Off-Duty Ukrainian Soldier Uses Battlefield Skills to Save Stabbed Teen in Italy

A Ukrainian soldier on leave in Venice saved a young man who had been stabbed in the leg, local Italian outlet Corriere Del Veneto reported on March 10.

The soldier shared the information about the incident on his account, saying the victim would have bled out if he hadn’t been nearby with a first-aid kit and tourniquets.

“20 minutes in Venice. The kid got lucky I was around with a med kit and tourniquets—otherwise, he wouldn’t have made it until the ambulance arrived,” he wrote.

Corriere Del Veneto provided further details on the attack.

The victim, a teenager of North African descent, was stabbed in broad daylight in the historic center of Venice. The incident happened at 4:37 pm on Monday near Salizada San Canzian, close to Ponte dei Giocattoli and the famous Rialto area.

According to initial reports, the teenager got into an altercation with another young man.

The fight quickly escalated, and as the victim tried to restrain his attacker, the assailant pulled out a large knife and slashed him multiple times on the arm and leg before fleeing.

The wounded teenager staggered a few meters before collapsing near Trattoria Tre Spiedi, where the Ukrainian soldier happened to be passing by.

Seeing the young man losing blood rapidly, the soldier immediately applied a tourniquet and provided first aid, stabilizing him until emergency responders arrived.

Shocked onlookers quickly alerted police and paramedics, who rushed to the scene. Witnesses were horrified by the amount of blood left on the pavement, while the attacker had already disappeared without a trace.

Earlier, Ukrainian medics saved the life of a soldier delivering blood by drones.

On February 21, a soldier from the 12th Azov Brigade sustained a severe shrapnel wound to the neck and received urgent medical aid.

Medics from the 12th Azov Brigade made a critical decision to deliver blood for a transfusion via drone, buying precious time for the casualty’s evacuation.