President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine to Kostiantyn Vlasenko, a soldier in the 30th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after Prince Konstanty Ostrogski, who carried out combat missions at his position for 491 days. For 232 of those days, he was alone, seriously wounded, and constantly hiding from the Russians.
From June 3, 2025, to February 15, 2026, Kostiantyn Vlasenko remained continuously at the Vertun firing position near the village of Synkivka in the Kharkiv sector. Despite constant Russian shelling, he prevented the enemy from carrying out any maneuvers and destroyed enemy personnel and equipment on the approaches to the position. Kostiantyn Vlasenko also adjusted the fire of his unit’s weapons and the operations of its unmanned aerial vehicles.
On February 15 this year, Russian drones and artillery completely destroyed the Vertun position. Kostiantyn Vlasenko and his brother-in-arms survived, but while withdrawing, they came under attack from enemy drones. Soldier Vlasenko sustained severe gunshot wounds to both legs, while his brother-in-arms went missing.
Kostiantyn Vlasenko found shelter near a school, where he provided himself with medical care. An attempt was made to evacuate the defender using an unmanned ground vehicle, but the enemy destroyed it before it could reach his position. Evacuation by any other means was impossible. Evacuating him on foot was also considered, but reaching the position was extremely risky because of constant Russian shelling.
Gangrene led to the loss of one of the soldier’s feet, and he had to amputate the other himself because of his injury. Despite this, Kostiantyn Vlasenko continued to observe the enemy while remaining concealed and provided his fellow soldiers with important information.
On October 4, Kostiantyn Vlasenko was successfully evacuated through the joint efforts of the 2nd Mechanized Battalion of the 30th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after Prince Konstanty Ostrogski, the 92nd Separate Assault Brigade named after Kosh Otaman Ivan Sirko, and the 14th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after Prince Roman the Great. Preparations for the operation took several months and brought together warriors from different units and a manufacturer of modular unmanned systems.
The evacuation was carried out using a new Heavy Shot “Ayudag-6” heavy-duty, multifunctional hexacopter, which defenders from the 92nd Separate Assault Brigade helped modify and adapt for transporting a person. Kostiantyn Vlasenko’s brothers-in-arms Yurii Haponiuk and Dmytro Melnychyn handled the technical preparations for the aircraft to carry out the operation. On the ground, the evacuation was coordinated by a team led by Senior Soldier Vasyl Prokopyvniuk. Senior Soldier Serhii Stoian piloted the hexacopter. The operation lasted just over an hour. Once it was complete, Soldier Ruslan Chernov provided the Hero with first aid and ensured his evacuation to a medical facility.
Today, the Head of State awarded Senior Soldier Serhii Stoian the Medal “For Saved Life.” All the other participants in this unique operation to save a Ukrainian warrior’s life will also receive state awards. Their nominations are already prepared.