Infantryman Serhii Markov, call sign “Kiki”, from the 2nd Motorized Infantry Battalion of the 93rd Mechanized Brigade “Kholodnyi Yar”, spent 168 days at positions in Toretsk.

The conversation with the soldier was published on the brigade’s channel on December 18.

“Quite an achievement”, — “Kiki” says about such a long stay at the “zero line”.

During this period, he and a fellow soldier had only one direct fire contact with the enemy. As a result, a 23-year-old Russian named Matvii from the city of Sloviansk-na-Kubani was eliminated.

Despite the absence of assaults, the infantrymen constantly heard enemy movements nearby and passed information to drone operators, who then engaged the enemy.

They learned about the approach of the occupiers by sound, and sometimes… by smell.

“When the occupiers passed near our position, we constantly smelled alcohol on their breath”, — “Kiki” recalls.

About the experience of a long stay at positions, forced isolation, remote communication with relatives, psychological condition, and changes in attitudes toward life and growing up — watch the video.