{"id":635808,"date":"2026-11-12T07:38:58","date_gmt":"2026-11-12T05:38:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/korabelov.info\/2026\/11\/635808\/two-against-russian-infantry-how-mandryk-from-mykolaiv-oblast-held-the-island\/"},"modified":"2026-11-12T07:49:25","modified_gmt":"2026-11-12T05:49:25","slug":"two-against-russian-infantry-how-mandryk-from-mykolaiv-oblast-held-the-island","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/korabelov.info\/en\/2026\/11\/635808\/two-against-russian-infantry-how-mandryk-from-mykolaiv-oblast-held-the-island\/","title":{"rendered":"Two Against Russian Infantry: How \u201cMandryk\u201d from Mykolaiv Oblast Held the Island"},"content":{"rendered":"

A serviceman from Mykolaiv region, Yurii<\/strong>, call sign \u201cMandryk\u201d<\/strong>, shared his memories of fighting in Kherson region<\/strong> and on the islands of the Dnieper<\/strong> \u2014 dangerous rotations, clashes with Russian infantry, and the loss of fellow soldiers. His story was published by the 123rd Separate Unmanned Systems Brigade<\/strong>, according to the brigade<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Yurii<\/strong> received military training long before the full-scale invasion: in 1993<\/strong>, he graduated with honors from the sergeants\u2019 school in Bohodukhiv<\/strong>. In civilian life, he farmed in Pervomaisk region<\/strong>, owning fields and machinery and running a small pig farm. When the full-scale war began on February 24, 2022<\/strong>, he went to the military enlistment office with fellow villagers.<\/p>\n

In late 2022<\/strong>, his unit was redeployed to the Snihurivka<\/strong> and Bereznehuvate<\/strong> sector. The soldiers served as part of the 61st Brigade<\/strong>, advancing through settlements and entering Krasnoliubynsk<\/strong> as Russian troops retreated from the right bank of Kherson region<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Yurii<\/strong> recalls that residents who had survived the occupation hugged the Ukrainian defenders and thanked them. At the same time, the unit was constantly under mortar and tank fire and suffered losses.<\/p>\n

The soldiers did not stay long in Krasnoliubynsk<\/strong>. From there, they were withdrawn to rest and replenish their ranks in the area between Nova Odesa<\/strong> and Mykolaiv<\/strong>. About two months<\/strong> later, they returned to Kherson region<\/strong> and set up positions near Veleten\u0441\u043a\u0435<\/strong>, on the banks of the Dnieper<\/strong>. The opposite bank remained under Russian control.<\/p>\n

According to the serviceman, local residents\u2019 attitudes toward Ukrainian units varied greatly:<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was different. Some people hugged us and thanked us, while others didn\u2019t even say hello and turned away. There were also those who gave us away. We would move into houses, and then they would be hit. Later, we found out that people had passed on information. So the contrast was striking: where the Russians had abused people, we were welcomed with hugs, while in places where the occupiers hadn\u2019t had time to cause as much harm, more people were waiting for them,\u201d Yurii<\/strong> said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Later, the units began moving onto the islands of the Dnieper<\/strong>. Building shelters there was difficult: in some places, the ground was so waterlogged that digging trenches was impossible. The shelling never stopped, and Yurii\u2019s<\/strong> fellow soldiers were wounded.<\/p>\n

The soldier recalls another challenge<\/strong> of island duty with humor:<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s nowhere to take cover on an island, and you can\u2019t dig in either. And the biggest danger is the island mosquitoes! I\u2019ve never seen anything so awful. They bit us around the clock, and no ointments, sprays, or smoke helped. The only thing that saved us was the rubberized ponchos we were issued, which the mosquitoes couldn\u2019t bite through. But it was summer and hot, and you\u2019d cover yourself with the poncho and sit there like you were in a microwave. I\u2019ll never forget those mosquitoes,\u201d \u201cMandryk\u201d<\/strong> recalled.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

To prevent the enemy from figuring out when a rotation was happening, the soldiers changed the boats\u2019 departure times. The serviceman described his group\u2019s departure from the island and the fate of the soldiers who arrived to replace them:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe worst part was the handover itself. They tried to catch us when one<\/strong> group was leaving and another was coming in. That\u2019s what happened then: we fought our way out, and the guys fought their way in. Within two hours<\/strong>, they were gone. They\u2019re still lying on that island. We couldn\u2019t get them out. May they rest in peace. They were strong men,\u201d Yurii<\/strong> shared.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Another tough<\/strong> battle took place on Khomka Island<\/strong>. Three<\/strong> servicemen went to the position:<\/p>\n