Maksym Bakulin, chief of communications at the National Guard’s Ivan Bohun Brigade (Chervona Kalyna Brigade), was wounded near Pokrovsk, Donetsk oblast, on 9 May 2026.
He spoke about the incident in a comment to the Institute of Mass Information representative in Odesa oblast.
Bakulin says he was targeted by two Russian FPV drones.
“I heard the first ‘sleeper drone’ when I was in the car. I stopped and tried to run away, but it caught up with me and exploded next to me. The fragments burst and hit me. After that, I got behind the wheel and tried to leave as quickly as possible. The car was also damaged, but still functional. The second drone hit the car directly and made it stop completely,” said Maksym Bakulin.
The press officer received multiple shrapnel wounds in the strike.
“Not a spot on my body is intact except for my face and stomach. The car was severely damaged, too: the radiator and fuel tank were punctured, and the drive was broken. After being hit, I decided to evacuate by myself. I had wounds all over my body and was bleeding. I was evacuated by paratroopers from a unit stationed closeby,” he said.
Bakulin had lost consciousness by the time was taken to the stabilization facility.
“I was brought to the Da Vinci’s Wolves’ stabilisation point ‘Ulf’. I am very grateful to the medics. They examined me immediately, administered aid, and prepared me for evacuation. My state had already stabilised by the time I arrived at the next treatment stage. The doctors were very professional and humane,” the soldier said.
Maksym Bakulin has been in treatment at a hospital for two weeks. He has damaged tendons in his right leg and severe soft tissue injuries.
“The the shrapnel pierced the soft tissues in the buttocks through. The right leg was badly damaged. It had a tattoo on it in memory of a deceased friend. After recovery, it will have to be re-done,” he said.
The press officer’s working equipment was completely destroyed in the strike.
“All the equipment was lost: the cameras, the mobile Starlink terminal, the expensive military gear. The losses amount to over 250 thousand hryvnias total,” Bakulin reported.
He announced a fundraiser for a new car and asked people to join it here. Credit card number for donations: 4874 1000 2725 0979.