Ukrainian marine survived 9 MONTHS behind Russian lines after jailbreak as he hid in cellars, pulled own teeth & ate DOG

After escaping from captivity, a UKRAINIAN marine has disclosed that he managed to endure nine months of hiding in a basement behind Russian lines.

When Putin began his brutal invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Mariupol marine Gennadyi Zelenyi was ready to defend his hometown, but he had no idea what was about to happen.

Early in the conflict, the marine had braced himself for death, but he was taken prisoner and bound by lethal Russian troops.

Zelenyi too had to spend over a year in hiding while he frantically eluded Putin’s men, even though he eventually managed to get out of custody.

In order to survive to relate the horrifying story, he even went so far as to eat neighborhood dogs, drink water from puddles, and sow up his own leg.

Zelenyi, who was serving with the Ukrainian military’s official 503rd Marine Battalion, received a terrifying phone call from a friend on February 23 of that year informing him that a million Russians were about to invade.

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In just a few hours, bombs started to go off in cities as citizens frantically fled as Putin’s forces crossed the border.

When a Ural truck, tank, gasoline track, and UAZ off-road vehicle arrived, Zelenyi engaged in combat for the first time.

After a rocket-propelled grenade was detonated, Zelenyi and other Ukrainian men captured their first prisoners, taking equipment along with other weapons and supplies.

After a detachment from Crimea arrived in Mariupol, pressure began to build as the Ukrainian troops were soon unable to evacuate and were besieged.

In an interview with CRAF Media, Zelenyi clarified: “When the KAB [Russian precision guided weapon] bombs began to fall, hell really started. When I witnessed one strike a five-story structure and totally destroy it, I was astounded.

One of the smaller KABs was that one. We later learned that KABs were flying everywhere and that they had orders to bomb the city.

When Zelenyi first arrived to defend with a pump-action shotgun, a 70-year-old colleague he had become friends with informed him, “I have nothing to lose.”

The old man was physically powerful and ready to “fight to the end,” earning the defender the nickname “relentless.”

Zelenyi disclosed that he was brutally struck by an automatic fire, which ultimately caused his death.

After being struck by artillery fire, Zelenyi had to see another of his comrades, an IT specialist on a large salary with no prior army experience, perish.

Out of their original group, only Zelenyi and another squad made it out alive.

Zelenyi had to face the heartbreaking prospect of death after seeing his companions slaughtered, but he was even more afraid of being taken prisoner by the Russians.

He stated: “I knew the ‘movie-like’ escapes where you survive aren t real.”

With the intention of getting to Azovstal, Zelenyi and his colleague trooper located an automobile.

The marine’s comrade was killed in an explosion that struck them, but Zelenyi survived.

He claimed that after passing out and crawling into a nearby building, he discovered it had been plundered when he woke up.

Before returning to his flat, which was “damaged but still standing,” Zelenyi changed into civilian clothing and joined the majority of the individuals in the basement.

A man said that his family was inside his burning house when he came to the shelter seeking assistance.

The man’s wife and children were saved by those recuperating in the refuge, including Zelenyi.

Before heading up the steps, the man thanked Zelenyi for leaving.

Here, Zelenyi added, “those collaborating with Russian forces were permitted to loot,” when he raised his head and saw the barrel of a Russian soldier’s gun.

Zelenyi saw the Russians, who he later learned were the DNR forces, ruthlessly beating him while he was removing his belongings, including his bike and XBox.

Zelenyi was apprehended and sent to an unidentified place.

One Russian recommended shooting him here, and he thought he was going to die right away, but another told him to go to the boss.

Zelenyi constantly claimed to be a marine before denying their accusations that he was a member of the specialized Azov Brigade.

His teeth were broken as a result of being struck in the face by a rifle butt.

After being brought to their headquarters, Zelenyi was informed that he had been given an execution sentence.

He stated: “I thought to myself, ‘For what?'”

Zelenyi was marched to an abandoned church in Mariupol alongside other Ukrainian inmates who had been selected for death. There, they were “made to kneel” and shot “one by one.”

“So, this is it,” he continued. Life simply ends like this; it doesn’t flash before your eyes.”

However, before they could be taken back for execution, the Russians stopped in front of Zelenyi and had them load the dead bodies into the truck.

Zelenyi believed he was already dead at this point.

Zelenyi was spared and brought from the cellar to the second floor when he returned to headquarters.

He stated: “I estimated that I spent three to four weeks there. They restrained me, albeit loosely, and then departed.

For Zelenyi, this was his one opportunity to get out.

The defender clarified: “I gave it a lot of thinking before taking the risk. I climbed down from the second floor and took the tape off a broken window.

“I thought, ‘If I tell anyone, they won t believe me.'”

