Two soldiers from the 31st Brigade held their position 30 meters from the Russians for more than five months
Two infantrymen from the 31st Separate Mechanized Brigade named after General-Horunzhy Leonid Stupnytskyi spent more than five months at the front lines. Their story came to light after the brigade released a video about the soldiers.
The soldiers’ names and call signs have not been disclosed.
Both defenders are from the Lviv region. In civilian life, they lived about 40 kilometers apart, but met while serving in the military.
The soldiers took up their positions back in February. According to them, only the first month there was relatively calm. After that, Russian forces regularly attempted to attack their dugout.
The Ukrainian positions were located just 30 meters from the enemy, so combat clashes took place literally right next door.
One of the soldiers said that the Russians shelled the neighboring position almost every day, but the Ukrainian fighters continued to carry out their missions.
According to him, they never even considered leaving their position. The command had ordered them to hold it—and the soldiers carried out that order.
During their extended stay on the front lines, one of the defenders celebrated his 50th birthday. In March, he marked the occasion right at his combat position.
Ultimately, the soldiers completed their mission and withdrew from their positions. Now they plan to recover and return home to their families.
As explained by Petro Kuzyk, commander of the “Svoboda” Battalion of the National Guard’s “Rubizh” Assault Brigade, moving infantry into and out of frontline positions is a complex operation.
It requires adequate logistical support, cover, and thorough preparation.
The story of two soldiers from the 31st Brigade demonstrates just how long and difficult combat missions can be on the front lines, where Ukrainian defenders’ positions may be located just a few dozen meters from the enemy.
The soldiers shared their experiences in a video posted by the brigade on YouTube.
Earlier, Robert Brovdi (Madyar), commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces, stated that Ukraine may soon face an intensification of Russian missile strikes and attacks by jet-powered drones.
Previously, units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) struck 1,816 Russian military targets over the course of a day.
In addition, the 412th Separate Unmanned Systems Brigade “Nemesis” reported large-scale strikes against Russian military logistics. According to the brigade, in July alone, its troops struck and destroyed nearly 500 vehicles and about 400 motorcycles and military buggies. According to the military, the drones struck some of the targets far from the front lines—at distances of up to 200 kilometers or more.
Rosneft’s Saratov oil refinery halted oil processing following a drone attack. According to Reuters, the shutdown was caused by damage to production facilities and fires that broke out as a result of the strike.
