Vitalii Skakun: Ukrainian military figure (1996-2022)
Vitalii Volodymyrovych Skakun (19 August 1996 – 24 February 2022) was a Ukrainian marine combat engineer.
| Vitalii Skakun | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Vitalii Volodymyrovych Skakun |
| Born | 19 August 1996 Berezhany, Ternopil Oblast, Ukraine |
| Died | 24 February 2022 (aged 25) Henichesk, Kherson Oblast, Ukraine |
| Allegiance |  Ukraine |
| Service/branch |  Ukrainian Navy |
| Years of service | 2021–2022 |
| Battles/wars | Russo-Ukrainian War
|
| Awards | Order of the Gold Star |
During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Skakun's was sent to protect the town of Henichesk. As the Russian military got close to the town, Ukrainian forces decided to destroy the Henichesk bridge, in order to slow the Russian troops advancing northward from Crimea. Skakun, a combat engineer, volunteered to place mines on the bridge.
On 24 February 2022, after placing the explosives, Skakun did not have enough time to leave from the bridge and, after texting his soldiers, blew up the mines killing himself and destroying the bridge. His actions slowed the Russian military.
On 26 February 2022, Skakun was posthumously awarded the Order of the Gold Star, the military version of the title of Hero of Ukraine, by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
References
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