On Thursday, February 24, Ukrainian marine Vitaly Shakun Volodymyrovych sacrificed his life to blow up Henichny Road Bridge, halting the advance of a Russian tank column.

As Henichny Bridge was an entry point from the Russian-annexed Crimea, the Ukrainian forces decided to destroy it to prevent the tanks from advancing. With not enough time to detonate the mines remotely, Volodymyrovych realized it would have to be done manually. A few seconds after informing his battalion of his intent, the soldier blew himself up along with the bridge.

Volodymyrovych’s sacrifice bought his fellow squad members enough time to set up defenses and regroup.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine thanked Volodymyrovych for his sacrifice, followed by many others over social media.

Emine Dzheppar, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, tweeted a memorial for Volodymyrovych and his selfless deed, calling him an “eternal memory.”

By Connor Ku