Call sign Andy: "We are destroying Russian equipment before they have time to dismount"
Today, he commands the first platoon of the first company of the Strike Unmanned Aerial Systems Achilles of the 92nd SAB. Although, before the full-scale invasion, he had no idea that he would engage himself in the army. He studied at the Yaroslav the Wise National Law University. He did not attend the military department. At school, he even skipped classes on the subject of "Defense of the Fatherland".
- In the eleventh grade, I won the All-Ukrainian Olympiad in Law. I was convinced that I had a talent for this science," Andrii, call sign Andy, recalls in our conversation. - "I wanted to become a criminal lawyer. I was going to develop in this direction.
- But the full-scale attack changed your plans. What was yours on February 24, 2022?
- Early in the morning, my family woke me up and told me what was happening. I got ready and went to the nearest military registration and enlistment office. At first, they only took my phone number because it was complete chaos. I was thinking how I could be useful right now. I saw an announcement on the public page"F@cking Kharkiv" that they needed blood donors. I went to the address given. I stood in a huge line until the evening but managed to donate blood. The next morning, I received a call from the military registration and enlistment office and was asked if I wanted to serve. I answered in the affirmative. I took two backpacks, realizing that I would not return home. The transport was no longer working, so I walked to the military commissariat, which was not very close. I was going to walk from 23rd August Street to Poltavskyi Shliakh (Kharkiv residents will understand that this is a considerable distance). It was extremely difficult to "hitch a ride" because everyone was running away from their yards in a panic and going in a completely different direction. I think they were not in a hurry to go to the military registration and enlistment office (smiles - O.M.). I walked about five kilometers. I saw a man getting into a car. I asked him to give me a ride, and he agreed. I got in. There were two other men in the car - fully loaded, with assault rifles. I got into a conversation with them. They asked me if I had served before, if I had taken a military department, if I had ever held a weapon in my hands. I answered all these questions: "No". They sighed so eloquently (smiles. - O.M.). They took me to the military commissariat. We never saw each other again. It's a pity. I would like to know what happened to them later.
The military enlistment office was recruiting for the 92nd Brigade. And I wanted to get there, because as a Kharkiv resident, it was the one I associated with the AFU. I stood in a huge queue to finally hear that they did not accept anyone without service experience or a military department. In this case, the TDF (Territorial Defense Forces) was the only place to go. They accepted everyone there, even those over 60 or with "white tickets." There was also a long line of hundreds of people. The battalion leadership did not have time to process the data in such a large number. I slept on the cold floor for a whole day, waited in line, and still managed to join the 123rd battalion of the TDF.
- Where did you get your call sign from?
- When I was going to the military registration and enlistment office, I was listening to the music from my favorite movie, Troy (the first movie I saw in the cinema when I was four years old). I am close to the views on the life of the main character, so I associated myself with Achilles. But after the first week, I realized that I didn't know how to load a rifle, could not dig up properly and I couldn't even fold a ground pad properly - I had to ask for help. I had lived in the city all my life, won the All-Ukrainian Olympiad in Law, and was involved in parliamentary debates, but life had not prepared me for what I had to do here. As it seemed to me, I was the worst, most unadapted, clumsy soldier in the Armed Forces. It was a long way from Achilles, so when they asked me in the ranks, I decided to choose a less pretentious call sign.
- How did you start fighting?
- Already in March 2022, my father was sent to the "front line" - to the village of Korobochkyne. It was extremely difficult for me. But as time went on, I learned to survive in the new conditions, the team, and to get used to combat in general. I was an ordinary rifleman. For me, the first year of service was a year in a simple trench infantry unit without any decorations. From the first months, I wanted something more. At first, I mastered the Javelin, NLAW and various ATGMs. We went on the Kharkiv counter-offensive. I was a little disappointed because I got to the border with my NLAW without hitting anyone. Because its combat radius is 800 meters. At that time, there were no situations when I could get to that distance to hit the equipment.
- What did this counteroffensive mean to you in general?
