Assault on "Godzilla" height near Soledar. Last battle of Defence Intelligence officer Oleksandr Busko
This is the story of a man whom they tried to make the scapegoat for the failed assault on Snake Island in May 2022 — even though he was the one who had warned the leadership of Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence about the senseless risk of the operation. He was removed from his post, transferred to the infantry, and branded a coward. A few months later, however, he volunteered for one of the most difficult assault missions in an attempt to save Soledar and paid for it with his life.
Today I want to tell you the story of a man who disobeyed an order, who refused to carry out a poorly planned mission, and who refused to risk the lives of his comrades. For that, the subject of my story was removed from his post, relieved of his duties, and transferred to the infantry. They wanted to punish him and told everyone that he was a coward, that he had been afraid. In reality, however, Major Oleksandr Busko of the Defence Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine demonstrated true courage, true devotion, and true self-sacrifice.
For me, this story began in May 2022. A stranger contacted me on Facebook Messenger. He introduced himself as Major Oleksandr Busko, an officer with the Defence Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine. He named people I knew, and I checked his identity. He was indeed a real person. He told me a story that was deeply shocking, especially at the time. We all know how, on 7 May 2022, a unit of the Defence Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence landed on Snake Island. Unfortunately, the assault failed, and there were casualties. Several of our fallen soldiers were left on the island. A landing craft and a helicopter were lost. There were fatalities among the personnel, highly capable, professional servicemen.
Assault on Snake Island, 7 May 2022
Oleksandr Busko did not take part in that assault.
He refused to carry out the mission, and for that he was dismissed from Defence Intelligence and reassigned by order as a platoon commander to the 93rd Mechanized Brigade.
So what happened? Oleksandr told me that several attempts had already been made before then to land helicopter-borne troops on Snake Island. There was no element of surprise. The enemy occupied several fortified positions, and those positions were difficult to assault because the enemy was prepared, the island was completely exposed, and the assault troops could not approach the machine-gun positions located in old concrete pillboxes. In addition, there was a serious risk that, as the helicopters approached, Russian aircraft could shoot them down together with the troops and crews on board. Both approaching and withdrawing from the island were extremely risky. Oleksandr said that he had laid out all these factors. He presented them to the head of Defence Intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov. He said that the operation was too risky, that there would be casualties and no result. Unfortunately, that is exactly what happened.
Busko's group refused to carry out this risky mission, but the order was given to other groups. They flew to the island. And everything Busko had warned about came to pass. One of the helicopters, an evacuation helicopter, was shot down while approaching the island. On the island itself, the assault troops engaged the enemy, fought heroically and inflicted losses, but the Russians were positioned in old pillboxes that had been built there long ago and were well fortified. The infantry, the assault troops, simply could not advance across the open ground to reach them. They did everything they could and suffered losses, but the enemy held the island. During the withdrawal, Russian aircraft sank our landing craft. Fortunately, the helicopter crews managed to evacuate the assault force. And then, in order to cover up what was, in fact, a defeat, the leadership of Defence Intelligence conducted a PR campaign. I have nothing against publicity or PR. That is all perfectly acceptable. Unfortunately, however, the leadership of Defence Intelligence also chose to smear honest people, professionals who had warned about the risks. Busko's group was disbanded.
Group disbanded, Busko transferred to infantry
Busko, a major, was appointed platoon commander in the reconnaissance company of the 93rd Mechanized Brigade. Unfortunately, attempts were made to tarnish his good name. I want to emphasize that Busko was very calm and confident. He said: "I will prove myself in the infantry. I am not afraid, and I will do everything that is required of me." Very little time passed before Busko found himself on the front line. He took command of a platoon. He fought with integrity, took risks, instructed his men, trained them and prepared missions. He was an officer who set an example for his soldiers, who lived, ate, fought and took risks alongside them, went under fire with them, led them and went forward himself. In August 2022, the 93rd Brigade was defending the city of Soledar.
