The international delegation, headed by Ana Lucía Bueno, ICRC Public Health Coordinator, and Sujit Panda, Head of the Physical Rehabilitation…
The callsign “Karabas” was passed to Petro from his father. It is not just a nickname but part of his civilian identity that he brought with him into the army.
The story of the soldier was published on the page of the Territorial Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Before the full-scale invasion, Petro Radkevych worked in forestry, knew every trail and bush, and could hear the whisper of trees. Today this knowledge saves the lives of his unit, because Petro is now a serviceman, an SPG-9 gunner in the 115th Separate Brigade of the Territorial Defense Forces.
Petro had been preparing for service since 2022 but waited until his four children grew a bit older. However, in 2024 he finally made the decisive step and signed a contract.
“Karabas” began as a reconnaissance machine gunner but later transferred to the position of mounted anti-tank grenade launcher (SPG-9) gunner. His navigation experience helps him pick positions perfectly.
One of the most striking episodes of his service happened on the sixth day of being on the positions. Returning with his comrades from a water collection point, the group heard rustling. In thick bushes 15 meters away, three silhouettes were moving.
When no one responded to the password and a comrade noticed white tape (enemy marking), shooting began. The situation was critical — our soldiers found themselves directly under the barrels of the occupiers. One of our fighters was wounded.
“We’re our own, what are you doing, we need to get to the point and report, stop the shooting”, — Karabas suddenly shouted in a pure Donetsk dialect.
The enemies became confused, and that brief moment allowed the group to pick up the wounded man and move to cover.
After a short fight and withdrawal, they immediately examined the comrade. His head was covered in blood, and he was breathing heavily. But, surprisingly, the wound was not critical — the body armor stopped the bullet, and only a fragment wounded his face.
The outcome of the battle: one enemy captured and confirmation of the death of the commander of the enemy sabotage reconnaissance group that tried to bypass our positions from the rear.
For Petro, Ukraine is his family: four children, a wife, and his mother. And as long as the enemy is on our land, the forester remains a warrior. Because he is not fighting on foreign soil — he is defending his own.
