The hardest thing during the war is not to survive. It is to return to civil life, and find the strength to live on. Publication Tsenzor.NET released a series of stories about the simple, and at same time heroic men, who went through the hell of war, received physical and emotional traumas, and look from the point of view of their experience for the ways to live in a country, where the war continues. One of the heroes of this project is the fighter of the 1st Assault Group of the 5th Battalion DUK and the “Biotech” patient Olexiy.
“We must earn the right to live in this country, on this ground. What annoys me the most is when someone start whining: “What has this country given me, and why I have to do something now?” Then what right do you have to live here then? Eat your passport and go to Moscow, Africa, Himalayas or anywhere else. Here must live people, who love this country, and abomination is not needed here,”– Olexiy reacts emotionally to the question about a peaceful life.
In fact, the man has every right to criticize the supporters of the “theory of betrayal.” He went to the front line among the first volunteers in 2014, and in 2015 was seriously injured. Since then he went through almost 2 years of rehabilitation.
He remembers clearly how he was injured: “On February 22nd of 2015 we were on a mission. We stood in front of the DAP runway, put out ATGM, and regularly shelled enemy. However that day we set ATGM at a new point, where we got covered. At first we were attacked with mortars to took aim, 100-150 meters away from us. And then, without any noise, something began to rattle very loud. We ran into a cover, which are long corridors with a pit in different directions, to hide in the rooms. The first shell reached one of our guys and demolished half of his skull. When I was pulling him out, something of his head flew into my sleeve. However, he is alive, if you can call his condition a life. Another defender was found by parts. The third received severe concussion, but we managed to pull him out of the room, seated in the hall and began to treat. The blood was coming out of his nose, ears, and it was obvious, that he was severely injured. Soon we got hit. Me and 2 other soldiers – Bublyk and Moiysha. A soldier with a concussion was killed this time. His wife and 2 daughters are now alone. I just approached him, and was blasted in another direction with an explosion wave.”
The terrible events of that day will forever remain in a memory of Olexiy. He never lost consciousness, so clearly remembers absolutely everything in details: the way his colleagues were killed, the way he was taken to the hospital, severely injured, with his almost lifeless leg beside him. It took 2 years of search, hospitals, difficult and ambiguous diagnoses, and at last – the opportunity to live a normal life, and walk with his own feet. He says, that if he knew, how hard and for how long he will suffer from an injured leg, he would have asked to cut it off immediately. However, fortunately, thanks to The Bioengineering Rehabilitation for Wounded Project Olexiy is approaching the final stage of a treatment. He walks with sticks and wears a special hard “boot,” while his heel, collected almost from scratch, recovers. However, he walks. The treatment of a heroic “right sector” soldier was completely covered at the expense of your donations. We want to remind, that for a chance to live a normal life are waiting another soldiers. Do not leave them alone with their problem.
Based on the interview by Tsenzor.NET
First Photo: Victoria Yasynska
