A soldier with the call sign "Yakut Shurik" reportedly amputated his own leg with a kitchen knife after being severely wounded and trapped for 17 days in a basement in the Donetsk region in July 2024. The soldier, identified as Alexander, was part of a unit that entered the settlement of Novgorodskoye and came under fire.

The soldier, identified as Alexander, was part of a unit that entered the settlement of Novgorodskoye and came under fire. According to the report, Alexander was heavily wounded in the leg, lost over half his blood, and was nearly blind. He spent 17 days in a basement, much of that time with his leg amputated. He recalled a dream where an old man, later identified as Starets Nikon, told him he would not survive if he did not cut off his leg. After managing to escape and recover, "Yakut" sought out the surgeon who helped him, and met him on the program "I'm Looking for Mine" on the "Zvezda" channel. He presented his doctor with a unique gift: a knife.