The first thing that Vitya did when he reached the Ukrainian military was hand over the co-ordinates of all the Russian positions around his occupied village. “I did it so they could shell them,” he chuckled, blue eyes twinkling as his laugh revealed his only remaining tooth in his lower jaw. “I did it all the way through the occupation, even when the Russians were trying to block the signal. I would wait until the Ukrainians were shelling the Russians and they would be hiding, then I’d climb up on to the roof and send our military a message.”
Days later, Ukrainian soldiers walked in and took the village of Davydiv Brid as the Russians fell back. They were no doubt thanking their new patron
© Times Newspapers Limited 2022.
Registered in England No. 894646. Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, SE1 9GF.