The international delegation, headed by Ana Lucía Bueno, ICRC Public Health Coordinator, and Sujit Panda, Head of the Physical Rehabilitation…
Fighters of the 3rd Battalion of the 128th Separate Mountain Assault Zakarpattia Brigade held their positions for more than five months under constant shelling and enemy assaults, repelling attempts by the enemy to advance.
This is reported in a brigade publication featuring stories of servicemen who spent a long time directly on the positions.
“They are angry at us for their losses”
A 36-year-old fighter with the call sign “Buddha”, originally from Ternopil region, has been serving in the military for two years. Before the full-scale war, he worked for a large agricultural company, but joined the army without hesitation.
“The enemy is very actively trying to capture our position and is very angry at us for their losses”, — he says. According to him, attentiveness is crucial in modern warfare, especially during fog, when the enemy tries to crawl up close. His closest contact with the enemy occurred at a distance of just six meters.
Despite everything he has endured, “Buddha” does not consider himself a hero and says he is fulfilling his duty to his family. His main dream now is to make it in time for the birth of his goddaughter.
“We are primarily defending ourselves”
A 39-year-old fighter from Khmelnytskyi region with the call sign “Chernya” also speaks about his motivation. Since youth, he wanted to connect his life with the army, but managed to do so only after the full-scale invasion began.
“I joined the army because I want my daughter to live in an independent country”, — he says. After five months of continuous stay at the positions, the soldier felt the value of ordinary civilian things particularly acutely — even the opportunity to wash became a real joy.
Return and a short respite
After a long stay at the front line, both fighters were able to go on leave. They note that these short days of rest allow them to recover and return to service again — with the same motivation to protect their loved ones and their country.
