'I did not realise I'd misplaced my leg': Dangers taken by Ukrainian troopers to defuse mines and booby traps

For the members of the demining unit in Ukraine's thirty fifth marine brigade, each step is fraught with peril - each motion is beset with danger - throughout a interval that has been notably harmful.

Read more

As the Ukrainians press forward with their summer time offensive, the Russians have countered with Soviet-era ways. They have laid hundreds of thousands and hundreds of thousands of landmines.

Read more

Territory and communities alongside the 1,000km (621 mile) frontier have been saturated with anti-personnel mines, anti-vehicle and anti-tank mines, and remotely-detonated mines.

Read more

Some mines are buried, others fired from rockets - some are "victim-activated" booby traps.

Read more

All are designed to maim or kill.

Read more

Ukraine war - click here for latest updates

Read more

Together they represent what could be the world's largest minefield and we have been instructed by members of the thirty fifth marine brigade that the Russians are intelligent after they use them.

Read more

Deminers 'Zeus' and 'Constantine' instructed us that they've found mines and booby traps hidden in gates, doorways, automobiles, cellars and the magazines of computerized weapons. They have even defused booby traps connected to useless our bodies.

Read more

We discovered the pair within the again backyard of a bombed-out home within the village of Vremivka, only a few miles from the frontline.

Read more

One searched with a steel detector whereas the opposite stood guard with an computerized weapon.

Read more

After 10 minutes or so, the pair would change.

Read more
Read more

It was one thing we tried to ask them about however the interview was interrupted by a collection of colossal bangs. The Russians have been concentrating on the world with bombs and rockets.

Read more

"They're hitting us, the Russians," stated Zeus. "F***-you, Putin," he added.

Read more

Discovering - and disarming landmines - is a hazardous enterprise however individuals like Zeus and Constantine face a further problem. They have to hold out their duties whereas they're being shelled and shot at.

Read more

"Well, when we're doing our work the enemy will attack us. The enemy fires at us with their mortars and tanks. But the deminers are the first to go in."

Read more

As the Russians hunker down of their defensive positions, the Ukrainians have been sending in small teams of Ukrainian troops to assault their trenches.

Read more

In many circumstances, these "storming" models are led by the deminers who try to chart a path by means of the mines.

Read more
Read more

Currently, these missions are carried out on foot after superior western weaponry, like Leopard tanks and Bradley preventing automobiles, have been immobilised within the first two weeks of the counteroffensive.

Read more

American and British officers say that as a lot as 20% of the weaponry despatched to the battlefield was destroyed in these engagements.

Read more

"It's dangerous, isn't it?" I requested Constantine.

Read more

"Of course. It's (scary), nerves, but this is our work."

Read more

"What are you wearing on your jacket?" I requested.

Read more

"This is my amulet," he stated, grabbing a small angel-shaped doll. "This angel always with me in the fight. In (my) work. I don't remove it from my body chest. It was given (to me) by wife."

Read more

We watched Zeus and Constantine deal with a TM 62 anti-tank mine that had been partially buried on a grassy verge in Vremivka.

Read more
Read more

The gadget, filled with 9 kilograms of explosives, would knock a battle tank off its tracks. "If you are coming by car, it will be completely destroyed," stated Constantine. "Also, everybody inside."

Read more

Worried that the Russians had hidden different munitions below - or round - the TM 62, the pair stored their distance, dragging the gadget into the street with an extended rope.

Read more

After inspecting it, they took it to a close-by area the place they might safely detonate it.

Read more

'I could not really feel my leg - I assumed I'd simply torn it'

Read more

The risk had been handled - however the pair know that their missions do not at all times go to plan.

Read more

Last October, Zeus stepped on a landmine as his unit tried to keep away from an enemy tank within the area of Kherson.

Read more

The munition blew off his proper foot and decrease proper leg. He now wears a camouflage-coloured prosthesis.

Read more

"I didn't realise that I'd lost my leg. I couldn't feel my leg - but I thought that I'd just torn it a little bit," he stated.

Read more

Please use Chrome browser for a extra accessible video participant

Read more

2:17

Read more
Read more

Read extra:What life is like in recaptured Ukrainian territoryWhy things are not back to 'normal' for Russian border towns

Read more

In an interview that was devoid of self-pity, the 25-year-old stated his solely thought was about returning to his unit.

Read more

"What did you think when you saw your leg?" I requested.

Read more

"I said, give me a prosthesis, I'm going back to battle."

Read more

"Really? You thought right, I'll go back?

Read more

"I did and I got here again after 5 months."

Read more

"How did the unit greet you whenever you got here again?" I asked.

Read more

"They have been hugging me. Everyone was shocked as a result of it was such a brief time frame. You cannot inform that I'm on a prosthesis. They have been all excited."

Read more

Please use Chrome browser for a extra accessible video participant

Read more

3:14

Read more

His story is a reminder that missions can - and do - go unsuitable.

Read more

Ukraine doesn't launch casualty figures, however analysts suppose that hundreds of Ukrainian personnel have been injured or killed by Russian mines.

Read more

Zeus shouldn't be wanting again, nevertheless.

Read more

"It was hard at first (but) now I have an artificial leg. There are pros and cons of course, many pros, like no nails to cut, no pain, you can step on it, beat it. I can even shoot it," he stated, with a chuckle that became a hearty chortle.

Read more

Did you like this story?

Please share by clicking this button!

Visit our site and see all other available articles!

UK 247 News