Military pilot Maksym Chaika about operation on Zmiinyi: We all understood that, for each of us, this might be last flight of our lives
Maksym Chaika, a combat pilot, full knight of the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytskyi, was awarded the Order for Courage, III class, flies Mi-8, Mi-24, and Mi-2 helicopters. In the interview, he shared how he destroyed enemy columns at close range in the Kherson region, about a highly challenging operation on Zmiinyi (Snake) Island, the daily life of a pilot, and the obstacles that hinder flights.
– I am a military pilot of the 18th Army Aviation Brigade. I am 31 years old, serving and will continue to serve in this brigade. I am carrying out my missions and flying during this war at the moment.
– How many awards do you currently have?
– Quite a few, but the most notable one is that I recently received the Order of Courage. Additionally, I am a full knight of the Bohdan Khmelnytskyi Order.
– Congratulations, are there many pilots like you in Ukraine?
– I think there are a few more now, but still not too many.
– For your age, having that many awards is quite impressive, right?
– Probably, but most of my comrades-in-arms would agree with me that these awards... the goal is not to win any awards, you just do your job, that's all.
– Is your surname Chaika?
– Yes.
– It's very interesting. How did you begin your career? Did having such a surname make you realize early on what you would become when you grew up?
– There wasn’t an immediate sense that I would become a pilot. I think the idea came to me near the end of the military lyceum, as I gradually realized that my life would be tied to the military, then, at some point, I applied to Kharkiv to become a military pilot. At the time of the full-scale invasion, I was stationed with my unit, we had a sense that something was coming and were on combat duty at home. Everyone believed in themselves, everyone understood that something was going to happen, and everyone was ready, but you still couldn’t know for sure what exactly would happen. Maybe that uncertainty threw some of us off at the start of the war, but within a few days, we all understood what had to be done.
By the time I started flying in the full-scale war, I had been assigned to the Kherson Brigade, and that's how we were deployed. From the very beginning, we operated in southern Ukraine, and our task was to search for and destroy convoys. You’d get a mission, for example, that there was a marching column near a certain settlement, you'd get the coordinates, and sometimes even civilians would send the coordinates to our intelligence chief, or they’d send a video – "you see, they're on the move."That's it, roger that, we moved on, and that was it, we started to search for them along the roads, in the forest plantations, and when we found them, we shot them at point-blank range. I think very few pilots remain who took part from the very start, where the convoys were – either they've passed away, or perhaps they weren’t ready for it at that time.
Here’s one example to illustrate – it was one of many, but one of the closest encounters, we were flying near Kherson, though I don’t remember the exact settlement, we were flying in pairs and sometimes in flights – 4 aircraft, 2 aircraft and my wingman and another crew leader were searching, we found the target, and began to engage. I fired free-flight rockets at the vehicle and then turned away, realizing I had no rockets left, only a 30mm cannon, just then, I saw a tilt-covered KAMAZ truck about 200-300 meters ahead, and our other aircraft was coming in from the opposite direction – we were using a "carousel" tactic, so to speak, he called over the radio that he was out of ammo as well. He fired his last two missiles – one hit near the truck, and the other struck the engine, bringing it to a halt. I was already accelerating toward the van body switched to the cannon, and with all my might, I fired the entire ammo into the vehicle. Of course, my hands were shaking, and I was nervous because in moments like that, time seemed to stand still.
– How much time did you have to make that decision? Typically, how long does it take?
– It's a matter of seconds, really. It happens so fast. You feel like 10 minutes have passed, but the actual engagement is over very, very quickly.
– In those moments, what kind of coordination is happening with your crew? Were there any operators involved, or was it different at the start...
– Yes, there was. I’ll say this: without proper coordination and teamwork in the crew, it would usually lead to very bad outcomes. Sometimes I’d get carried away, and my operator Bohdan, he helped a lot with that. He would say, "That’s enough."
– What do you mean by "get carried away"?
