The international delegation, headed by Ana Lucía Bueno, ICRC Public Health Coordinator, and Sujit Panda, Head of the Physical Rehabilitation…
For 24-year-old border guard Maksym, call sign “Aramis”, summer will forever taste like Melitopol cherries — they are tied to his warmest memories of his hometown: the Cherry Festival, the laughter of friends, carefree childhood years, and Melitopol confidently moving toward a European future.
His story was told on the page of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.
Maksym was interested in military affairs from childhood. In 2019, he became a cadet at the Bohdan Khmelnytskyi National Academy of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.
“I liked military affairs since childhood. I was fascinated by military equipment. That’s why in the academy, I chose the field that appealed most to me — ‘State Border Security’”, — Maksym says.
The full-scale invasion caught him during his studies. The news of Melitopol’s occupation was a personal blow — his parents remained in the city and were only able to leave for government-controlled territory six months later.
After finishing his studies, Maksym voluntarily joined the “Steel Border” — the 15th Mobile Border Guard Detachment. His new reality became artillery units and multiple rocket launch systems. Since August 2023, he has led a fire team and performs combat missions in the Sumy sector.
Later, Maksym’s father also joined “Steel Border”. Although they serve in different units, knowing they fight under the same flag gives Maksym strength and motivation.
In 2025, Maksym celebrated his “second birthday” — after a combat sortie during which their group was pursued by an enemy FPV drone.
“We saw a drone flying. It wasn’t trying to hit the vehicle — it aimed at personnel. We began to scatter. And then what I saw was like in a video: I run into a tree line to hide and see a drone rushing right at me. But at the last moment it suddenly turns away and flies in another direction. After that, we shot it down”, — Maksym recalls.