- It was one of the most important events in my life. Our battalion had no vehicles. So we moved in a convoy of cars, with a KAMAZ in the lead. Those who did not have cars were on them...
- It was dangerous, to put it mildly.
- Yes, it was. To be honest, looking back, it's hard to believe that we were traveling like that (smiles. - O.M.). But that was the way the column was then.
Our task was to clear the villages near the village of Shevchenkove (Kupiansk district, Kharkiv region - O.M.). Then we went in the direction of Bilyi Kolodiazh and reached the border. On the way there, we sometimes jumped into enemy shelters where there was still hot tea that the Russians had not finished in the morning. They would run away two hours or even thirty minutes before we went in. We were the first AFU soldiers the locals saw there. They cried, hugged us, offered us borscht. The most inspiring were the children who ran out of their houses to greet their rescuers. This is something I will remember for the rest of my life...
- Where did you go next?
- After we reached the border, there was a rotation. I was sent to learn to fly a Mavic. I liked it. After returning, I felt that this was the military craft to which I was inclined.
- Where did you start flying?
- At first, we were sent to Klishchiivka - we were stationed between it and Ivanivske. That's where I started flying. Then there was the famous canal in Chasiv Yar. There was a distance of 200 meters between us and the enemy. The battalion began to suffer losses. Due to the shortage of human resources, I had to work as follows: one day I had an infantry shift, the next day I was flying a Mavic. It was quite interesting: first, you look at the position with a drone, and then you are in this dugout.
- It's interesting, but I think it's also very difficult.
- Yes. But that's life at war. Although I cannot say that I was unhappy then. Despite everything, I felt involved in a great cause.
- Is this feeling still there?
- Definitely! I am more motivated than ever.
- You also continued your studies at university, right?
- I was just finishing up. By the way, I took the state exams right at the positions. I just had to connect and get to the exams. During one of them, a tank attack started. And we didn't even have any shelter there - they were flying right from the water tower. Then the crew and I promptly packed our belongings, and I finished the exam at our command and observation post. After receiving my diploma, I was offered a promotion. I became an officer. I was appointed as a Platoon Commander in the Company of Strike Unmanned Strike Aviation Systems of my brigade.
- How did you join Achilles?
- I found a link in Telegram to Yurii Fedorenko's channel Achilles. At the time, there were only a few hundred subscribers. This happened after the story of how the Mavic, then the Company of Unmanned Strike Aviation Systems Achilles, captured enemy personnel. I was interested that some military man had the same call sign as I wanted (smiles. - O.M.).
I read his biography and learned the history of the creation of the Company of Unmanned Strike Aviation Systems. And I literally became a fan of the unit. I constantly followed them in the media - I watched all the interviews, videos of destructions and started thinking how cool it would be to get here one day, at least as someone. And when I told someone about it, they laughed at me and said: "Who needs you there?"
Later, an announcement appeared on Commander Fedorenko's channel that the unit was expanding and looking for new fighters. There was no mention of platoon leaders. I filled out a questionnaire. I thought maybe they would notice. About a month and a half passed. I didn't really hope for it anymore. And then I got a call from Rustam Amirovych (Chief of Staff of Achilles Strike Unmanned Aerial Systems Battalion of the 92nd SAB, call sign Genie - O.M.). We talked to him. It turned out that for a long time, we had been on the same lines. When I was in Korobochkyne, they were in Bazaliivka (the distance between them is 21 km - O.M.), and Genie even flew from the trench I was digging (smiles - O.M.). We ended up with many mutual acquaintances whom we met during our service. After just 15 minutes of conversation, he offered me to join their unit. I was overwhelmed with enthusiasm. I would draw the following analogy: it's like a fan of Real Madrid becoming a player.
- By the way, Gene told me in an interview that the worst thing about the war for him was drones. He explained that this fear is a professional deformity because he understands how they can maneuver and hit. And for you?
