A Russian soldier recently recounted his harrowing experience of survival after stepping on an anti-personnel mine near Lysychansk in the Luhansk region, which resulted in the loss of his leg.
Crawled for Eight Hours
The blast forced him to apply a tourniquet and crawl for eight hours to reach Russian positions.
His story, reported by URA, demonstrates the resilience required of soldiers on the battlefield, where staying calm and clearheaded under extreme conditions is essential for survival.
The soldier, who had enlisted in October 2022, was deployed shortly after to the conflict zone.
His injury occurred in November during an offensive operation.
“I acted on instinct, keeping my composure and presence of mind,” he said, describing the grueling hours he endured crawling to safety.
Suffering Phantom Pains
The mine he stepped on was likely a PMN-2, a common Soviet-era anti-personnel mine often found in conflict zones across Eastern Europe.
These pressure-activated mines are notorious for causing severe injuries or amputations, with a blast force capable of destroying tissue and bone upon contact.
The PMN-2, for example, contains about 100 grams of TNT, designed to explode when roughly 10-25 kilograms of pressure is applied.
The explosive mechanism makes these mines especially dangerous, even with minimal foot pressure, as the resulting blast radius severely injures or disables the individual without usually being lethal.
After crawling back to his unit, the soldier received immediate medical attention in an underground field hospital, where doctors stabilized him before transporting him to a hospital in Luhansk for further care.
His journey to recovery has been challenging. Following his return home, he began adjusting to life with a prosthetic leg, working through the physical and psychological effects of the injury.
He also experienced phantom limb pain, a common post-amputation phenomenon. “For about two weeks, phantom pains tormented me, but I learned to ‘negotiate’ with my mind,” he shared.
