Zelenskyy Awarded The Title Of Hero Of Ukraine To A Commander Who Personally Rushed To Rescue Wounded Soldiers
- 20.08.2026, 7:55
He drove out to pick them up in his pickup truck, risking his own life every second.
A video recently surfaced online showing a company commander rescuing wounded soldiers from a damaged armored personnel carrier—he drove out to get them in a pickup truck, risking his own life with every passing second. For the bravery displayed in that moment by Second Lieutenant Vladislav Polsky, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy awarded him the title of Hero of Ukraine along with the Order of the Golden Star.
The Ukrainian president announced this in an evening video address on Wednesday, August 19. “I have signed a decree conferring the title of Hero of Ukraine on Second Lieutenant Vladislav Polsky for his swift and courageous response in a combat situation and for saving the lives of our soldiers,” he noted.
The President explained that on August 15, Vladislav Polsky (call sign “Ticher”) used a pickup truck to rescue two soldiers from the strike zone of Russian drones.
“Our soldiers were carrying out a combat mission and were wounded. An evacuation was underway using an evacuation helicopter. The Russians struck that helicopter. And to save lives and avoid wasting time, Vladislav decided to take action and picked up the men in his pickup truck. A remarkable story. Great courage. And an example of a commander’s actions worthy of emulation. We must take care of our people. Thank you, Vladislav!”—said Zelenskyy.
Details of the rescue of wounded soldiers
According to the Joint Forces Operation, two assault soldiers from the 475th Separate Assault Regiment “Code 9.2” successfully completed their mission and captured enemy positions. But on the way back, the soldiers were attacked by enemy “Molniya” drones, resulting in both sustaining serious injuries and being unable to move on their own.
“A ground-based robotic platform was dispatched to evacuate them. However, an enemy drone shot it down as well... The wounded soldiers found themselves completely defenseless in the open, sitting in plain sight of enemy aerial reconnaissance. The next strike could have been their last,” the statement reads.
And while the command and observation post was frantically searching for a solution, assault company commander Vladislav Polsky got behind the wheel of a pickup truck and raced to the men’s aid. He was wearing shorts and hadn’t even put on a bulletproof vest.
Risking his life every second, Vladislav ran up to the damaged NRK vehicle, personally loaded the critically wounded fighters into the pickup’s bed, and drove them to safety at high speed. In this way, the commander saved their lives.
In total, about 30–40 minutes passed from the moment the NRK was hit until the evacuation and arrival at the stabilization point.
On the air Army FM Polsky explained that he decided to go after the wounded himself because he didn’t want to put other soldiers in danger.
“I’d rather put myself in their shoes and be sure that I can do it,” he said. Polsky coordinated the evacuation decision with his battalion commander.
When asked why he hadn’t worn a body armor vest, the soldier replied succinctly.
“It was easier for me to dash out without anything—‘light on my feet’—and get the guys out than if I’d been in full gear: extra weight, extra stuff that would have gotten in the way,” Polsky stated.
In a comment on LB.ua, he said that he did not personally know the wounded, as they were from other companies.
“But the nature of our work is such that I can take in soldiers from other companies, and my own will be taken in by other commanders. It doesn’t matter whose they are: there are no strangers,” the soldier explained.
“They’re in serious condition, in intensive care, but stable; amputations are likely. Soon they’ll be able to be transferred from the hospitals for further treatment (one is already in Kyiv). I think we’ll get to know them better once their condition stabilizes,” Polsky added.