Ukrainian social media and news outlets have circulated the story of a military engineer, praising the "heroic act" he performed to halt the advance of the Russian army in his country. Ukrainian media lauded naval engineer Vitaliy Skakun, who blew up a vital bridge in Henichesk to stop the advance of Russian forces in the important city on Thursday, the first day of the Russian military operation.
A report based on information from the press service of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense stated, "On this difficult day for our nation, when the Ukrainian people were repelling the Russian invaders from all directions, the area surrounding Crimea was one of the hardest places on the map of Ukraine, where a separate marine battalion faced the enemy. To stop their advance, it was decided to blow up the Henichesk road bridge."
According to the report, Skakun volunteered to perform the mission of laying explosives on the bridge for the purpose of destroying it, but he had no time to leave and was killed. The report continued: "Skakun contacted command and said he was blowing up the bridge. The explosion was heard immediately. Our brother died. His heroic act significantly slowed the enemy's advance, allowing the unit to regroup and organize defenses," according to the Ukrainian news site "The Observer."
Reports indicated that the Ukrainian Navy command will submit a request to the higher command to award Skakun a state honor, recognizing his sacrifice in defense of his country and his heroic role. Ukrainians widely shared Skakun's story on social media, celebrating his heroism along with images of some soldiers who died on the first day of the Russian military operation in Ukraine.
Ukrainian Health Minister Viktor Lyashko announced the initial toll of casualties on the first day of the Russian attack on the country, reporting that 57 Ukrainians were killed and 169 others were injured. In the latest hours, Ukrainian pages on social media circulated the names and photos of some military personnel and civilians who lost their lives in the battles on Thursday.