Defence of Soledar, August 2022
The Russians attacked with everything they had. The fighting was extremely fierce. A Russian assault unit managed to seize a height codenamed "Godzilla". It was a commanding height, a spoil heap overlooking Soledar. The command of the 93rd Brigade understood that if the enemy entrenched itself there, established firing positions and deployed anti-tank missile systems, it would gain fire control over the entrance to the city and Soledar could not be held. To hold the city, it was necessary at any cost to retake Godzilla. The height was completely exposed. It was occupied by a Russian unit. To recapture it, the 93rd Brigade launched seven attacks.
Seven times our soldiers went on the assault, but from the Godzilla height the enemy could see them, throw grenades at them, fire on them, and direct mortar and other weapons fire. All seven attacks were repelled one after another.
Then the commander of the 93rd Brigade, Colonel Ruslan Shevchuk, committed his final reserve, a unit from the brigade's reconnaissance company. He tasked the reconnaissance company with taking the Godzilla height and saving Soledar. Major Busko also volunteered to join the assault group. He never shirked his duty or sent soldiers ahead of him. And on 23 August, the Godzilla height was taken.
Death of Major Busko
But unfortunately, Major Oleksandr Busko was killed in close combat, dying a hero's death — the death of a true hero. When the time came to put his own life on the line and take the risk himself, he did so without hesitation. Because taking Godzilla meant saving the lives of his comrades. From a tactical, professional, and military standpoint, this was a mission that had to be carried out by the very best. And he went. And this is the clearest proof of how wrong those commanders were who had issued the misguided orders to assault Snake Island. It shows how deeply unjustly they had treated a true hero who gave his life for Ukraine, a genuinely skilled warrior.
To restore the memory and good name of Oleksandr Busko, a true hero of Ukraine, we spoke with the soldier who was his partner during that assault. They were the first to break into the Russian positions. He is Anton Nevkipilyi, the reconnaissance company's senior sergeant, call sign Shyzik.
- Let us talk about what happened on 23 August 2022 near Soledar during the assault on the "Godzilla" height. Was he serving as a platoon commander at the time? He told me about it, about being transferred to a platoon command position. He was deeply concerned that someone might think he had refused to take part in the flight to Snake Island because he was a coward. He was trying to show that the operation had been planned unprofessionally and wanted to prove that he was a man who took risks deliberately, not recklessly.
Please tell us about Oleksandr Busko. It is very important to understand how a sergeant saw him as an officer.
Recollections of a fellow soldier, a sergeant
- He was serving as a platoon commander, but there are not many officers who can speak their minds to senior command. I generally think those are the best officers you will find in any unit. We received an order to assault the Godzilla spoil heap. Platoon commanders can refuse. I mean, officers generally do not go into battle; sergeants do. But the officers went. There was our newly appointed company commander, Dmytro Yuriiovych; Hennadiiovych was also a platoon commander and a DIU officer. And Sania Busia was a platoon commander too. They went, along with five soldiers.
- Just imagine. How important must the mission have been for the company commander and two platoon commanders — a major and a captain — to take part in the assault?
- Well, honestly, we were f#cking stunned that a major and a captain were going on the assault with us. To me, it was like, holy sh#t. Men of those ranks, in two years of the full-scale war, I had never seen anyone of that rank go into battle. This was an assault. It was not just a matter of going to a position and checking it. These guys were going on a one-way mission. We knew we were going one way. Either we got lucky or we did not. And we knew that people had tried to storm that spoil heap about seven times and no one had succeeded. So after all the assaults had failed, they sent you. Right — because, well, we were reconnaissance, after all.
- And your group was supposed to capture that spoil heap on the eighth attempt and consolidate your position. There were eight of you.
- Eight men, yes. Our ninth man was assigned to evacuation and remained farther back with the Bukhanka van. Another group went with us; they were supposed to conduct the assault, while we were to consolidate the position. That first group refused. They said it was inadvisable and impossible. First, the spoil heap was simply covered in PFM-1 "Petal" mines: they were scattered along the approach, and all over the spoil heap itself. They said it was impossible and that we would not even reach it. On top of that, we had to crawl uphill, and there was a trench dug across the top. They just lived in holes like dogs. It was impossible to storm. So they refused and left. I spoke to Yuriiovych, while Hennadii and Busia were sitting nearby. I said, "All right, guys, let me just take a look and peek out." No, we would say the whole thing was inadvisable. Those guys had refused, so why could we not refuse? I looked and saw one guy just standing there in body armour, cracking sunflower seeds. He was visible from the waist up in the trench, completely exposed. Just standing there. I had Dimon, Khan, with me. He had a captured AK-15 with an optic that had not been zeroed. We had tried it at the training range. So I said, "Dimon, listen, he is about 80 metres away. Can you take him out with that popgun of yours?" He said, "I can try."
