“Men, I just killed a battalion of Russians.” 26-year-old Hero of Ukraine Vladyslav Stotsky about 68 days surrounded

On the camouflage coat of Fire – Order “Gold Star”. The President awarded him the title of Hero of Ukraine on February 26, 2025 – for defending positions on the Siverskyi direction surrounded by Russians for 68 days.

On Vladyslav’s hand is a green bracelet with four symbols: heart – love, sign of division – sin, cross – God, question mark – thoughts. The bracelet has its own history.

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On the eve of going to the position in Spirn, on July 10, 2024, Vogon went to Slovyansk. On the way, I saw a sign “Lunch for the Armed Forces – free” and stopped.

“A chaplain approached me and invited me to eat and chat. I had already finished my meal when the priest asked if I believed in God. I said that I neither confirmed nor denied – I was not a believer then. I thought, what kind of God is it? We are from monkeys (smiles). The chaplain asked: “What should I give you: a prayer book or a bracelet?”. I replied: “Why do I need that book? Give me the bracelet.” He gave me his – remembers Vogon.

Vladyslav put the bracelet on his arm and returned to the deployment point of his unit. And on the night of July 11, together with his comrades, he went to occupy a position in Spirn in the Donetsk region.

Vladyslav Stotskyi is one of the laureates of the third annual “UP 100” award

At that time, Vogny had almost no combat experience – he had only been defending for a month Little Rohan in Kharkiv Oblast at the beginning of full scale. At that time, he was still a cadet at the National Academy of NSU.

After graduating in the spring of 2023, he joined the “Rubizh” brigade. He headed a company in one of the battalions. Due to a conflict with the commander, Vladyslav was transferred to serve “MPZshnik” in the anti-aircraft missile artillery division.

“I didn’t like it there, because I was preparing myself for battles. I came to the personnel officer and said: “I want to fight, what should I do?”. He answered: “If to fight, it is in “Freedom”. I agreed. Became a platoon leader. But the commander of my company at that time, Tankist, immediately said: “No one will put you in command. You have to go to the position with the boys, deserve authority.” I replied, “No questions.”.

Vladyslav Stotskyi tells “Ukrainian Pravda” how he won the authority of his brothers in the midst of the enemy, why he believed in God in Spirnnoy in Donetsk region, how he took up the defense alone and killed “a battalion of Russians”, and also when he learned about the award of the title of Hero of Ukraine. Next is his direct speech.

Read also: “I ask to the commander: why are you putting people there?” What is really behind the stories about hundreds of days of infantry in positions

Position “Adolf” On the night of July 11, 2024, together with three comrades in anti-drone cloaks, they went to the “Adolf” position in Spirn. We had to walk one and a half kilometers. Before leaving, my brother warned me: “Vlados, the situation is full of shit, strong Russian drones from the “Doomsday” brigade started working in our direction. The groups in front of you were going – all 200 and 300 of them. I don’t know if you will reach or not.”

We arrived and all hell broke loose. The Russians were actively advancing. Pi**r infantrymen pushed our flanks, entered our rear positions, and entrenched themselves there. We found ourselves in a tactical environment.

At first there were four of us – Joystick and Cook K-2Historian and I from “Freedom”. The cook and uncle Sasha were the first three hundred (Historian – UP). A week later, a drone “slammed” them into position. Joystick took them out on an ATV. When he returned, we were left alone. The next day, the Russians dropped a “khimka” on us (chemical ammunition – UP).

At the same time, a replenishment came to us – a fighter with the call sign “Kenya”. A specific dude. I don’t know why he serves in “Svoboda” when he should have RDK (smiles). He is Russian from St. Petersburg. He worked as a pathologist. He was in prison – a concrete bandit.

A few days after Kenya reached us, the Russians infiltrated the landing near our position “Adolf” and cut off our logistics.

We held on. Small assaults began – 10–14 Russians to the 3 of us. It was just the period Storm-Z. The jailers stormed us to get out of prison and get some money. Warriors they are weak, but even the weakest can pull the trigger and shoot, you don’t need a lot of intelligence.

