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Two Ukrainian infantrymen held a defensive position 30 meters from Russian occupiers for 5 months

Duration: 2:42 391 transcript words EN summary

Video summary

For over five months, soldiers from the 31st Separate Mechanized Brigade named after General Ensign Leonid Stepanytsky maintained a grueling defensive position just thirty meters away from Russian occupiers. Both defenders hail from the Lviv region and lived only forty kilometers apart before the full-scale invasion, yet they met for the first time on the front lines where they chose to keep their real names and call signs secret. Taking up their post in February, the unit faced a calm initial month before enduring constant enemy assaults that rained fire upon their adjacent sections almost daily, forcing them to hold their ground with unwavering resolve. The defenders describe a harrowing existence where they slept mere meters from the enemy trenches, creating a surreal situation where one side wore slippers while the other occupied the same space just thirty meters away. The intensity of the fighting was highlighted by an incident where three invaders entered their bunker and were immediately killed upon arrival, illustrating the lethal proximity of the conflict. Despite being wounded when a grenade was thrown directly into their dugout, the soldiers refused to retreat, continuing their combat mission even as one of them celebrated his fiftieth birthday right there in March amidst the chaos. After completing all assigned tasks, the soldiers have now left the front lines to undergo medical treatment before returning home to their families. Their story is part of a broader context involving other units facing similar challenges, such as the 121st Troops Support Brigade in the Zaporizhzhia sector, which had been stationed for nearly four months despite earlier promises of shorter deployments. In response to appeals from commanders regarding personnel rotation and supply needs, the South Group of Forces confirmed that approximately 240 kilograms of food supplies were delivered over the past thirty days while necessary measures are being taken to facilitate the rotation of troops.

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For more than 5 months, soldiers from the 31st separate mechanized brigade named after General Ensign Leonid Stepanytsky held the line on the front lines, just 30 m from enemy trenches. The brigade shared their story on its YouTube channel. Both defenders hail from the Lviv region. Before the full-scale invasion, they lived just 40 km apart, but only met at the front. The soldiers decided to keep their names and call signs secret. The soldiers took up their position back in February. Only the first month was calm later. The dugout came under constant enemy assault. The occupiers rained fire on the adjacent section almost daily, but the soldiers steadfastly held their position. As the soldiers themselves recalled, they had no choice. Either he takes you or I take him. What was most etched in the defender's memory was the episode of close combat. When the invaders came close, we called our commander and he said, "Don't let anyone in. That's all." So, when three of them entered the bunker, they were killed immediately. And one of them came to me in slippers and slippers. Because over there was theirs and here was our dugout. We slept just 30 m from each other. During the fierce fighting, the defenders were wounded when the occupiers threw a grenade directly into the bunker. Despite this, the soldiers did not retreat and continued their combat mission. Incidentally, one of the soldiers celebrated his anniversary right there. He turned 50 in March. The soldiers completed all assigned tasks. They have now [music] left the front lines and are undergoing treatment, after which they will return home to their families. As a reminder, on [music] August 9th, soldiers from the 121st troops support brigade published an appeal online to the commander in chief of the Ukrainian armed forces, Mykhailo Drapatyi. In it, the fire support platoon commander stated that his soldiers, stationed in the Zaporizhzhia sector, had been in position for almost 4 months, despite earlier promises that their deployment would last no more than a month. The South Group of Forces responded to this request, noting that approximately 240 kg of food supplies had been delivered to the unit's positions over the past 30 days. The command also reported that all necessary measures are currently being taken to carry out personnel rotation. >> [music]