The international delegation, headed by Ana Lucía Bueno, ICRC Public Health Coordinator, and Sujit Panda, Head of the Physical Rehabilitation…
A border guard with the callsign “Bimba,” despite being wounded, remained in the army and now services drones.
His story was published on the website of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.
He received his nickname after one of the shellings.
“We were at a position. At the checkpoint we were shelled by KABs. One KAB fell very close. I reported to the commander that we were being shelled by ‘bimbas’ — and that’s how it stuck to me”, — the soldier said.
His path to the military began in March 2021 with a job posting on an employment website. He wanted to serve specifically in Kharkiv. He admitted that at first his idea of the army was somewhat romanticized.
“My idea of the army was like in the movie ‘Jarhead’. I came in a beret, boots, saying: ‘Good day, sir!’. The sergeants laughed at me a bit, but gave me documents. I started studying, communicating, and somehow got used to it”, — he recalled.
He met the full-scale invasion at his position. Then came the battles for Kharkiv region, Luhansk region and Donetsk region. During the liberation of the village of Bayrak, the border guard received a severe wound — a bullet ricocheted into his face, passed through his neck and got stuck in his lung.
“Was it painful? No. I felt a very powerful hit, felt my teeth with my tongue and realized they were ‘loose’. I thought I’d been hit very hard. But then, when the blood started flowing, I thought that was it. My comrade, my best friend, my godfather Lyulya bandaged me, they threw me into a KOZAK and evacuated me”, — he said.
Now “Bimba” has found himself in a new occupation — servicing drones. He believes that the army is a huge organism where every specialist, from a mechanic to an IT worker, can find their place and develop.
“The army is not a limitation. It is an alternative to civilian life where you can be useful. The main thing is to choose your unit, improve your physical fitness and study tactical medicine. And humor — humor is our saving hook”, — Bimba noted.
After Victory, the soldier dreams of the simplest things — returning to his wife and child and simply resting.