– There were times when, for example, a convoy was moving, you’d fly out from behind the forest plantation, fire at them, and you realize you hadn’t fully fired yet, you still had shells left, but you also knew that if you went for another run, they’d already be expecting you, and the chances of being shot down were much higher. So we were lucky that they only came with bullet holes, not missile holes.
– Bullet holes along the side of the aircraft?
– Yes.
– Did this happen often?
– Constantly, every time.
– Did you take part in the operation on Zmiinyi Island, but not in the operation in Mariupol?
– No.
– Have you been invited to Mariupol?
– There was no such invitation at the time.
– It was probably more like an order, wasn't it?
– No, it wasn't an order. We just realized that our guys were there because the principle of our army aviation is that we work for the infantry. That's why I say that for aviation, for those who understand me, these awards we receive are meaningless, because the real heroes are those in the trenches, those who wake up every morning and fight there, and we are just supporting them. At that time, we started what we called 'painful territorial surrenders' – when there wasn’t enough Western weaponry, no HIMARS when we couldn’t reach targets with long-range weapons and realized we had to work, these surrenders began. One of these surrenders was a flight to Mariupol. At that time, I was still under the command of the Kherson Brigade, and I wanted to fly with my system operator pilot but the commander made it clear to me that I had a lot of work to do here, so stay put.
– The next serious task, I understand that every task you do is serious, but this was a global one, it was the operation in Zmiinyi, right? How difficult was it to work there? I understand that working over water in those conditions was extremely difficult?
– It was just a normal spring day, I remember one of the system operator pilots we were working with came up to me, at that time, we had already switched to a different way of conducting combat operations, primarily working in pairs, so I had been working with another crew commander for a long time, and his system operator pilot came up to me and said that he had this peculiar sense of humor, he said: "Maks, do you remember when you wanted to do some point-blank work again?" I was like, "Yeah. He replied, 'Now you’ll have that opportunity,' but I didn’t fully understand what he meant at that moment, then, when the guys from the DIU unit and the SSU special forces unit started arriving, we understood that an operation was underway. We were all gathered together and explained the situation: we had to retake the island, as it was blocking the grain passage, and it was our territory. We started to prepare, and we prepared for a long time because the task was very specific. The operation was conducted entirely at sea, which was very specialized and difficult, as it required working at such a distance from the coastline. The plan was as follows: we arrived in Bessarabia, in southern Ukraine, and were garrisoned there. My pair was to take off first, my leader and I would go ahead, cross the coastline, head towards the island, and approach it, according to intelligence at the time, there was a Russian special forces unit stationed on the island, we estimated around 15 men, but as it turned out later, there was an entire company. But that was something we learned later. Our task was to approach the island, launch missiles, and then break up, after that, a pair of MI-8 helicopters would land a group of troops who were to capture the island. The MI-8 helicopters would then retreat, and we, my pair, would cover the landing completely—down to the last round. Once we received the command, as everything was well-coordinated, another pair would take over and continue working on them. That was the plan in theory.
– Is that how it was planned and prepared?
– Yes, but from the first days we arrived, no matter how bad it was, southern Bessarabia had its own traitors, as sometimes happens in Ukraine, and they started shooting missiles at us.
– Really?
– To cut us off, yes. We started moving intensively because we understood... That first night, I remember, we landed—I won’t specify where—somewhere around 4 a.m. Suddenly, we heard a loud explosion and realized it wasn’t just an ordinary blast. We immediately rushed to the aircraft, and a missile struck about 5 meters from my aircraft, aircraft became completely inoperable. I found my helmet approximately 15 meters away—it had been thrown out of the helicopter. From that moment, we knew something was wrong, and when the enemy knew we’re here, the mission became exponentially harder.
– Could any locals have provided the coordinates?