In one of these assaults, Joystick and I went to shoot back, and Kenya was left behind the radio station to communicate with the command. When the Russians heard that the bullet whistled, they fell to the ground, and our drones were already finishing them off.

We asked our brothers in Radeika if everything was clean. Said: “Everything is clean. 13 is exactly two hundred, we don’t see one, but most likely he is three hundred and is dying somewhere. Now we will try to throw grenades into the holes near you, if he is hiding somewhere there, then there will definitely be 200.

Then we waited for orders from the command. They dug a position, talked, smoked cigarettes. In short, they were idle. A day passed – two We dug a trench forward. I’m tired, crawl out of that hole. I’m smoking a cigarette, I see Kenya coming in. He usually did not gag. He was constantly teasing everyone, telling them something. And then he comes in – he has no physiognomy at all.

I asked: “Kenya, what happened?”. He was silent, took the machine gun and slowly left. I repeated the question. “The racist has come” – replied Kenya. Asked: “Who came?”. I have never heard such a word. We never call them “rashists”, they are pi*ars. Then it “got to me” who had come. I run out with a machine gun – there is a monster. I say: “Where are you going?”. And he told me: “In captivity”.

Kenya was carrying bags of earth from the trench. I heard a cry: “Moscow, Moscow!”. During his work as a pathologist, he had the nickname “Moscow”. He later told me: “It’s strange, they are shouting my clumsy old man. But I didn’t tell anyone that I was in Moscow in the past”. That’s how Kenya realized that something was wrong, went to check. They talked with the Russian.

It turned out that this fool is from the same group that stormed us 2 days ago. He miraculously survived because he hid in a hole from the skids. He drank his own urine for 2 days. We gave him water. hands tied legs They asked about the locations of the Russians. The information was passed on to the command. The joystick took him on a quad bike to the K-2 “Pentagon” platoon base.

Vogon: Later, two more fighters – Yura and Sanya – came to us. There were already five of them fighting. Svoboda and K-2 drones covered us from both sides. God forbid, we “caught” the Russians every day

Then it started Kursk operation – the Russians went wild. The shelling did not stop. Pi*ars knew where our position was, and spared nothing for us. Tanks, mortars, artillery, drones – everything “worked” for us. It was such a hell that it is difficult to describe. FPV disassembled everything. All trenches, which were 2 meters high, were leveled with the level of the field.

Drones flew into our dugout. The explosive wave “slaps” very hard on the ears. Dust rises, communication breaks, the command does not understand whether you are 200 or you are 300. It is impossible to find out whether the Russians are coming. You sit without communication, you can’t look out, because drones are waiting for you around the clock.

We had one REB. At first, he “extinguished” FPV, but the Russians quickly reflashed them and blew everything to pieces. Command said: “dig yourself out”. But as soon as you start digging, a drone flies up to you and attacks. Digging under fire is not an option. Not digging is also not an option, because you will simply suffocate under the rubble.

There is almost no water, food is almost gone. And I wanted to drink terribly – summer, heat, work. There are no electronic devices. Run away – you won’t run away, because the FPV will catch up with you in the field and kill you. How to conduct defense? What hope can there be at all?

On one of the last days, another assault began on “Adolfi”. The commander came up to me and said: “Vlados, you must go out and meet them (Russian – UP)”. I answered that I could not, without options at all. And he told me: “Need”. Well, you have to, you have to, it’s war.

Got out of the dugout. The situation is a mess. Cut off on the left, cut off on the right. The Russians are climbing. I start pouring fire on the oppressors to make them stop. I unload two stores, go down to the dugout. It flies after me “Foil” is barrel artillery that fires direct fire.

I run into the dugout. I am writing to the commander: “Worked out, what’s next?”. He answers: “Plus-plus, everything is great, but more is needed. Go out and shoot between the Rapier flights.”

I return to my uncles and ask: “Anyone have a dying wish?”. It sounds harsh now, but then it was hysteria. We went out with one of the fighters, shot back. Repulsed the assault.

Since then, FPV with thermobar flew not just to our position, but directly to our dugout. The walls collapsed, there was nothing to breathe – every arrival of thermobaric ammunition tore at the lungs, ears, and nose. There were four of us then – only I remained from “Svoboda”, three from “K-2”. They endured, shouted. It was hopeless.