- You were preparing for this right next to the enemy?
- Yes. There was a kind of mound. We were lying behind it. We had to go down and then climb the slope. Then it was straight back up.
- How steep was the slope? At what angle?
- Probably about 45 degrees.
- So you were lying behind that mound and talking...
- That one sentry started looking around while simply cracking sunflower seeds. I could see that he was just standing there completely exposed. Just standing there. I said, "Dimon, let’s take him out and then see whether they start shooting at us." We crawled a little higher. Dimon fired first and missed. Then he fired a burst, and I saw the body drop. I said, "That’s it," sprang up and simply started running towards them. That was it. Everyone started [bleep] uphill and getting into the action. I was the first to reach the top and start fighting. The guys tried to go around along the ridge and enter from there, but it did not work, so they turned back. A three-man team got held up there. Sania Busia came in immediately behind me. He moved farther to the right along the flank. The firefight began. So the two of us were the first to reach the top of the mound.
- You and Busko were the first to jump into those positions, right?
- That was it. I think Busia immediately hit the first one. The guy collapsed onto the parapet. As I was running in, I shouted to him, "Cover me." Then I threw a grenade. There is a video of me throwing the grenade while Busia covered me. But as I understand it, someone popped out slightly to the side and fired at him. Busia still fired another burst. He hit that guy, and I was already throwing a grenade at him. So there were just two of us until the other guys caught up, covering roughly a 90-degree arc between us. We could barely hold it; there were simply too few of us. Our machine gunner, Malovanyi, was covering us too — well done. Without his covering fire, the two of us would have been finished.
That was it. Busia was badly wounded. The first time, a bullet hit him. Then he was hit a second time when the guy he had taken down was falling. Busia had only wounded him, and the man rested his rifle on the parapet, pulled the trigger, and another stray bullet struck Busia.
Meanwhile, I was running around and throwing grenades. I could not let up, because if we gave them an opening, they would simply shoot us. We were slightly lower down. By the time the guys ran up, Hennadiiovych was already patching Busia up. Then our medic arrived and started applying tourniquets, while I kept running around, finishing them off and jumping into their positions. Then Valerchyk, another of our soldiers, ran up, and we were sitting there. Their first grenade came flying towards us, and we went down to pull Sania out. We all gathered to carry him. By then, we had finished all of them off. Just as we started descending towards Sania, another mortar round landed right between us. Our company commander was wounded in the leg and arm. Busia took another hit. I was wounded too. In all, six of us were wounded. I had a gunshot wound to the arm from when I ran into the trenches firing. It was a minor through-and-through wound, nothing serious. I later wrapped it in duct tape, and it was fine. So that was how we fought.
We took the spoil heap.
Sania was evacuated. We pulled everyone out. The infantry moved in and occupied the position. We waited for them to arrive. That was it. Sania died on the way. They could not save him. We did what we could, but we were out in the field. We applied tourniquets, but as I understand it, an artery had been hit. Everything was covered in blood; it just kept flowing.
- Major Oleksandr Busko helped secure the liberation and capture of an important commanding height overlooking the city of Soledar. He was among the first to break into the trench and personally killed two enemy soldiers. In doing so, he ensured the success of the entire group. This height dominates Soledar, and controlling it allowed us to hold the city for a considerable time afterwards.
Loss of Soledar after the brigade rotation
- The 93rd Brigade held it until we were relieved and pulled out. We held that particular hill until the very end.
- Had the enemy established a foothold on Godzilla, they would have been able to dominate the whole of Soledar with fire, and the defence would simply have collapsed much earlier. Major Oleksandr Busko was killed and, judging by what you have told us, he died as a true hero, worthy of Ukraine’s highest distinction — the title of Hero of Ukraine.
