Ukrainian veteran completes wheelchair race after serious injury to honour his friend's memory – photos
Andrii Solomin, a Ukrainian veteran soldier from the city of Lutsk, lost both his legs in the combat zone and survived after experiencing clinical death.
However, just a few months after rehabilitation, he has taken part in the Race for Two to honour his fallen friend’s memory.
Source: Unbroken National Rehabilitation Centre
Andrii, who is 34 years old, first took part in combat action back in 2014. So when the full-scale Russian invasion began, he joined the 100th Separate Territorial Defence Brigade right away and then became commander of a rifle company.
He served together with his close friend, Mykola Mialkovskyi.
In April 2024, Andrii along with his fellow soldiers were on a combat mission to consolidate their position. But later he was informed that the Russians had encircled them.
"I felt that something was going to happen to me. I recorded a voice message for my mum and my wife. I had to try several times as my voice was trembling. I said that I was fine and I wouldn’t be able to get in touch with them for a few days," Andrii recalls.
A Russian drone dropped a munition directly at the company commander's feet. It instantly detonated, injuring both of Andrii's legs. Despite his injuries, the commander applied tourniquets to himself, though he did not believe he would survive.
"The Russians were very close – right on the next street. I told the guys to leave without me. I felt a big pool of blood under me. I had put my hands on the tourniquets, wanted to loosen them and whispered: 'Myka, see you soon!'," Andrii says.
He explained that Myka was the alias belonging to the fallen defender Mykola Mialkovskyi, a close friend of Andrii Solomin.
In the throes of death, it seemed to Andrii that he heard the voice of his fallen friend telling him that he had to stay alive.
The wounded man waited nine hours to be evacuated and lost a lot of blood. He regained consciousness in the city of Dnipro, where medics told him that he had indeed been on the verge of death.
"I was in a state of clinical death for six minutes. I think that Myka [nickname for Mykola – ed.] was still guiding me on this path. He always cared for others more than for himself," Andrii says.
Andrii underwent rehabilitation at the Unbroken Centre. At first, he struggled to keep his balance, so Andrii and the medics had to make efforts to strengthen his muscles and teach him to move around in a wheelchair.
On 22 September, Andrii Solomin participated in the Race for Two in the city of Kyiv. He covered the distance of 1 km in a wheelchair for himself and for his fallen friend Myka. What is more, he came first.
"This is my first race with you, friend, and gold right away! I wouldn’t have been able to do it without you. And we know for sure this is not the last gold. Thank you for being by my side!" he said.
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