Border guard Maksym with the callsign “Shepard” serves in the rapid response border commandant’s office “Shkval” of the 7th Carpathian Border Detachment of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine. His main task now is to guide soldiers to their positions, ensure their safety on the way and act instantly when every second counts.
Maksym began his service in the State Border Guard Service in 2021 as a conscript. After the start of the full-scale invasion, he stayed on at the border service department and later joined the rapid response unit “Shkval” of the 7th Carpathian Border Detachment.
Maksym carried out his first combat missions in the Serebrianka forestry. According to him, it took about a month and a half to adapt to the new conditions and constant tension. At first, he served directly on the positions, and later worked at a logistics point: delivering ammunition and other essentials, receiving the wounded evacuated from the front line, helping to move them further along the evacuation chain and, when necessary, providing pre-medical care.
Alongside experienced servicemen, Maksym gradually mastered new skills, gained a better understanding of the specifics of the service and found his place in the unit. In time, he began to perform the duties of a guide, including in Kharkiv region: he escorts soldiers to their positions, often covering considerable distances on foot, and before each departure he conducts a briefing.
“Every time there absolutely has to be a briefing, so that in a critical situation no one panics and makes mistakes. Watch your step, listen to the sky. If you hear something, shout, if I don’t hear it,” — Maksym “Shepard”
Kharkiv region is special for Maksym, as he comes from there. That is why carrying out combat missions on his home soil is not just another deployment for him, but a personal motivation and a responsibility to his native land.
After the war ends, Maksym dreams of returning to peaceful life, settling in Kharkiv and starting his own family. Despite what he has been through, he tries to maintain a positive outlook and support his comrades-in-arms. In his spare moments he listens to music, and real rock, which he used to play on the electric guitar, remains his favourite way to relax and find peace.
Maksym does not consider himself a hero, but he recognises that his service matters. He says he feels proud to be serving and understands the importance of his work for the common cause of defending the country. For him, the main thing is not only to endure in difficult circumstances, but also to keep carrying out his tasks, step by step.
The serviceman is convinced that in dangerous situations there can be no hesitation — you must act, even if it is just a small step forward. To those considering military service, he advises making a well-considered decision, being aware of the responsibility and choosing their own path, because circumstances in war cannot always be changed, but you can always choose how to respond to them.