- That is why I keep saying that an entire major went with us, although I knew he was actually a lieutenant colonel. He came to us as a major, but I knew he was a lieutenant colonel. Then we got talking and found out that one was a lieutenant colonel and the other a major. I thought, "Men like that went with us."
- Eternal memory to Oleksandr Busko. He acted like a true warrior in spirit and was killed in battle while carrying out an important mission.
You see, he refused to fly to Snake Island, even though he had flown with an airborne force to Mariupol when it was extremely dangerous. But he assessed the assault on the Godzilla height and decided that he had to lead from the front himself to secure that commanding height. Seven assaults failed, and the eighth succeeded. How long did Busko serve with you?
- Busia was with us for about six months, definitely.
- Please tell us about the planning of the assault on the Godzilla height. Why did everything have to be done so quickly, and why did you have to attack?
- Because the enemy already had an ATGM positioned on Godzilla. They knocked out one of our tanks and then another BMP immediately behind it. That was it: from there, they had complete control over all our positions. They were up high and could see the whole of Soledar. They were not merely controlling it; they were destroying our soldiers. Well, they simply relayed information: everything is moving, a rotation is underway, vehicles have arrived, a medical vehicle has arrived, an evacuation is taking place. The city is small, so they could see everything. They would report it over the radio: the fourth building, the three-storey building, everything. And then — good evening — the artillery came in.
- It was impossible to hold Soledar without armoured vehicles. So the enemy had to be driven off at any cost and, as I understand it, quickly.
- As I said, Soledar and Godzilla held until the 93rd Brigade was relieved. The 93rd was rotated out, and less than a week later, our brothers-in-arms who replaced us gave up Godzilla. That was it: Soledar began to crumble. Once it started, they could barely retreat fast enough. Seventeen days later, Soledar was abandoned.
- Soledar was lost 17 days after the 93rd went out on rotation.
- Yes, that is what we were told.
- Thank you, my friend, for telling us about a genuine hero, an officer who set an example for every soldier. He did everything possible to ensure that his men could first accomplish the mission, survive while doing so, and deliver results in combat. As you can see, he was also a commander who was never afraid to challenge his superiors because he worked to achieve results, rather than merely going through the motions and filing reports.
- I would say he put people first. You know the saying that commanders must work for their people, not the people for their commanders. It will not work if you simply order a soldier, "Go, go, go," while giving him nothing in return, no skills, nothing at all. That is it: go, there is your designated point. It happens very often here, and from what I can see now, it has become the standard way everyone operates. As a senior sergeant, I know, and my senior commanders know, that we have to work for our people. We must work for them, not the other way around. But very few people in the army understand that. That is the root of most of the army’s problems.
- Having heard about Oleksandr Busko, I think Chief of Defence Intelligence of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov should be ashamed that he tried to humiliate such a capable commander and officer and dismiss him from Defence Intelligence simply because he told the truth: that they should not fly to Snake Island. As we know, that assault in May failed, whatever they may now show in films. It failed, and the Ukrainian troops and special forces personnel who agreed to take part suffered significant losses. Busko had warned Budanov that it could not be done that way and that the operation had not been planned professionally. He was punished for saying so.
That is why I am speaking about this, first and foremost, to honour the memory of a true hero of Ukraine.
Call to honour Busko’s feat posthumously
I am convinced that Defence Intelligence must correct its mistake, its grave mistake and its disrespect towards Busko, and nominate him for the title of Hero of Ukraine. He deserves that distinction. Second, he should serve as an example to all officers of how one must defend one’s position to the very end, despite any orders from above, to ensure that a mission is accomplished. Oleksandr Busko refused to fly to Snake Island because he warned that the operation would fail. He did not want to risk his own life and the lives of his comrades only for the mission to fail and people to die senselessly. He was right because, unfortunately, those who flew there afterwards were indeed killed and failed to capture the island. But when it was necessary to seize the key height overlooking Soledar and save the city, Busko did everything possible to lead the assault with a very small force and advance alongside a sergeant and a soldier.
He gave his life because he believed that this assault and this objective were worth the greatest possible risk. He did everything he could to turn the course of the battle in our favour. Eternal memory.
