13-year-old Kyrylo Illiashenko from Sumy was on a bus with his mother when a Russian missile hit nearby. The explosion caused a fire on the vehicle and blocked the doors. However, Kyrylo did not panic – he climbed out through a window and began helping other passengers escape the burning bus.

Source: Kyrylo on the national joint 24/7 newscast

Details: "At that moment I didn’t think – I acted. I was just running on adrenaline," the teenager said about rescuing the passengers.

He added that he had no prior experience or training in providing assistance.

Kyrylo also shared his memories of the moment with journalists from Kordon.Media, an online media outlet in Sumy Oblast.

Quote: "We were driving along Bankova Street – I heard something whistling and falling. Then I heard people screaming, and the windows shattered. I fell down, and glass rained down on me. At first, I suffered a slight contusion and all the sounds became muffled.

I looked to the left and right, and smelled something burning. So I thought the bus was already on fire or could catch fire. I got up quickly and started trying to unblock the bus doors. They wouldn’t open, so I threw my bag out the window and jumped out myself, then tried to unblock the doors from outside." 

Details:The other passengers were not screaming – they were in shock. Once the doors were opened, Kyrylo started helping people out. His mother’s face was covered in blood. The boy admitted that he was very scared for her.

As a result of the attack, the young man was also wounded – three fragments hit him in the head. Doctors have already removed the largest metal fragment. The doctors said that the remaining two are too deeply embedded to extract. Kyrylo’s life is not in danger, but he remains under medical supervision.

His mother Maryna admitted she still cannot recover from what happened.

"It’s hard to close my eyes – that image is still in front of me. We didn’t sleep all night. Emotionally, it’s very difficult. I was on the bus and saw my son helping others. At that moment, I realised I had raised a true man," Maryna said with pride.

Kyrylo is in Year 8 at Sumy School No. 4 and trains in freestyle wrestling at the local youth sports school.

The school called Kyrylo’s actions an example of true heroism and thanked his parents for raising such a son.

His actions were also recognised by Internal Minister Ihor Klymenko, who visited the boy during a working trip to Sumy.

Ihor Klymenko personally thanked Kyrylo for his bravery.

Photo: Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs

"Now, the whole country is thanking Kyrylo for his actions. This is our new generation of heroes – brave, determined and selfless," Klymenko said.

Background: On 13 April, Russian forces launched two ballistic missiles at the centre of Sumy. A total of 35 people were killed in the attack, including 2 children. Over 119 civilians were injured.

Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon !