In the endless flow of news and changes, one thing remains constant: all this time, Ukrainian soldiers continue resisting the enemy. What does it mean for them to be part of the Ukrainian army? How do they perceive the impact of aid coming from friendly countries? We asked four defenders. Once, they left their civil life and career achievements to join the army. Now, they combine their military service with various forms of activism.
Svyatoslav Lavrusenko, Ukrainian soldier, artist, and public activist
When you are alone against the strongest state, which has more resources, both human and technical, it is very difficult, even when there is motivation; it is not realistic. That is why we greatly appreciate the support of our friendly countries. It gives us, Ukrainians, an opportunity to continue fighting and liberating our land. Everyone understands that if Ukraine falls, it will not be the end of the war but the beginning of Putin’s ambition to go further. The more other states actively support us, the fewer chances the enemy has.
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To be a Ukrainian soldier now is a great responsibility to your family, your country and its sovereignty, and yourself because war is not a game but a reality. You have to be 100% certain that everything will be fine and that you will succeed because the lives of your comrades and civilians behind depend on you. A Ukrainian military man is someone who looks in the eye of death and remains unafraid every time they go on a mission.
However, there is something that few people see what a soldier feels. It is a great test for health, psychological, and mental endurance. There were times when I had to sit under shelling and assaults without sleep, water, and food for a week. We are ordinary people, we are not robots; we get tired, and we miss our families whom we do not see for half of a year. To be a soldier is to forget the life you lived before, sacrificing it for the sake of our people and our children being free and happy.
In addition to ensuring the national security of their own country, the Ukrainian soldiers are strengthening the defence capability of Europe as an ally. We contribute to NATO`s defence proficiency by providing valuable practical experience in modern warfare and helping partners adapt their strategies and tactics to the new challenges of technological progress. Since this war is unlike any other, many things need to be changed in the defence industry and, in general, strategies for waging modern fighting.
Mykhailo-Luka Kabus, Ukrainian soldier, populariser of Ukrainian musical creativity
We are fighting a powerful enemy, and our means to wage this war are insufficient. When we see that the supply of weapons from Europe, America, and other parts of the world is arriving, it inspires us. Still, sometimes, it feels as though the world is not fully aware of the scale of this problem and how urgently support needs to be increased or to what extent the existence of the Russian Federation, as a country and as a nation, can seize territory with impunity, a real threat to the all of Europe. Frankly, we need more help because the third year of a full-scale invasion is ending, and we still do not have parity in terms of weapons, so the enemy prevails in many aspects. If we had it, I think, the situation at the front would be in our leadership and not as hostile as it is now.
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We are fighters who protect the world against evil so that it does not prevail.
This means a path and a fate. We need to protect what we have and what our ancestors fought for. This is a kind of exam. We are defending independence, and, in fact, our state is at stake now, so we have no right to make a mistake and must finish this, probably at any cost.
Oleksandr Lyashuk, Ukrainian soldier, designer and content creator
Support from the international community is always important because politicians cannot ignore society’s requests, and they have to reckon with this. This, in turn, affects the level of assistance provided by governments, including both financial aid, humanitarian support, and in the supply of weapons that we need to protect our state. Therefore, this influence is direct and essential.
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The role of the Ukrainian military was clearly defined at the beginning of the war. These are people who defended their state and the values of the free democratic world on which the entire civilised and progressive world rests. They became a symbol of a strength and freedom. When the whole world said that we would be captured in three days, despite everything, we did not kneel before the second-largest army in the world but stood up for protection as true heroes, showing the whole world how Ukrainians truly believe in their values. The Ukrainian military represents the modern-day story of David versus Goliath.
The war has been going on for three years instead of three days, so I am proud to bear the title of the Ukrainian soldier. I do not consider myself a hero. I simply try to do everything that depends on me and a bit more. However, our military, especially those who are now at the forefront, are heroes to me, particularly those who have given their lives for our freedom. In the world press, compared to the beginning of the war, there is less and less information about it, negatively impacting global support. People tend to forget that the war is still ongoing, but this will not change the fact that the Ukrainian military are real heroes of the modern world.
Serhiy Dzherdzh, Ukrainian soldier, Candidate of political sciences, head of the Ukraine-NATO Civil League
There is practical support from European countries and the United States, manifested in material aid, as well as moral and psychological aspects. As for the first, all the soldiers in our unit have American first aid kits and machine guns of various calibres, which are American and German weapons. We are an infantry unit, so this is what we see, and it really works.
As for moral support, it is also needed. We are not alone face to face with the enemy who started this aggressive war against Ukraine, killing civilians and soldiers and bombing schools, kindergartens, and hospitals.
Ukraine is not just a partner of NATO, but a strategic one, so it is important that European and American democratic countries help us in this difficult moment. The presence of this help is also felt in the information environment. The military, like everyone, is aware of some news and events, although there is no time to delve into them. However, there is such support from NATO countries, from those countries that are part of the Ramstein group, as a support group for Ukraine, more than 50 countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Morocco, and others. This gives us confidence that we will be able to repel the enemy together.
An extremely difficult mission has befallen us. The fact is that all the worst that could have happened in the history of the Second World War is being used in Ukraine, but new technologies are being applied to it. We are often told about the experiences of the armies that fought in Iraq, as well as other combat operations, and how well, for example, medical evacuation of the wounded worked. But these wars were fought by these military contingents against weaker enemies or not-that-well-organised terrorist organisations.
For us, the level of shelling is entirely different. Thousands, millions of shells have already been fired from Russian artillery systems and tanks. Plus, there is the war of drones. The Ukrainians were the first to use them, but the Russians are adopting it all. Our battalion’s medical centre evacuates the wounded. If we use light vehicles, such as jeeps, to transport people, they are fast, but the armour is not strong, meaning it can be pierced by machine gun fire. If you use tracked armoured vehicles, which protect against such bullets and small fragments, but are massive, the enemy can see them, and such a target is attractive. Here is a choice: either more protection but a greater risk of being hit or faster vehicles, but they are less protected. There has never been a war like this before, especially now with the use of a large number of KABs, which are difficult to counter with something, if our infantry is in combat positions and a 500 kg or 1000 kg bomb flies there, of course, there is no protection.
Only preventive actions, such as using long-range missiles, can help. The President is asking the Americans and Europeans to allow us to destroy enemy depots with missile weapons. Without this, the lives of soldiers, young people who often have not yet started a family, are lost here while waiting for these permits to defend themselves more intensively.
It seems to me that Europe and the United States underestimate Ukraine and its geopolitical importance. If Ukraine, with its great geographic, economic, military, industrial, agricultural, and human potential, is part of a democratic Europe as part of both the European Union and NATO, then all of Ukraine’s potential works for common security. This would be positive because it expands NATO’s operational space.
If Russia succeeds in colonising Ukraine in any way, politically, economically, or militarily, as it is doing now, then Russia will turn the entire Ukrainian potential against Europe.
That’s what they always do. They use, for example, Chechens and Buryats against Ukraine. Moreover, if these people are killed here, it is good for the Kremlin, if these people kill Ukrainians, it is good for the Kremlin. And if the Ukrainian military kills Russian soldiers who are Chechens, Buryats, and Tatars, then this is also good for the Kremlin because there will be fewer of these people on their national territories, and Moscow will have fewer problems with national liberation movements. That’s why it’s such an old tactic — to use some nations to fight against other countries.
We would definitely like to strengthen ourselves, but by uniting with European structures. This not only helps us but also strengthens the capabilities of European civilisation.
