The international delegation, headed by Ana Lucía Bueno, ICRC Public Health Coordinator, and Sujit Panda, Head of the Physical Rehabilitation…
Despite real danger, thanks to his quick reaction, composure, and accuracy, people were saved from mortal threat.
The soldier’s story was published on the page of the 21st Separate Mechanized Brigade.
Oleksii serves in the repair and recovery battalion — he returns damaged armored vehicles to service. But that day he performed an equally important task: together with his comrades, he was patrolling a frontline road into which Russian FPV drones sometimes fly.
“I heard a vehicle coming from around the bend. It was a car from a drone unit. It was being chased by a drone, already about ten meters behind. There was no time to think, the car was approaching, only seconds left. I raised my hunting shotgun, quickly aimed, and fired”, — Oleksii recounts.
The shot was accurate: the drone veered off course and began descending. Oleksii tried to dive down so as not to be hit by fragments, but there was almost no time — the FPV drone fell onto the roadside.
“The drone fell and exploded about three meters from me. I tried to hide from the fragments, felt something small hit my cheek, then a strike to my shoulder blade. Got a bit concussed. But the drone didn’t hit the vehicle — only the wheel was shredded by fragments”, — the soldier says.
Oleksii does not consider his actions heroic — for him, the most important thing is that the guys in the car survived.
But his commanders think otherwise. Command has prepared a submission for an honorary award for Oleksii for this act.
