Colonel Yuri Medvedev is said to have suffered serious leg injuries in the attack, which took place after nearly half of the soldiers in his 1,500 brigade were either killed or wounded in a series of clashes in the first weeks of the war. Some of the fierce fighting in which the 37th Brigade took part took place in Makariv, outside Kyiv, which Russian forces were trying to seize in an attempt to encircle the Ukrainian capital. Makariv has now been recaptured by the Russians from Ukrainian troops. It came amid claims by the Kremlin from the West and Ukraine that between 7,000 and 15,000 Russian soldiers had been killed in action in the first month of the war. Colonel Medvedev is said to have been flown to Belarus for emergency medical treatment and was awarded a Russian military honor following an assassination attempt on him. (PA Graphics) There has been no independent confirmation of the attack, but a video released by Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, whose forces are fighting on behalf of Moscow in Ukraine, appears to show the colonel being medically evacuated. A Chechen fighter is seen in the video saying “Hold on… how are you?” OKAY? Tell us… “ Medvedev replies: “I’m fine. Where are you from? ”He is told to keep his armor before being unloaded on a stretcher, with blankets covering his legs. Kadyrov claimed that Medvedev’s rescue was a testament to the success of Vladimir Putin’s so-called “ousting” plan in Ukraine. “There are no other threats to his own [ Medvedev’s] ZOE. “I hope he will be back on his feet soon,” the Chechen leader wrote. The incident was first reported by Roman Tsymbaliuk, a Ukrainian journalist. He said in a Facebook post that “a soldier, choosing a convenient moment during the battle, fell on top of his brigade commander, Colonel Yuri Medvedev, with a tank, injuring both his legs.”
