On April 13, 2014, near Sloviansk, for first time in war, Ukrainian troops open fire on enemy
10 years ago, on 13 April 2014, in the battle near Sloviansk, the Ukrainian military opened fire on the enemy for the first time in the war. Mykola Lavrenchuk follows Vadym Sukharevskyi’s order and fires the first shots of the war from the Vladimirov heavy tank machine gun (KPVT).
Exactly 10 years ago, on April 13, 2014, the war with Russia ceased to be one-sided. On this day, near Sloviansk, the company commander of the 80th Airmobile Brigade, Senior Lieutenant Vadym Sukharevskyi, gave the first combat order in the history of Ukraine to open fire on mercenaries of the Russian sabotage unit of FSB Colonel Igor Girkin. The saboteurs attacked the place of the meeting of the SSU leaders, near which Sukharevskyi's airborne forces were in armored personnel carriers. SSU Captain Hennadii Bilichenko was killed on the spot by Russian bullets, and two officers were wounded.
In the neighboring APC was the commander of the 80th Brigade, Colonel Kopachynskyi, who issued an order to the airborne forces to unload their weapons, disconnect their magazines, and forbade them to open fire under any circumstances without his personal command.
But when the battle started, Kopachynskyi did not give any commands. And then Senior Lieutenant Sukharevskyi showed extraordinary leadership qualities, did not wait for any commands, but on the contrary, violated a direct order from his immediate commander, Colonel Kopachynskyi.
Sukharevskyi took responsibility and gave the first historic combat order to the Armed Forces of Ukraine:
"What the fuck are you looking at - shell the holy f#ck out of!"
The order was carried out by the APC's operator-gunner, soldier Mykola Kolia Lavrenchuk, who was the first to load the unloaded machine gun and the first Ukrainian soldier to open fire in the war. After several bursts of machine gun fire, the enemy suffered losses and fled the battlefield (according to Russian sources, they lost two mercenaries killed and three wounded, one of whom has been identified). Sukharevskyi's order saved the lives of a group of SSU officers and generals.
Colonel Kopachynskyi was not punished for his actions, was removed from command of the brigade a few months later, and in 2015 left the Armed Forces and was transferred to the central office of the National Guard, where he is now - I do not have any information.
Sergeant Lavrenchuk fought in the 80th Brigade from the first days of the invasion in 2022, sustained severe injuries to his arm and leg and returned to the front without completing his rehabilitation. Today, Lavrenchuk is responsible for recruitment in the 95th Air Assault Brigade.
Over the past 10 years, Senior Lieutenant Vadym Sukharevskyi has become a colonel, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, and Commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces.
I described the story of the first battle in more detail a few years ago here.
Yurii Butusov, Censor. NET