- For me, it's a bullet - when you imagine that there is a person 50 meters away from you, aiming at you. We had cases when they shouted at us. We echoed them. Of course, I understand that drones or artillery can do more damage than a bullet. But in comparison, I have this kind of professional deformation since the infantry.
- Did you immediately take up your duties as a platoon leader?
- Yes, right away. I think this is due to the fact that I had already fought and had piloting experience. They held a number of conversations with me. They saw that I had a talent. So from the very first days, I was on duty at the command post and led the crews. Somehow it all happened so quickly.
- Was it difficult at first?
- Yes, it was. But I realized that this was the chance of my life, and I had to make every effort to take advantage of it and not disappoint the people who trusted me. It wasn't easy, because the level of the units I served in before was much lower than Achilles. But I had to take up my duties quickly and learn on the job. Because Achilles had just expanded from a company to a battalion and had a shortage of junior officers. I realized that this was a necessity, not a matter of my personal capacity. Therefore, I started taking combat duty almost immediately. My company commander, Anton Shmahailo, call sign Banderas, helped me with this. I observed how he managed the battle, what his decisions were based on, analyzed and built my own vision of the situation. When you are surrounded by outstanding people who demonstrate professionalism by their example, your training depends more on your initiative and enthusiasm.
- Banderas told me about the cases when there were so-called face-to-face encounters with the enemy, in particular in Chasiv Yar. Did you take part in such "duels"?
- Yes.
- What is the most important thing in such situations?
- This is a set of tools and measures that are still behind closed " curtains" for the general public. I think that in the coming years, this will be perceived at the level of intercepting radio signals, which will not surprise anyone now. But until that happens, I have to keep our advantages over the enemy a secret.
So far, I'm ready to say that this is not a "cowboy duel" between two pilots or crews. This is a struggle between two units and their intellectual and technical capabilities at the moment. One FPV crew cannot independently determine where their persons sitting opposite are operating from. This hunt is preceded by the systematic involvement of all combat control and intelligence units to ensure that the destruction of enemy pilots occurs and targets are hit.
- The UAV operator immediately sees the result of his work...
- That's why it's easier for us than for the artillery, which can work long and hard all day but not see the results of its work.
- Perhaps this is some kind of help in making further decisions or additional motivation? My pilot friends tell me about their first emotions of joy when they manage to hit a difficult target.
- It feels like scoring a goal in soccer and seeing the ball in the net. Only, of course, burning the IFV that is storming your position is something even more triumphally than scoring a goal. Because it is not just a personal achievement. You have saved the lives of infantry, which is extremely important.
Of course, when you see the result of your work immediately, you can assess the status of the target, understand how damaged it is, and make a decision based on that.
- What interesting stories do you have? For example, in our conversation, you mentioned how a drone captured personnel.
-Such stories happen all the time! For me, the funniest ones are when the occupier picks up the drone and it explodes. These are not isolated cases (smiles. - O.M.). It happens all the time! Also, one of their tactics to counteract the UAV is to hit it with something, to knock it down with a rifle or a helmet. Of course, when they do this, the circuit board detonates from the impact, and the result is exactly the opposite of what they wanted.
- I know that you received the Silver Cross award from Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi. Could you tell us why?
- It was on April 4. I had been in Achilles for a little over a month at that time. A large-scale assault began - there were columns of 10-15 armored vehicles. At that time, I had never seen such a large number of them at once in my life. I was in charge of Darwin's crew - he was our most experienced pilot.
We destroyed nine armoured vehicles and another buggy with infantry evacuating personnel from the IFV we had shot down. I redirected the crew to it, and at the moment they entered, the personnel who took position there were eliminated."
- You are currently in the Kharkiv direction, right?
- Our battalion is fighting in several directions. Specifically, our platoon is in Kupiansk today.
- What tactics does the enemy use in your area of the frontline?
