How a Wounded Ukrainian Soldier Turned His Captor Into a Prisoner

A wounded Ukrainian serviceman spent nearly two weeks inside a Russian-controlled dugout after his position was destroyed, ultimately persuading the occupying soldier to surrender.

According to The Guardian on May 3, the incident involved Vadym Lietunov, a corporal from Ukraine’s 118th Brigade, whose position was hit by repeated Russian drone and mortar strikes in late February.

After one explosion destroyed the dugout and killed his fellow soldier, Lietunov fled the position barefoot and entered what he believed was a Ukrainian shelter, only to find an armed Russian soldier inside.

“I went into the dugout and saw a bloke in uniform aiming an automatic rifle at me,” Lietunov said, as quoted by The Guardian. “I said: ‘You are not one of us, are you? Please don’t kill me.’”

The Russian soldier, identified as Nikita, allowed Lietunov to remain in the dugout, despite initially detaining him at gunpoint. Over the following 14 days, the two remained in confined conditions with limited supplies, relying on occasional drone drops delivering small food rations and water.

The Guardian reports that Lietunov used psychological tactics to maintain control over the situation, identifying instability in the Russian soldier’s behavior. “He would turn into a maniac, put a gun to my forehead and say: ‘I’m going to kill you right now,’” Lietunov said. “Then there is silence… He just changed his mind in a second.”

The report notes that both men experienced severe shortages of food and water, with the Russian soldier collecting rainwater and receiving minimal daily rations. Lietunov’s health deteriorated due to frostbite, resulting in the loss of a toe.

According to The Guardian, Lietunov repeatedly raised the possibility of surrender with the Russian soldier, outlining treatment conditions under the Geneva Conventions. “I told him the terms were good: three meals a day, cigarettes, the Geneva convention,” he said.

The situation changed when both men left the dugout in search of water and encountered a Ukrainian drone. Lietunov identified himself using a handwritten sign with his call sign and unit number. Ukrainian forces subsequently established communication via drone and delivered supplies, including a radio.

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The Guardian reports that Lietunov continued to influence the Russian soldier’s decisions, including sharing food to maintain cooperation. The evacuation took place during foggy conditions, when a Ukrainian armored vehicle reached the position.

Both men boarded the vehicle, and the Russian soldier surrendered voluntarily, destroying his phone before evacuation. Upon arrival at Ukrainian positions, he was transferred to the Security Service of Ukraine and is expected to be included in a future prisoner exchange.

Lietunov is currently undergoing rehabilitation in Odesa after losing a toe, The Guardian reports. Reflecting on the outcome, he said: “I was a prisoner. But in the end I came out with a prisoner, the other way round.”

Earlier, a Russian soldier in the Kharkiv region surrendered after displaying handwritten signs reading “Please take me prisoner, I want to live,” with Ukrainian drone operators guiding him safely to Ukrainian forces.

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