A Ukrainian soldier has been credited with taking out 27 Russian troops while defending two bridges on his own in a 50-day ordeal.
The trooper, known as "Rus", spent almost two months huddled inside a dark basement as he was surrounded by Kremlin forces in Ukraine's Donetsk region.
The soldier has been put forward for the Hero of Ukraine medal, the country's top military honour, for his bravery in the face of intense bombardment from the enemy.
Rus described to The Times how he would hear the constant buzzing of Russian drones overhead scanning for Ukrainian forces, likening the sound to that of a mosquito.
A Ukrainian soldier has been credited with taking out 27 Russian troops while defending two bridges on his own (file photo)
|GETTY
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The courageous Ukrainian was initially sent to protect the bridges with his comrade, referred to as "Artist", in a mission that was supposed to last for two weeks.
The daring duo were given the task of halting Russian forces from entering the village of Dobropillia.
After escaping Russian troops and drones, Rus and Artist reached their destination after two days.
The pair headed to the crossing at nightfall, taking as many supplies as they could before pitching up in a nearby cottage.
Rus described how he would hear the constant buzzing of Russian drones overhead (file photo)
|GETTY
Throughout the ordeal, the pair clashed with enemy forces daily while simultaneously battling through grim conditions.
Rus revealed he only used the toilet in the early hours of the morning or late at night in fear of being ambushed by invaders.
He also said he was only able to wash himself using baby wipes for the entirety of the seven-week mission.
The Ukrainian soldier told The Times: “Now and again I did some exercises - squats, push-ups, a bit. Just for myself not to go crazy inside."
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“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.”
Rus added that the smell of the basement he was stationed in was stomach-churning, likening it to the smell of "rotten meat".
However, the Ukrainian duo's mission was dragged on far longer than anticipated due to the advancement of Vladimir Putin's troops.
Artist was injured on the 30th day of the ordeal after being struck by a Russian mortar (file photo)
| REUTERSArtist was injured on the 30th day of the ordeal after being struck by a Russian mortar, forcing him to leave Rus and drag himself to a field hospital for treatment.
Rus battened down the hatches and survived a further 20 days on his own, surrounded by the rotting dead bodies of the enemy soldiers he had killed.
The deputy commander of the reconnaissance company who kept tabs on the pair, "Boxer", said: “They spent 50 days in a house surrounded by Russians, by the end at a distance of 40 metres from their half-intact house.
“The place was in ruins, surrounded by bodies.”
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