The commander of one of the units of the 540th Anti-Aircraft Missile Lviv Brigade named after Ivan Vyhovsky, Oleksandr, has been defending Ukrainian skies since the first days of the full-scale invasion. Over his service, he has more than 60 destroyed air targets — mostly cruise missiles and also drones.

His story was published on February 6 by the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Oleksandr joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the second day of the full-scale war. During Russia’s invasion, he served on various air defence systems: the S-300 and NASAMS, and now he commands a unit armed with the modern Patriot air defence system. But as he stresses, the main thing is not the name of the system but the result.

“It was pure adrenaline: trembling hands, rapid heartbeat. The moment of launch — when the missile exits the container, the engine ignites, the ground shakes — you never forget it. And then comes the understanding: the task is completed”, — Oleksandr recalls about his first air battle.

From that moment, the lieutenant colonel says, a special sense of responsibility emerges: for the cities, for the people, for every decision made in mere seconds.

Sixty downed targets is a team effort, since most were destroyed while Oleksandr served on the S-300 and NASAMS. Today, his unit is on combat duty at a new technological level, yet even with modern equipment, the human factor remains crucial.

“Our division worked on the S-300. A group of missiles entered from the east, and we managed to destroy one of them.

Suddenly the voice of the radar duty station reported another enemy target — but it wasn’t visible on the ‘Virazh-Planshet’ software, and the cruise missile was flying from a completely different azimuth.

Thanks to well-practiced coordination with the radar company, we quickly deployed the illumination and guidance radar and destroyed this target, which wasn’t displayed anywhere else.

The emotions took our breath away — the team worked flawlessly, everyone knew their step and acted instantly.

It was a moment when professionalism and coordination save lives and stop danger”, — Oleksandr recalls the most memorable battle.

In his free time Oleksandr reads Hemingway and analyzes military mistakes — so as not to repeat them in real combat.

A cold mind, experience, and teamwork — this, he says, is what keeps Ukrainian skies under control.