- Each direction has its own peculiarities. For example, our company was previously in the Kharkiv direction. There was no large-scale use of armored vehicles. There were infantry assaults involving artillery and FPV drones. In the Kupiansk direction, there are constant "meat assaults", but the enemy is using armored vehicles more. However, they have problems with manpower. Our drones are ahead of them and eliminate the infantry before they can approach the positions of our neighbors. Therefore, the Russians are trying to use reinforcements and deliver them on MTLBs and IFVs. However, this idea also fails, because we destroy the equipment before they have time to dismount.
- Today (September 28 - O .M.), Vitalii Lytvyn, an officer of the Rubizh brigade's intelligence unit, said that the Russians tried to break through in your direction with 50 armored vehicles. How often do they attack in such numbers?
- I can confirm this information. We also participated in repelling this assault. They used APCs, MTLBs, tanks. There was also an ARV to evacuate the damaged equipment.
- What do they use most often in your area?
- They use various means, such as Orlan-10, Zala and Supercam. Here, we don't give them to "breathe" with - we have FPV units that work like air defense and destroy these reconnaissance UAVs.
- Is there parity in the sky today?
- We are not inferior to them in terms of FPV capabilities. They now have an advantage in intelligence assets. But the development of FPV air defense will at least reduce this difference.
In general, with regard to FPV, they have a number of systemic problems that stagnate the development of this industry - nationalization of the economy in the production of drones...
- But their production is on-line, and their economy is on a wartime footing.
- Yes, they are. However, because of this, they cannot quickly adapt to new conditions. For example, they have not yet come to the large-scale use of night bombers. Indeed, there is an advantage that they can mass-produce FPVs. But they are less capable of adapting them to new electronic warfare means, finding new frequencies, and so on. Due to the inclusiveness of players in this market, it is easier for us to adapt to the new conditions dictated by the frontline.
- From the stories of the pilots, I conclude that the Russians use drones like the military on the battlefield - they want to take in quantity, not quality. Is that how it works?
- That's exactly right! Our drone tactics and pilot training are better. We are more adapted to the new conditions of using EWs, etc.
- They've also had more EWs lately, haven't they?
- This is a constant battle of shield and sword. Sometimes the EW blocks all possible frequencies, and the means of destruction are jammed. But then the strike units adapt, find a new frequency and tactics. Given that during the assault we mentioned earlier, we hit 40 out of 50 vehicles, we are one step ahead of them.
- What tasks do you think the Russians are setting for themselves now? For example, we talked to Pavlo Palisa, the 93rd Brigade Сommander, about their plans to capture Donbas by the end of the year.
- I think they had a plan to seize Donbas from the very beginning. It was, in fact, openly articulated. This is the minimum task to at least somehow politically justify all the losses they have suffered in this war. In my opinion, this is their number one task now.
- But they also rushed to Kharkiv region, dispersing their forces.
- War is a complex process that includes many goals. They see some maneuvers, situational opportunities, and they want to use them as well. At the same time, if we recall the beginning of the full-scale offensive, the goal was to capture the whole of Ukraine. Therefore, when they see a chance to capture a certain territory outside Donbas, they do not give it up.
In any case, the movement in the Kharkiv region redeployed some forces from Donetsk and Luhansk regions, as did our operation in the Kursk region, which slowed down their advance on Pokrovsk. But the war for Donbas or any other territory is not waged only in a specific place.
- How do you see the current situation in general? Where is it headed? There are more and more thoughts about a possible freezing of the war. The military people I talk to are categorically against such a development because it can only get worse for us when Russia builds up its strength and attacks again...
- Those people who believe that the enmity with Russia, which has been going on for 500 years, can end in two or four years are very naive. We must perceive this clash as a stage of a great war that can last not just for years, but for decades. This is not the first and, I think, not the last precedent in history - for example, the Arab-Israeli conflict. This is how, due to circumstances, we were challenged to be born in this place, in this period, which will be legendary. My generation was honored to end this war. I really hope that it will be over in my lifetime. But in any case, everyone should remember that this is a marathon, not a sprint.
Olha Moskaliuk, Censor.NET
Photos provided by the hero
