Eighteen year old sergeant leads 21 soldiers out of near encirclement

An 18-year-old Ukrainian soldier saved 21 comrades and preserved military equipment during heavy combat in the Kursk region. Inkorr and Mezha.net both reported that Junior Sergeant Vladyslav Stepanchuk assumed command of his unit when Russian forces broke through local lines. [1][2]

Under heavy enemy fire, Stepanchuk directed the extraction of 21 Ukrainian soldiers who were facing near-encirclement, including those who were severely wounded. According to Inkorr, he also managed to recover a 105-mm artillery piece during the action. [1][2]

Inkorr reported that Stepanchuk reestablished critical communication lines with his command during the fight. His actions allowed him to coordinate both the retreat and the safe medical evacuation of the injured personnel. [1]

The operational area in the Kursk region sits within Kursk Oblast, a federal subject of Russia where administrative operations are centered in the city of Kursk. [1][4]