Vitaly Skakun, the 25-year-old Ukrainian soldier who blew himself on a bridge to temporarily stall the movement of Russian forces, was honoured in a funeral in his hometown on Thursday, 3 March, with several people taking the knee as a mark of paying their respects.
"His name was Vitaly Skakun. He was 25. To stop RU fascists, he blew up a bridge at the cost of his life. Today he was carried to grave in his hometown - and people stood on their knees," Olexander Scherba, the Ukranian ambassador to Austria said in a tweet.
The social media was soon flooded with tributes and condolences for the deceased soldier.
Scott Isbell, an American artist said, "Your patriotism and bravery will never be forgotten."
Another user on Twitter said that nobody will forget what Skakun has done for his country and his people.
A reporter with KBPS news, Kitty Alvarado called Skakun's act "the epitome of bravery, love of country."
Vitaly Skakun was tasked with cutting off the bridge link between Ukraine and Russia, and willingly blew himself up to achieve the same.
"His heroic deed significantly slowed the enemy's advancement, allowing the unit to re-deploy and organize its defenses," the General Staff of the Armed Forces Of Ukraine had said in a Facebook post after his death.
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