A Ukrainian soldier is being credited with giving his life by blowing up a bridge to stop advancing Russian forces that were cutting through Ukraine after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a full-scale invasion this week.

“When the battalion decided that the only way to block the armored column was by blowing up the bridge, [Vitaly Skakun] Volodymyrovych volunteered to place mines on the span,” the New York Post reported. “And when he realized he had no time to get to safety, the brave soldier made the ultimate sacrifice on the bridge, which connected Russian-occupied Crimea and mainland Ukraine.”