Vadym Lietunov, a 34-year-old corporal from Odesa, survived an extraordinary two-week ordeal as a captive in a Russian dugout after his position was destroyed by a drone attack. The bombing began the morning after he arrived on the frontline, lasting six to seven hours daily. Russians hit his shelter with kamikaze drones and mortars, forcing him and fellow soldier Sasha to constantly repair damage. In late February, a Molniya drone carrying an anti-tank mine exploded near the entrance, leaving them concussed. Eventually, a mine landed on their foxhole, blowing off the roof and killing Sasha. Lietunov scrambled out, running toward what he thought were Ukrainian positions, but instead stumbled into a Russian dugout.
Captivity and Manipulation
Inside the dugout, Lietunov encountered Nikita, a Russian soldier who initially pointed a rifle at him. Nikita, a drug addict and petty criminal freed from jail to fight, ordered him into a tiny chamber. Lietunov realized his only chance was to manipulate his captor, using psychology he had read as a teenager. Nikita believed Kremlin propaganda that Ukrainians were drug addicts with GPS trackers, searching Lietunov for drugs. The Russian suffered extreme mood swings, sometimes putting a gun to Lietunov’s forehead, but then relenting. Lietunov played dumb, pretending to be stupid to gain trust.
Desperate Conditions
Nikita was cold, hungry, and alone, receiving only 250 grams of rations daily via drone. Lietunov’s toe turned black with gangrene; he asked to be shot outside so his body could be found, but Nikita refused, fearing drones. Meanwhile, Lietunov’s brigade thought him dead, but his wife Alesya kept sending Telegram messages. Nikita complained about miserable conditions, and Lietunov suggested surrender, offering good treatment under the Geneva Convention.
Escape and Rescue
When water ran out, Nikita led them outside in fog. A Ukrainian drone appeared, and Lietunov hung a sign with his call-sign “Cartman.” His brigade initially thought both were Russians and sent a kill drone, but the commander recognized his social media and canceled it. A radio dropped from a drone, and Lietunov negotiated food and water. Eventually, a Ukrainian armored vehicle appeared, and both men jumped in. Nikita surrendered, and Lietunov returned to his brigade, having lost a toe but alive.
Lietunov described his survival as a miracle, noting that Nikita was taken by Ukraine’s SBU security service, likely to be swapped for prisoners. He said the Kremlin brainwashes soldiers, but he feels lucky to have escaped with his captor in a rare reversal of roles.
