The date was chosen in memory of military correspondent Dmytro Labutkin, who died on this day during hostilities in eastern…
At home, Yevhen is a painter, and in the “Hart” brigade, he is a skilled gunner of multiple launch rocket systems with the call sign “Artist”.
His story was published on the website of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.
“In civilian life, he calculated the ideal surface area to immortalize beauty and harmony on walls. In the army — he precisely aims the launcher by coordinates, covering the enemy’s largest possible concentration area”, — the border guards noted.
Yevhen is from Odesa region. Since childhood, he saw beauty around him and tried to capture it on paper. Over time, his talent grew into his life’s work. He found his calling in Odesa: he worked in construction and personally decorated every building he completed. At home, his wife and children waited for him after work.
However, on 24 February 2022, he woke not to the smell of breakfast but to explosions of Russian missiles flying toward his home.
“My first thought was to take my family away. We lived surrounded by three military units, so we quickly packed up and went to relatives in a village. On the way, we saw columns of equipment — it was coming from everywhere. I was assessing different scenarios, so I left my family in safety and returned to Odesa myself. Shortly after, I was mobilized to the border guards”, — the man recalls.
Yevhen began his combat path in the Southern-Slobozhansky direction. He says he was lucky with his team from the very beginning. After basic training, he was assigned to the artillery of the “Hart” brigade. Together with his comrades, he traveled all over the Kharkiv region. Each area gave new experience, but the work near Vovchansk took first place in his personal top of successfully accomplished missions.
“We worked in Vovchanski Khutory. The work was continuous. We probably honed our skills so much that from the first adjustment shot we hit the target precisely. It’s an unreal feeling — you aim the launcher, and the round immediately lands exactly where it should”, — the artilleryman says.
Today, “Artist” and his team are again experiencing a hot period. The enemy is conducting active assault actions in the area of responsibility of the “Hart” brigade.
“A lion’s share of the suppression work falls on Yevhen’s crew. To save infantry lives, the artillerymen work 24/7”, — the State Border Guard Service reported.
Even under such conditions, the soldiers do not lose their humor and positivity:
“We’re like lightning: hit — and vanished. I’ll say this: aiming an MLRS is easier than renovating a house. As they say, breaking is easier than building. And today we’re breaking: the enemy’s plans, infrastructure, fortifications, destroying manpower and expensive equipment. All so that in the future our children won’t know what explosions are”, — Yevhen said.
After Victory, he dreams of returning to his favorite work — building homes for people who lost theirs to Russian missiles and Shaheds. For now, he urges others to join his team and contribute to victory.
“Later we’ll rebuild everything and live even better than before. But now we must make maximum effort to end this sooner”, — the soldier emphasized.
