The international delegation, headed by Ana Lucía Bueno, ICRC Public Health Coordinator, and Sujit Panda, Head of the Physical Rehabilitation…
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.
