Hero of Ukraine with five bullets in the body evacuated a group from an ambush in Kurshchyna.

Captain of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Yuriy Zhukovets received the title of Hero of Ukraine after an ambush in Kurshchyna

25-year-old Lviv resident, Captain of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Yuriy Zhukovets recently received the title of Hero of Ukraine. In Kurshchyna, part of the company he commanded was ambushed, and the defender himself was shot at point-blank range by a Russian soldier. Despite five bullet wounds, he managed to evacuate the personnel. This is written by 'Suspilne'.

Before the war started, Yuriy Zhukovets was running a real estate agency and decided that in case of an invasion, he would definitely fight.

«I obtained a higher education at the University of Internal Affairs, and simultaneously studied at the military department. In 2020, I received the rank of junior lieutenant. Accordingly, I knew: if war comes, you need to take up arms and defend, not wait to be called», – the man shares.

Yuriy first gained service experience in the 216th battalion of the 125th brigade, and later commanded a reconnaissance company in the 103rd separate territorial defense brigade.

Yuriy participated in battles in the Liman direction, in Kharkiv region, Sumy region, and also in Kurshchyna, where he received severe injury. During the clearing of one of the settlements, his company was ambushed by Russian soldiers. The commander was shot at with a machine gun from a very close distance – 10 meters. The bullets wounded his legs, arm, and abdomen. Nevertheless, he managed to gather strength and evacuate the personnel. Recently, Yuriy was awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine. He received the 'Golden Star' award. Yuriy believes that every soldier of his company deserves such a title.

«This is an award for the entire unit, each of my guys, our command, everyone who worked, provided, helped efficiently accomplish tasks. Because if even one of them backed down at any moment, we wouldn't have accomplished this task. This is our joint award. We did everything as a team», – assures the Hero of Ukraine.

After the injury, Yuriy underwent 7 surgeries. He is currently receiving rehabilitation at the 'Nezlamni' center. Specialists are working on improving the movement of his left hand and strengthening the muscles of the torso and limbs.

«When I arrived, two fingers on my hand weren't working, and now they have started to move and develop – and it's only been a week. The rehabilitation here is quite fast and quality», – says Yuriy Zhukovets.

After full recovery, Yuriy plans to return to the front. The soldier of the 65th brigade defended a semi-surrounded position for 56 days, fighting against Russian assault troops. Additionally, a scout from the 58th separate motorized infantry brigade named Vados managed to escape from captivity and continue fighting the occupiers.