Ukrainian soldier who held frontline post for 491 days awarded Hero title

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine to Konstantin Vlasenko, a soldier in the 30th Separate Mechanized Brigade. UA.NEWS reported that the award was announced by the Office of the President on October 30. Vlasenko maintained his combat post for a total of 491 days. [1][3]

According to the Office of the President as reported by UA.NEWS, Vlasenko spent 232 of his 491 days at the post entirely alone. Despite sustaining a severe injury that resulted in the loss of both feet, he persisted in monitoring Russian troop movements and providing vital intelligence to his comrades. [1]

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has served as the president of Ukraine since 2019, leading the country during the full-scale Russian invasion that began in February 2022. State honors awarded by the president recognize acts performed in defense of Ukrainian sovereignty. [3][4]

As HEROIC BREAKING NEWS reported earlier, Ukrainian forces continue to adapt flexible methods to support injured personnel in contested frontline areas, including using heavy drones to perform frontline evacuations when ground access is blocked by enemy activity. [5]