrainian woman with serious health conditions, as well as a young woman and her child.

Prior to this, as a result of repatriation efforts, the bodies of 252 deceased individuals—who, according to the Russian side, were Ukrainian servicemen—were returned to Ukraine. This was reported by representatives of the relevant Ukrainian agencies.