The international delegation, headed by Ana Lucía Bueno, ICRC Public Health Coordinator, and Sujit Panda, Head of the Physical Rehabilitation…
The commander of the first squad of the reconnaissance platoon of the 44th Separate Mechanized Brigade, callsign “Neo”, completed training abroad, took part in his first combat missions on the border of the Kharkiv and Luhansk regions, experienced close contact with the enemy, and was wounded by an FPV drone. Today, he is fighting in the Kostiantynivka direction and teaches soldiers not the “theory of war”, but what truly saves lives in real combat.
This was reported in a publication on the page of the 44th Separate Mechanized Brigade.
High-speed tank movements, roads under control, and positions from which they could not be dislodged — these marked Neo’s first combat missions as part of the reconnaissance platoon. The tasks were already being carried out on the territory of the Luhansk region, holding a stretch of road that the enemy constantly tried to reclaim. Four positions arranged in a circle, essentially a single exit toward friendly forces — and constant pressure.
“I prepare the guys for real work”
Neo joined the 44th Brigade in February 2023, at the time when the unit was being formed. Prior to deployment to the front, there was training in Poland. However, according to him, the training was conducted by Ukrainian instructors and differed significantly from classic training-range programs.
So much so that foreign instructors filmed the training sessions and admitted that they do not train this way themselves.
“You can do anything. I prepare the guys for real work, not just for show”, — this was how Ukrainian instructors explained their approach.
Seven meters
Neo’s combat experience includes not only roads and positions, but also wounds. One fragment from an FPV drone remains lodged in his thigh to this day. Another injury occurred after sudden contact at a position, when the enemy appeared from the side at a distance of seven to eight meters.
The commander was sitting on the stairs of a basement; his rifle was in an awkward position. The carbine clicked — and the burst rang out first. He didn’t even hear it — it was that close. A bullet shattered his arm. The enemy was later finished off by supporting fire. Neo left the position on his own.
“The less visible you are, the longer you live”
Today, it is critically important for him to pass on to soldiers not formal knowledge after basic combined-arms training, but living frontline logic.
Because the “zero line” is different everywhere. Directions differ. Drone density differs. Scenarios are never the same.
“The less visible you are, the longer you live. If there is time and no dense fire or constant drone pressure, you cannot sit idle. You need to reinforce, dig in deeper — even just throwing branches on top can help cause early detonation of a mine. Any small detail can save a life — yours or that of the person who comes after you”, — he says.
Chaos instead of a system
Neo describes enemy tactics in the Kostiantynivka direction as chaotic. Here, the enemy mostly pushes forward small, scattered groups — two at a time, sometimes single fighters — without a clear battle formation.
This sharply contrasts with the Kharkiv region, where he observed full-fledged mechanized assaults: a tank would advance at speed, engage targets, then a group would dismount and move forward.
“There’s nothing like that here anymore”, — the reconnaissance soldier states.
Not motivation. Duty.
Neo completed his conscript service back in the late 1990s — in a special unit, serving in Crimea. Therefore, he explains his presence in the war without loud words.
For him, this has long ceased to be a question of motivation. It is a matter of duty.
