2 Ukraine Soldiers Hold Kramatorsk Dugout For 1 Year; Are Finally Relieved

The soldiers were originally assigned to hold a position overlooking a crucial road leading to Sloviansk. Eventually, they were surrounded. They burrowed in avoid artillery and drones, then held on with help from nearby units. 

Finally, they were evacuated, as Ukraine's winter advances relieved pressure on that sector of the front. People like this are not going to give up. JL

Taras Safronov reports in Militarnyi:

Two Ukrainian soldiers of the 30th Mechanized Brigade held their position for a year until recently evacuated by troops of the 425th Skelya Assault Regiment. Their task was to hold their position and secure a highway to prevent Russian forces from advancing toward Slovyansk. “We were mostly underground. We dug in so that heavy artillery would not reach us." A Skelya reconnaissance unit moved behind enemy lines, reached the soldiers, and extracted them from encirclement. The operation lasted three days and ended successfully.

In the Kramatorsk direction, two soldiers held a position for a year until they were evacuated by fellow troops.

This was reported by the 425th Skelya Separate Assault Regiment, whose personnel evacuated the servicemen of the 30th Separate Mechanized Brigade.

One of the soldiers of the 30th Brigade took up the position in March 2025, the other in November.

Their task was to hold the position and secure the highway to prevent Russian forces from advancing toward Slovyansk.

“We were mostly underground. We dug in so that heavy artillery would not reach us. They began to storm us when our positions were already destroyed,” he said. According to the servicemen, there were wounded among them. A neighboring unit evacuated the injured to its own position, showed them the route, and provided shelter.

“We were taken out by the guys from Skelya. Two soldiers came to us — they had their own task: some were clearing positions, others were extracting us. They didn’t wait for the weather or other circumstances. The guys did a great job, many thanks to them. We didn’t regret agreeing to this. We didn’t even think it was possible,” the defender said. 

Another added: “They even dug out the wounded and took them with them. We are very grateful to them for this.”

As noted by Skelya, their reconnaissance unit moved behind enemy lines, reached the soldiers, and extracted them from the encirclement. The operation lasted three days and ended successfully. Last year, soldiers who held a position for 165 days were awarded the Cross of Military Merit by the president