A Ukrainian soldier survived after Russian forces slit his throat and threw him into a pit, Ukraine’s national public broadcaster Sustpilne has reported. Believed by the Russians to be dead, the National Guard soldier Vladyslav, 33, climbed out of the pit and crawled back to Ukrainian-controlled territory for five days. He was admitted to hospital in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast in critical condition on August 17. According to medical staff, the injuries highlight Russia’s torturous practices on captive Ukrainian soldiers.
Serhii Ryzhenko, the hospital’s chief doctor, said: “When someone’s throat is cut, and they are bleeding to death, there is little chance of survival. He held on until the end, but what sets him apart is that he was confident until the very end that everything would be fine.”
According to Suspilne, Vladyslav was taken prisoner near Pokrovsk a few weeks ago when his unit lost control of its position. In his written notes, he recalled that Russian forces tortured the first captured fighters, mutilating their faces and bodies. He was tortured himself, being the only one survive among seven other servicemen in a pit.
His wife Viktoria said that Vladyslav cut through the ropes binding his hands with a shard of glass from a broken bottle. He then tied a piece of cloth around his throat wound and crawled for days until he reached Ukrainian troops. On August 17, he was admitted to a hospital in critical condition, suffering from severe blood loss and infected injuries.
The hospital’s director, Serhii, stated that surgeons had already carried out an operation and would continue with reconstructive procedures to help the soldier regain his ability to speak and breathe on his own. He noted that this was the first case of its kind treated at the hospital since the conflict began 11 years ago.
Vladyslav remains under medical care and is currently communicating in writing. His family says that, despite the seriousness of his injuries, he hopes to return to the front once he recovers. For now, his greatest desire is to be reunited with his four-year-old daughter.
