Two weeks in the same dugout with a Russian: a wounded Odesa resident survived, the enemy was taken prisoner

The British publication The Guardian published the story of 34-year-old Odesa resident Vadym Letunov, who after his position was destroyed at the end of February ended up in the same dugout with a Russian serviceman and spent about 2 weeks there beside him, until Ukrainian forces evacuated him and the Russian was taken prisoner.

According to him, beforehand the shelter had been hit every day for a long time — for 6–7 hours — using kamikaze drones and mortars, as a result of which the dugout was destroyed, a comrade was killed, and he himself survived. Moving in search of a new position, Letunov came across another fortification where he met an armed man who had him at gunpoint.

“I went into the dugout and saw a guy in uniform aiming a rifle at me. I said I had been bombed. The guy said, ‘Come in.’ Then I heard his accent. He was Russian. I said, ‘You’re not one of us, are you? Please don’t kill me,’” recalled Vadym Letunov.

The Russian turned out to be Mykyta — a former convict and drug addict mobilized into the military. He did not finish off the wounded Ukrainian and allowed him to stay in the dugout. The following days turned into a trial: Mykyta’s moods changed, he threatened with a weapon more than once, but there were no shots, so the coexistence lasted about 2 weeks.

“He would turn into a maniac, put a gun to my forehead and say, ‘I will kill you now.’ I started to pray […], and then silence fell. He instantly changed his mind,” Letunov said.

There was virtually no food: every day a Mavic drone dropped rations for the Russians, but Mykyta shared only a piece of chocolate and a capful of water. Later he himself spoke about his intention to surrender, which created a chance to get out of the trap.

When a Ukrainian armored personnel carrier appeared nearby, the situation changed dramatically: Letunov was evacuated, and Mykyta was detained as a prisoner. According to the publication, the Russian will likely be included in an exchange for Ukrainian servicemen.

Letunov is currently undergoing treatment at a rehabilitation center in Odesa, is using crutches, and calls the experience a “surreal story.”

Previously we wrote:

• “Safety rules are written in blood”: the war has proved it again on the Ukrainian railway
• Soldiers released from Russian captivity receive an expanded package of payments and benefits from the state
• More than 2,500 Ukrainian defenders are in captivity, – Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs
• In the morning, Mykolaiv region was attacked again: a drone and artillery hit the Kutsurub community
• An “everyone for everyone” exchange is possible, but Russia is deliberately dragging it out!