NGU fighter with a slashed throat crawled out of a pit and made his way to his comrades for 5 days: a story of rescue.

According to FREEДOM:

Vladislav: an NGU soldier who survived torture in captivity

Vladislav, a soldier of the National Guard of Ukraine, spent several days in captivity, witnessing the death of seven Ukrainian soldiers. After a severe injury, he managed to return to his comrades. A film crew from the FREEdom channel met with Vladislav.

“All the time, my wife and daughter were before my eyes,” writes the Ukrainian warrior.

After the horrific experiences in Russian captivity, 33-year-old Vladislav still cannot speak. He was captured near Myrolyubivka in the Donetsk region.

“He writes: we were surrounded, and our position was bombed. Then he wrote that he was taken to the basement, and there was a lot of blood. And all the guys who died were already kneeling and tied up,” says Vladislav's brother Yevhen.

Vladislav could only talk about the torture after his release. The Russian occupiers tried to force him to disclose military secrets.

“He writes that they wanted to find out – where our drones are, where the positions are, where the artillery is,” adds the man.

“They wanted to know where everything is located. They didn’t tell anything, and they were tortured. One of them had the nickname 'Black.' They said it was his third time at war, so he wouldn’t sit in prison, and that they were convicts,” says Vladislav's wife Victoria.

The youngest of the seven prisoners, according to Vladislav, was no more than twenty years old. His name was Viktor, and he died before Vladislav's eyes. Vladislav had his throat slashed and was thrown into a pit with others.

“He was lucky that when they threw them into the pit, they covered them with garbage, so it was not so visible that they were there. And he was lucky that there was a broken bottle. His hands were tied behind his back. With that bottle, he was able to cut the rope and then crawled out of the pit,” says Victoria.

“From what he wrote to me, then he changed into civilian clothes, so he wouldn't be in uniform, and crawled further to his comrades,” adds Vladislav's brother Yevhen.

On August 13, the family learned that Vladislav was missing, and on the 15th, relatives provided DNA for possible identification of the deceased. On August 17, Vladislav's wife received a call from the commander.

“He said that Vlad crawled to the positions, alive and healthy. They didn’t want to scare me, they said he had minor injuries,” recalls Vladislav's wife Victoria.

Doctors believe that people with injuries like Vladislav's do not survive long — death occurs within hours due to massive blood loss. He crawled to his comrades for five days, and the doctors consider this a real miracle.

Vladislav believes that his military and medical skills helped him survive. He has been in service for 15 years and regularly attended first aid courses. He knew how to stop the bleeding and properly bandage the wound.

According to the Commissioner of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, in 2024, there were 109 officially confirmed cases of the execution of Ukrainian prisoners. In the first six months of 2025, 51 murders of Ukrainian prisoners of war are already known.

“Only the special forces of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine recorded over 150 facts of executions of captured Ukrainian defenders. In many cases, there is evidence of direct orders to kill prisoners. These crimes are part of the targeted policy of the leadership of the aggressor country, Russia,” the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reported on Telegram.

Despite all the ordeals, Vladislav wants to return to the front after recovery to avenge the Ukrainian soldiers killed by the Russian military.

It is noted that Vladislav's story is an example of the heroism and resilience of Ukrainian soldiers during the war. His experiences in captivity and ability to return to combat highlight the brutality of the situation faced by Ukrainian soldiers and the importance of the support they need after such ordeals. This story draws attention to the tragedies faced by soldiers and their families and reminds of the ongoing significant losses in Ukraine.