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68 days encircled. Without water. Under drones, artillery, tanks, and chemical munitions - while the dugouts were dismantled by the russians down to bare field level.
For this defense, 26-year-old Vladyslav “Vohon” Stotskyi received the title Hero of Ukraine.
At the position nicknamed “Adolf” (Siversk direction), “Vohon” entered at night on July 11, 2024, together with three fighters.
He was immediately told that the situation was extremely dire and that forward groups had not been able to get through. They did, but ended up encircled.
At first, there were four of them. Two were wounded and evacuated. Then chemical agents were dropped on the position. Logistics were cut off.
Next came assaults by groups of 10–14 attackers against three defenders. The russians moved into the tree line, dug burrows every 10–15 meters, and entrenched themselves to the rear.
Vohon says their defense rested on three things: communication, drones, and survival discipline.
They built their defense to stop assault groups on approach. With fire, they forced the russians to take cover, after which Ukrainian drones went to work.
When ground logistics were completely severed and the “last flight” bringing supplies was lost, they requested water and food deliveries by drone.
They held the position even when the position no longer physically existed, because they understood that if everyone pulled back, their sector of the front would collapse.
Once, they discovered a russian assault trooper who had hidden in a burrow for two days and survived by sheer luck. He emerged and surrendered.
After “Adolf,” Vohon moved to a position called “Pincher.” There, it was relatively calmer - calm enough that he slept properly for the first time.
But the russians soon advanced again. Logistics deteriorated, and on September 16 a major assault followed: armor, infantry, grenades thrown into the burrow. Two comrades were killed; one was wounded.
Later, they withdrew at night wearing anti-drone cloaks. They could not recover one fighter’s body only his belongings and phone because someone had to speak to his mother.
Today, Vladyslav “Vohon” Stotskyi equips his unit and brigade with drones, electronic warfare systems, and other equipment. He works on recruitment and travels to training centers and military academies.
There, he speaks with soldiers and cadets about how to survive at the front and shares practical survival knowledge for life in the trenches.
Source: translated and adapted from Tymofiy Milovanov
English
