Ukrainian Soldier Saves Stabbing Victim in Venice During Vacation

VENICE, Italy — A Ukrainian soldier on leave provided critical first aid to a young man who was stabbed during a violent altercation in Venice on March 10, 2025. The incident occurred around 4:37 p.m. in the historic center of the city, near Ponte dei Zogatoli.

The victim, identified by local media as a young man of North African descent, was stabbed in the thigh by another man after a quarrel escalated into violence. Eyewitness reports indicate that the assailant fled the scene immediately following the attack.

The soldier, who goes by Captain Dvizhukha on social media, happened to be passing by when he saw the injured man collapse on the ground outside a local restaurant, Trattoria Tre Spiedi. “The boy was lucky that I was nearby with a first aid kit and tourniquets. Otherwise, he would have bled out before the ambulance arrived,” he later recounted on the platform X.

Upon witnessing the bleeding victim, the soldier quickly secured the wound and applied first aid, effectively controlling the bleeding until medical personnel arrived. As other bystanders alerted the authorities, the soldier’s timely intervention was pivotal in saving the man’s life.

Venetian authorities reported that the police and emergency services were promptly on scene but faced a chaotic environment filled with shocked witnesses. The condition of the victim remains unclear, and details surrounding the motive for the attack or the identity of the assailant are still not available.

Local news outlet Corriere Del Veneto further detailed the attack, explaining that the victim and assailant appeared to have met intentionally, leading to a heated argument that culminated in the stabbing.

Eyewitnesses noted significant blood stains on the pavement, underscoring the severity of the attack and the urgent need for medical aid. Following the incident, the Venetian community has expressed both gratitude for the soldier’s swift actions and concern over rising violence in public spaces.