A soldier from the Skelya Regiment evacuated two fellow soldiers from their position after a year under siege
On March 18, news broke of a heroic act by a soldier from the "Skelya" regiment, who rescued two soldiers from the 30th Separate Mechanized Brigade who had been holding their positions for a year. The events took place in the village of Mankivka on the Bakhmut–Sloviansk highway, where active combat operations are currently underway.
According to Yevhen Tsandu, the operation took place at night to avoid detection by the enemy.
“We went in at night because there was no way to go in during the day. They rushed us through so no one would spot us. And it turned out that my partner and I ended up at the position—the supply depot had been destroyed. We could only crawl through, without body armor, without anything—we took everything off. There were guys dug in there, eight men from the 30th Battalion, all around 300 pounds; we had to get them all out,” he said.
The soldiers had been at the position for anywhere from six months to a year. Yevheniy immediately reported to command and received orders to evacuate the most seriously wounded:
“One was wounded in the arm, another had a frostbitten leg—his toes were already falling off. The command gave the order, and we set out around 11 or 12 at night. I rallied the guys: ‘You’re going home; we have to get you out,’ and we went,” the soldier added.
The evacuation route was about 6.5–7 kilometers one way. The soldiers encountered enemy drones and scouts, but found cover and continued moving until morning.
“We came under fire, took cover, then reached a shelter, and the command picked us up. Then two more of our fighters were left without raincoats, so we had to go back for them,” Yevheniy recounts.
During the operation, the “Skelya” regiment eliminated over 40 Russian occupiers and relieved the positions of the 30th Mechanized Brigade, which had been nearly surrounded. The battle lasted 11 days, including the evacuation of the wounded and the bodies of the fallen.
Yevheniy shared how he ended up in the army:
“Like everyone else, I went to basic training in Balta, Odesa Oblast. Then they brought me here. I joined the Special Forces because my mom had a heart attack.”
According to the soldier, the support of his comrades and good supplies helped them complete the mission without significant losses among their own ranks.
“We have everything we need. We’re getting paid. My leg is feeling a little better now; they gave me two weeks to rest, and then they’ll decide whether I should return to my position,” the soldier noted.
Total combat losses of Russian troops in the full-scale war against Ukraine since February 24, 2022, as of April 3, 2026, have reached approximately 1,301,260 personnel. Over the past 24 hours, another 1,230 occupiers were eliminated.
Over the past day, the Ukrainian Defense Forces struck several areas where enemy personnel and equipment were concentrated, as well as a logistics hub and command post of Russian troops.
