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Ukrainian Navy Rescues Four Soldiers Hidden in Russian-Occupied Hospital for Three Years
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Four Ukrainian servicemen who had been hiding in a hospital on Russian-occupied territory for more than three years were successfully evacuated, according to a September 5 report from Ukrainian Navy Commander Vice Admiral Oleksiy Neizhpapa..
Neizhpapa said the operation began after Ombudswoman for the Rights of Servicemen and Their Families, Olha Reshetilova, learned that the twin brother of a recently exchanged marine had been seriously wounded in 2022 and secretly sheltered by doctors from Russian forces. “After receiving this information, I made the decision to start special evacuation measures,” Neizhpapa stated.
It was later discovered that three National Guard fighters were also in the same hospital. Together with Reshetilova and National Guard Commander Brigadier General Oleksandr Pivnenko, a coordination headquarters was set up. Special units of the Navy and National Guard carried out the multi-stage rescue under conditions of heavy fighting and strict Russian filtration measures.
The evacuated group included one marine, three National Guard servicemen, and a hospital medic who had helped hide them. Neizhpapa said: “This story is about resilience and faith. Our guys survived where it seemed there were no chances. It is about the strength of the Special Reconnaissance Unit ‘Angels’ who managed to bring the fighters out from the very heart of enemy territory.”
According to the Navy, “Angels” unit has now rescued 88 people. Ukrainian officials noted that the operation was also supported by Deputy Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and Border Guard Service head Serhiy Deineko.
All rescued servicemen are currently safe and reunited with their families.
Earlier, it was reported that a Ukrainian mother and her five children were successfully evacuated from occupied Crimea under the “Bring Kids Back UA” initiative, helped by coordination between the Presidential Office, Foreign Affairs Ministry, and Border Guard Service.
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