A soldier of the 80th separate airborne assault brigade, Oleksandr with the call sign “Cop” served in the state security service under the Ministry of Internal Affairs for 21 years.
“Skills from service in the Ministry of Internal Affairs became useful in the war. Knowledge of weapons, tactics of fighting in a closed room, recognition of places where the enemy may appear helped. Being a bodyguard taught me to see, hear and analyze. We practiced at the service every Friday. I was also psychologically prepared, so I easily adapted to the war. Hobbies also helped: fishing and hunting. I knew how to communicate with nature and notice the traces of living creatures,” the fighter notes.
For the first time, a Ukrainian military man talks about one of the many successful defense operations of the 80th separate amphibious assault brigade.
“In May, near Volodymyrivka near Popasnaya, our company held a strategically important forest strip on the outskirts. For 3 days, we repelled enemy assaults under constant barrage of barrel artillery, mortars, and hail. Everything was exploding, phosphorus was falling from the sky. Elite units of the Russian army were against us. They threw all available forces to break through this area. Our boys were very patriotic and well prepared. We had small arms, a lot of ammunition for them, grenades and anti-tank weapons. Our group consisted of six men: Crimea, Marine, Georgian, Tokar, Svyat and me. The shelling began,” the soldier says.
A DSHV soldier said that the enemy tried to storm the positions six or seven times. He entered both in large groups of infantry and tried to sneak in with subversive and reconnaissance groups. But he could not advance further. Each time the fire came at them from a new direction, the Russians could not understand exactly where. As it turned out later, one company of paratroopers restrained the advance of approximately six hundred people from two battalion-tactical groups of the enemy.
Kopa’s group made it out alive. Others had losses. The paratroopers went out under the constant escort of enemy drones, which adjusted fire from the sky. The Russians placed mines and shells on the heels of our soldiers. That day, Oleksandr was struck by the commander’s attitude towards his dead man. It shows that no one is going to abandon their brothers.
“There was a fatal loss before my eyes – a familiar machine gunner died. I was very impressed that the commander stayed near the fallen and waited for his evacuation. He did not want to give the body of his fighter to the occupiers. He said that he would not get out of there alive until he took the dead. When we were taken out, I clearly realized: this was a real war, not a walk… Later, the commander said: “Guys, our company did what even battalions sometimes fail to do. I thank you for your military service!” It was very nice. It’s a pity that the dead didn’t hear it,” Kop admits.
During the assaults, Russian soldiers were at a distance of 100 meters. Oleksandr does not hide: he saw who our people were shooting at and how the Rashists fell. He says that he psychologically prepared to kill the invaders, because the law of war is proverbial: “If not you, then you.”
“The Russians are enemies who came to destroy our land. I lost all pity for them when I saw the war crimes and hellish abuse of our people,” the soldier says.
The Lviv paratroopers repeatedly had to show their fierceness in their desire to destroy the invaders. Sometimes the commanders took a high, but justified risk. Since the beginning of the full-scale war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, the professional bodyguard, together with his comrades, participated in the destruction of Russian equipment in Lysychansk.
“In Lysychansk, our company had the task of destroying enemy equipment. In one case, we had to act particularly decisively and courageously. We had to take a position to monitor not only the movement of enemy equipment, but also the enemy’s manpower. It is very difficult to find such a place for our anti-tank weapons, so the commander made a bold decision – to shoot from the roofs of buildings. There was no other way out. We fired with Stugna and Corsairs. After knocking out their APC, the enemy’s equipment no longer entered the zone of damage of our missiles. The enemy realized that the shots were coming from the roofs. He tried to hit us with his guided missile. Anyone who has worn a pixel understands the high risk of death. But that time the rocket deviated from the target: either the Russians missed, or higher forces took them away,” Oleksandr says.
The DSHV warrior does not hide his admiration for his steadfast and brave comrades. All carried out the orders valiantly and never refused their execution for fear of their own death. And Kop was also helped by the fact that he is zealous for Christians. Faith in God and in victory more than once deflected bullets in the heat of battle.
Oleksandr served in the military in Sevastopol during Soviet times. After the victory, he plans to return there to see the unit he served in, the city and his favorite beaches.
“We will definitely win because we love our land, nature, language and traditions. It’s all ours. I am very proud that I am Ukrainian. Children abroad are also proud that they are Ukrainians. They are respected there on a national basis, because we are fighting for a free state. When the war ends with our victory, I will return