We contacted the command: “That’s it, there is no position. The dugout will collapse, and we will all missing persons. There’s nothing to hold here”. The neighbors were ordered to leave, but they had to take all heavy weapons with them – “Browning”, machine guns, automatic grenade launchers (AGS). It is impossible to bear it in the hands, so at night they took away weapons “Vampires”.

When Day X came, I asked my commander if I was going out with the K-2 fighters. He said: “Vlados, no, you don’t go with them, you move to another position”. In principle, I r figured it out Products were dumped on me. I took the grenades, BC. He hid in a small hole, dug it up so he could lie there. In short, before the change of position, he took up the defense on his own.

“Pincher” position At 7 a.m. on August 17, 2024, they wrote to me: “Vlados, everything is fine, pack up and go to Pincher” (position to the right of “Adolf”). I thought, thank God. I took with me a portable mobile router, products. I have armor, a helmet, a machine gun, a backpack full of water, food, ammunition, and personal belongings. I arrive at the position packed, shout into the radio: “Pincher, Santa Claus is coming to you”.

I go there, and there are three guys from Svoboda: Sanya “Hamster”, Roma “Rim” and Seryoga “Doll”. It became much easier for me. First, these are their own people. Secondly, they were relatively calm when the Russians tore and threw us.

I slept, ate and drank normally for the first time in three days. Just ecstasy. I was already an experienced lion then. Joking: “Men, I know everything here, I just killed a battalion of Russians, I’ll show you everything now”. Then the pi*ars walked in small groups – felt where everyone was. But they moved forward quite quickly.

Our intelligence tried to break through to us, but it is impossible to clear one and a half kilometers of landing. There every 10–15 meter hole. The Russians are sitting in that hole, a dugout, a prepared position. It takes a lot of effort to knock them out. We didn’t have that much.

Logistics suffered greatly. Our drones with food and water did not always arrive. Once I wrote to the foreman that I had to throw away the water and the canned food – buckwheat porridge with meat. I uploaded a photo showing that we had less than half a bottle of water left for four men in the heat. And he writes to me: “Today is a minus, we lost the last board”.

I went to the bracelet, put my finger on the cross. I say: “Lord, we really want to drink. If you can, please do something.” What do you think? Half an hour passes, the commander calls me and says that they will make a delivery by FPV drones.

Vladyslav Stotskyi: At “Pinchera” I began to constantly say: “Thank you for the food.” The boys didn’t understand until we had only one can of sardines left

It all ended with the fact that on September 16, the Russians launched a major assault on us. They got on the armor and drove in a column. At 6 o’clock in the morning we heard the harp rolling. They radioed that we could hear the equipment. We were ordered to prepare anti-tank means. On “Pincher” we had two small anti-tank grenade launchers (AT), one RPG-18. This is all against lightly armored vehicles, certainly not against tanks.

Well, what? Harasho I prepared myself. I leave the AT, I see a tank with anti-cumulative nets 15 meters in front of me. I was confused because I didn’t know where to shoot to hurt him. I aim at him, press the shot, a rocket flies out, flies over his tower and falls. I take the second ATshka, I took it below. Clap – no shot. I tell the boys: “give me something”. They give me an underbarrel grenade launcher (GP). But what is HP against a tank? This tool is generally against infantry. And I didn’t hit, it continued to bang.

The tanks passed. I could not understand where the landing party? Went into the hole, asked the commander what it is? He replied that armor was coming from behind. Tanks are the first line, so we spend all our ammunition on them. We heard armor approaching, an explosion. The commander reported: “We worked on one (from a drone – UP), the landing party is pouring out, be ready to work.”

We took weapons, stores. Roma came out and started shooting. There were a lot of Russians. Sanya joined Roma. Pi*ars shoot Roma in the helmet. She took off, but saved his life. Sanya died instantly. I dragged Roma into the hole. He says: “Sanya – 200, I – 300.”

I thought: what to do next? Push away Sashko’s body, crawl out and shoot the Russians? And if they are waiting for me there?

