Kyrylo Iliashenko, a 13-year-old from Sumy, was on a bus with his mother when a Russian missile struck nearby. The explosion caused a fire in the vehicle, and the doors were jammed shut.

However, Kyrylo remained calm – he climbed out of the window and began helping other passengers escape from the burning interior.

He shared his story during a live broadcast of the telethon "Unified News".

"At that moment, I didn’t think – I just acted. I was running on adrenaline," the teenager said about his courageous actions.

He added that he had no prior experience or training in providing assistance.

The boy also shared his memories of the incident with journalists from "Kordon.Media".

"We were driving along Bankova Street when I heard a whistling sound and then a loud bang. Next came the screams of people and the sound of shattering windows. I fell, and glass rained down on me. Initially, I suffered a minor concussion, and all sounds became muffled.

I looked left and right and smelled smoke. That’s when I realized the bus was on fire or could catch fire. I quickly got up and tried to open the bus doors. When that didn’t work, I threw my bag out of the window and jumped out, then started unlocking the doors from the outside," he recalled.

Other passengers remained silent, shocked by the situation. Once the doors were finally opened, Kyrylo helped people get out. His mother’s face was covered in blood, and he admits he was very scared for her.

As a result of the attack, Kyrylo was injured himself – three shrapnel pieces struck his head. One of the larger metal fragments has already been removed by doctors, while the other two are too deeply embedded to be taken out. Kyrylo's life is not in danger, but he remains under medical supervision.

His mother, Marina, admits she still cannot cope with what happened.

"It’s hard to close my eyes – that image keeps replaying in my mind. We didn’t sleep all night. It’s emotionally very difficult. I was on the bus and saw how my son helped. In that moment, I realized I raised a real man," she proudly states.

Kyrylo is in the eighth grade at Sumy School No. 4 and participates in freestyle wrestling at the local youth sports school.

On the institution's page, Kyrylo's actions were described as a true example of heroism, and thanks were extended to his parents for raising such a son.

The Minister of Internal Affairs, Igor Klymenko, also recognized the boy's bravery during his working trip to Sumy.

"The whole country is grateful to Kyrylo for his actions. This is our new generation of Heroes: brave, decisive, and selfless," noted the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.