Ukrainian war hero receives tribute in Brazil
2 min readVitaly Skakun decorated his life when he blew up a bridge to prevent Russian tanks from advancing
On Saturday (26th) the Embassy of Ukraine in Brazil honored Vitaly Skakun, who was awarded the title of First War Hero by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The heroic deed of sailor Vitaly Skakun slowed the progress of 🇷🇺 passengers on the Crimean Isthmus. He blew up the bridge of the Henichny Road at the cost of his life, thereby stopping the movement of the tank column. Eternal memory!#Stop_Russian_Aggression#Stand with Ukraine https://t.co/4kPcwCjHSL
Embassy of the United Kingdom in Brazil (UKRinBRA) February 25 2022
The 25-year-old was a military engineer in the Ukrainian 35th Rifle Brigade, tasked with defending the Henichesky Bridge over the Dnieper River. The site is the main car crossing from the Crimea to the south of the country.
According to information from the armed forces, on Thursday (24th), the first day of the fighting, he offered to erect explosives in the hull, when the unit was warned about the advancing column of Russian tanks, but did not have time for this. He left before the bombing. This would have given the forces in Kiev time to organize to defend the area.
At the age of 25, President Volodymyr Zelensky posthumously awarded the young man the title Hero of Ukraine. This is the greatest decoration that can be made on an individual basis in the state. Less than 500 people have received it so far.
“Devoted food specialist. General alcohol fanatic. Amateur explorer. Infuriatingly humble social media scholar. Analyst.”