I just started shooting over Sani’s body. I say: “Guys, they can’t come in anymore. They can only throw a grenade”. And I hear a click. I shout: “Grenade!”. But there is nowhere to hide in that hole.

He leaned against the wall, and the grenade does not roll towards us, because Sashko is lying at the entrance. She tears up under Sashko. I keep shooting. Another grenade, again under Sasha, again a gap. I keep shooting. He stopped when the Russians stopped walking and shouting. Our artillery and drones worked on them.

Went to the command, asked what we should do: “Sanya – 200, Roma – 300″. There are three of us, there is nothing to defend here.”

We were told to go out at night in anti-drone cloaks. No one knew if we would be able to get out. The Russians saw a pile of dead bodies and burnt armor near which positions. You don’t have to be very smart to calculate that someone can get out at night from this position.

We went out in several groups. They could not take away Sashka’s body. They took only his personal things, his phone. I understood that I would still have to talk to his mother. Just yesterday I spoke with her via video link, and today her son is gone…

Before going out, I thought: how do we get there, how to walk across the field and not run into a mine and an FPV drone? Raincoats mask, but still a leg, a hand shines through somewhere.

I look at my knees, and they are all covered in Sashko’s blood, because I shot from the hole near his body. I got down on those knees, put my finger to the bracelet and said: “Lord, I have asked for so much: for water to fly to us, for condensation, for the night to be calm. I have asked for so much. I ask you for one more thing, please get us out of here.” 7 people out of 8 left. Unfortunately, Sasha was not taken away.

Was it worth holding positions for as long as 68 days in such conditions? Can’t evaluate from the point of view of command. There will always be questions to the top military leadership. As our commander says, heroes are born where commanders have failed.

During the battles, I wanted to get out as soon as possible, because I did not see the point of holding the defense, where there was nothing to hold. But if everyone leaves their positions, the front will collapse. Now my story inspires people to fight and not give up.

“Star” position I learned about being awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine after the battle at the “Zirka” position, which is not far from “Pincher”. There were four Ukrainians, including me, and five Colombians in that position. By the way, they normal rex.

On March 9, 2025, at 6 a.m., a massive assault began, the largest in the Seversky direction. My position was stormed by 8 units of armored vehicles and more than 50 attack aircraft. They had only one task: to take our position, because they had not been able to do it for more than 2 years. As if even orders were promised to those who take the “Star”.

Nine hours of shooting, throwing grenades, close contact. The pi*ars were in good configuration, they hit both our artillery and our tanks – knocked out one, destroyed another.

The assault was planned just as a slipper, a lot of resources were involved. We repelled the biggest rush. Three hundred Russians, they began to retreat. More than 15 men were dragging the wounded.

Fire: After the battle, grenades started falling into our SPshka. I took it from there you people so that they don’t get killed – after all, the blast wave really hits your ears. After the grenades, there was a lull

Suddenly, it is not known how, the Russians jumped into our tunnel. Initiated contact within the position. We retreated to the exit. I tried to go to the command, but there was no connection. They exchanged fire with the Russians from one end to the other.

Along the position – a bunch of BC. Ammunition started burning. Then there was a big explosion. As in American films: the main character runs out, followed by him – explosive wave. Only I did not run out, but stayed and got injured. The blast wave passed me. Mr. Vogon got a little burnt (ironically). But, thank God, he recovered, and everyone survived that battle.

Now I provide my unit and brigade with drones, EWs, equipment, I am engaged in recruiting. I visit soldiers and cadets in training centers and military universities. I share life hacks with them, how to live longer at the front.

I still go to churches, tell how I found God. It inspires people to help and not forget about the front. I pay attention to: “Guys, the war is not over yet. Water does not flow under a lying stone – start doing something, and everything will be hum”.

On December 8, 2025, a son, Mark, was born to Vladyslav and Anastasia Stotskyi

Friends, you can financially support the fighters of the “Freedom” battalion, who are fighting in the Pokrovsky direction. Now they are collecting money for their engineering and sapper platoon – for consumables for the production of “explosive gifts” for the Russians.

Goal: 450,000₴

Link to monobank

Link to private envelope

Card number: 5168752142787566

Angelina Strashkulych, UP