Ukrainian man dug himself out of grave where Russian forces buried him with brothers

'It's like being resurrected'

A Ukrainian man who was buried alive after he and his brothers were shot by Russian troops managed to dig himself out of a grave and share his story with the world. Mykola Kulichenko and his two brothers, Yevhen and Dmytro, were shot by the side of the road after being taken by Russian forces and interrogated in a basement for three days after being accused of assisting in blowing up an armoured convoy. https://twitter.com/CNN/status/1526449981510631424?s=20&t=M_tkH-anzw0b2i5Dw__pAg After having been beaten with "metal rods" and threatened at gunpoint, the three brothers were eventually driven to a roadside, blindfolded and made to kneel as the soldiers prepared a grave for their execution. After hearing a gunshot and his brothers fall to the ground, Mykola was convinced he was next - but luckily the bullet only went through his cheek and exited next to his right ear. Having narrowly avoided a fatal shot, the 33-year-old told CNN that he knew his only hope of survival at this point was to play dead as the soldiers proceeded to kick their bodies into the pit, cover them with dirt and move on. [caption id="attachment_336662" align="alignnone" width="701"] Credit: CNN - The grave where the Kulichenko brothers were left to die[/caption] Thankfully, sister Iryna wasn't home when Russians barged through the door and began questioning the brothers after their grandfather's service medals and a military bag belonging to Yevhen (a former paratrooper) aroused suspicion. Mykola says he has no idea how long he was buried for but despite bleeding from his face and head, not to mention still being tied up, he managed to stay alive and wriggle his way out from underneath his eldest brother's body. Meanwhile, his sister still had no idea whether he and his brothers were alive or not. [caption id="attachment_336655" align="alignnone" width="1358"] Credit: CNN - Pictures of the Kulichenko family[/caption]

"It was hard for me to breathe, since Dima [Dmytro] was lying on top of me", he said, "but using my arms and knees, I was able to push my older brother off to the side of the pit, and then I climbed out."

You can read the full CNN story along with Kulichenko's extended interview here.

Related links:

• Ukraine declares 'combat mission' over in Mariupol amid mass evacuations
• Huge drug-smuggling tunnel with rail system discovered under US-Mexican border
• Shocking scenes as Israeli forces beat crowds carrying the casket of killed journalist Shireen Abu Akleh