A HEROIC Ukrainian warrior killed 27 Russian forces while defending two bridges surrounded by enemy forces.
Rus spent over seven weeks crouched in a putrid-smelling basement protecting the crossings – armed with nothing more than a firearm and pure grit.
Smoke rises over Kyiv after Russian bombing[/caption]
The valiant soldier has been recommended for the Hero of Ukraine medal, the country’s highest military honour, for his brave work.
He personally killed 27 Kremlin forces – steadfast in his defence of the the crossings in Dopropilia, in Ukraine‘s Donetsk region.
Speaking to The Times, he recalled the grim reality of spending almost two months taking cover in a gloomy basement as Russian drones buzzed overhead.
The high-pitched whining devices – often indistinguishable to the sound of a mosquito – were unrelenting, he said, as they scoured the floor for moving targets.
Rus was sent to cover the two bridges with pal Artis in a bid to stop Vlad’s breakthrough towards Dobropilia, a village west of Russian-held Donetsk.
It took the pair two days to reach the area – fearlessly dodging Russian drones and forces along the way.
Packing as many provisions as they could carry, they made their way to the crossing under the cover of darkness.
They pitched up in a cottage in the village, carefully awaiting Vlad’s forces.
Day in and day out, the intrepid duo pushed back the encroaching enemy, while simultaneously battling the grim realities of war.
They could only use the toilet “at dusk or at dawn” over fears of being struck and for seven weeks only washed with baby wipes.
He said: “Now and again I did some exercises — squats, push-ups, a bit. Just for myself not to go crazy inside.”
“There wasn’t time to relax, fry some salo [pork fat], play cards — there was no such thing.
“I could take off my helmet. That was entertainment. Helmet and body armour — that’s the biggest rest you could get, that’s what we could afford, no more.”
The acrid smell of death was overpowering, he said, comparing it to “rotting meat”.
They were due to stay for 10 days but Russian advancement forced them into the basement of a cottage.
Increasingly under attack, they could only afford to take off their protective equipment for half an hour at a time.
By the 30th day, Russian troops had begun closing in and his teammate Artis was hit after a torturous mortar round.
He was forced to abandon ship and find his way to a field hospital to be treated, leaving Rus to protect the area.
Rus remained for another 20 days, fighting Russian forces while surrounded by corpses.
The fighter spent five days sheltering under cover near the town of Dobropillia, pummelling Vladimir Putin‘s swarming troops.
It comes just a day after at least 30 people were injured in a Russian drone strike on a Ukrainian passenger train.
Emergency services rushed to Shotska, in Ukraine’s Sumy region, after the “savage” attack, which left the carriage fiercely burning and ripped apart.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky condemned the vile “terrorist” attack as a direct assault on civilians – amid reports train staff and passengers were on-site at the time.
He said the assault left 30 injured and emergency services were already at the scene treating the victims.
Smoke rises over the city after Russian drone and missile strikes[/caption]