After a bystander identified Zelenyi as a prisoner and threatened to notify someone, another person held him down and declared that he needed to be punished, bringing him dangerously near to capture once more.

The marine struck him and got away.

Zelenyi hid in a yard with his passport and watch in hand, planning his next move. He was certain that he intended to go to the Azovstal factory.

Zelenyi claimed that DNR forces were positioned everywhere and that his journey felt like “some surreal movie – a Kubrickfilm or something” when he managed to get past snifferdogs and Russian troops.

Zelenyi saw firsthand the devastation caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, when bodies were found lying in the street without limbs or legs.

In addition, the marine reported seeing “a pile of bodies, both civilians and soldiers” next to damaged equipment.

Together, he and another man traveling in the same direction made it to the left bank, which was no longer governed by Ukraine.

Zelenyi sipped water from puddles and went five days without eating anything. The only food he enjoyed was a can of dog food.

Zelenyi saw that DNR soldiers were evacuating people from an intersection, but he could see that they were transporting them to a school where filtering procedures were taking place, so he went and hid in a basement that a familiar face directed him to.

Zelenyi stayed hidden here and started trying to heal the wounds and agony he had sustained while being held captive.

He claimed to have discovered pliers that he used to extract a fractured tooth that was rupturing his gums while he was in prison.

Additionally, the marine said that it “wasn’t as simple as it looks in movies” when attempting to suture a wound on his leg.

Zelenyi still hadn’t eaten a meal in a long time either, resulting in “unbearable” hunger.

Then he started eating all kinds of animals, including dogs and pigeons.

“Pigeons were easy to catch because they were frequently too stunned by the fighting to fly,” Zelenyi added.

Dogs arrived on their own, which was bad since it might attract too much attention.

“I collected spoiled food, including rotten potatoes. captured dogs and doves.

“Pigeons, which resembled tiny chickens, were superior. I lit small fires and lived off that.”

Zelenyi remained in the ruined basement for half a year “in despair” – worried sick about his friends and family and attempted to devise plans to escape.

He would only have 40 minutes ofsleepas he had to be “constantly alert,” while he “gathered some old mattresses, grew a huge beard, injured [his] knee, and ended up walking with a stick.”

The marine also “spent hours” scavenging at a “big dumpster” to find any way to keep warm.

Due to the long amount of time Zelenyi had already spent living in such dire conditions, he began to adapt, eating once a day and filtering rainwater with a homemade filter.

He said: “I sat there thinking about escape plans but realized they were all nonsense. I wasn t some kind of commando, plus I hadtattoos.

“They checked tattoos carefully, and someone might ve already given away my name, which would ve made identifying me easy.”

Over time, resources like food began to be more available asRussiabegan distributing humanitarian aid and someone helped sharing their rations.

And eventually the Russians “established their network” and started giving SIM cards linked topassportswhich Zelenyi managed to obtain.

Zelenyi explained that he got a phone but had no signal in the basement so riskily had to go up to the attic to get internet.

He said: “I went online but couldn t remember any passwords or numbers. Out of fear, I was sweating as I tried to connect.

“MyInstagramwas flooded with messages. I wondered, who should I contact? Soldiers from Mariupol? Probably not civilians, as someone might ve been compromised.”

As Zelenyi began reaching out to family and friends, they believed he was scamming them, so they asked him various verification questions.

Once it was clarified that it was Zelenyi messaging, his contacts sent him “a brief summary” of thenewsand the terrifying situation.

It was then he realised he couldn’t leave Mariupol on foot as the front line was 80 kilometres away.

Soonwinterwas on its way and the basement “became colder and damper” and rats tried to eat Zelenyi’s already-scarce food supplies.

He spent New Year’s of 2023 in the basement.

The Ukrainian Navy then reached out to Zelenyi with a “highly secret plan” – warning that there was only a 1 per cent chance it would be successful – but the marine knew staying in the basement “was not an option”.

Zelenyi said: “I took the risk and, on February 13, 2023, reached Ukrainian-controlled territory.

“It took four days and over 1,000 kilometers. Even now, I can t believe I m out. I ll never stop thanking the Navy for this.”

After the miraculous escape, Zelenyi initially found it hard to adjust, forgetting that food was easy to access and spend “four hours in a supermarket just staring at all the food”.

The marine still lives with the trauma he experienced, explaining that “some wounds never heal” – from sleep issues, to problems with communication and “limited mobility” in his shoulder.

He believes he was lucky because he cared for stray cats during his time in captivity, saying that “people laugh, but I believe I earned some ‘luck points’ from that”.

Zelenyi said it was his militaryhistoryand preparation as well as his knowledge of Mariupol that helped to keep him alive.

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But the marine said the most important thing was discipline.

Zelenyi said: “Discipline kept me alive. Motivation runs out, but discipline keeps you going.”