– Perhaps, but we would never know for sure. Overall, we had conducted three missions to this island: the first attempt had failed because we were warned the enemy was already waiting for us, and a Russian fighter jet had been scrambled; the second time, we flew, arrived, fired, and began to land, however, just as the aircraft began descending, they came under intense fire, forcing us to retreat. After re-evaluating the situation and making adjustments, the third mission was successful, we flew in, completed our tasks, and landed the troops. It was extremely challenging. From the very first moments the landing force set foot on the island, the radio had been filled with cries of "WIA" and "KIA." It was incredibly difficult. Our guys were few, but their determination and strength were immense. I still think about that mission—it’s something truly extraordinary.
– Compared to the number of Russians who were there, there were also reinforcements...
– Yes, they had everything possible. As we found out later, they also had anti-aircraft systems, everything imaginable. There was a special forces unit, and our guys were outnumbered three to one. Yet, with their own strength, they managed to push the enemy back and still succeeded. Even with the few of them left, they were able to get out. Then, at some point during the operation, we realised there was an ongoing battle, and over the radio, we heard that one of our helicopters was being shot down. The Mi-14 was operating as a SAR (Search and Rescue) aircraft, meaning its task was to fly in, recover the crew—or whatever was left of them—if we were downed over water, and transport them to the shoreline. We understand that the clock is ticking, we need to work on it because our guys are also on the island, and we thought that we should do something about it, because there may be someone left alive, but the battle is going on, when we finally understood that retaking the island was not an option at that moment, guys are returning from the island landing force: we start working on this crew, we find the crew, unfortunately, only one person survived. Later that evening, we gathered, and the commander at the time told us that, no matter how bad it was, we had to go back there. We exchanged looks—some swore under their breath, others didn’t say anything... the emotions were overwhelming. I won’t detail what was said, but you understand perfectly well. The following morning, we knew we had to fly again. We boarded the aircraft, discussed the situation, drew conclusions, and prepared to go. Once again, my lead and I, as a pair, were assigned to fly first. The night before, a missile had hit one of the aircraft, rendering it inoperable. Still, we were told the operation would continue, albeit without that aircraft. We began the engine startup, and there was "complete silence" among the crew, so to speak. At one point, I turned to my operator, Yurii, and said: "Yurii, it’s been a pleasure working with you." A couple of seconds later, Yurii replied: "I was about to say the same thing to you." We all understood this could very well be the last flight of our lives. And then...
– Is this the first time you've ever said that to a colleague?
– Yes, that was the first and last time. Then there was a very frightening moment. We were ready to take off, right next to the helicopter where the missile had struck the night before. The crew was bustling around, inspecting the aircraft, when an explosion occurred, about 100 meters away from me. I realized the crew was there at that moment, and most likely, they had all been killed. I was taking off. The Mi-8 crew responded exceptionally well, immediately flying to the site of the explosion. Miraculously, the crew near the helicopter survived, though the operator was wounded. He’s now back in service, doing well. The crew commander, Oleksandr, is also a fascinating case. Together with the flight engineer, they bandaged the operator's arm. Then the same commander, despite being in a state of concussion, managed to start the helicopter and relocate it to another position.
– In a state of concussion?
– Yes, that was the case. After we arrived at a safer location, we received an order stating that the task was being reassigned to another brigade. Then, as everyone knows, it became a "gesture of goodwill" and the rest followed...
– I'm asking you on a personal level: when you return from such missions, what do you talk about with your colleagues? Do you perhaps call someone and share what you've been through?
– Probably, it's more about anger, because we didn’t accomplish what we set out to do. There’s a deep sense of despair because, first of all, we lost the crew – they were incredibly professional people. The understanding that we need to keep going doesn’t leave you. I think that realization first came to me after our initial losses, when we lost two crews from my brigade in a single day. Since then, I’ve come to accept that this is inevitable, and the need to keep working outweighs all other emotions – fear, despair, frustration...
– After Zmiinyi Island, what were your next operations?
– After Zmiinyi, since we reassigned our aircraft to continue other missions, my brigade commander... There was this moment early in the war when everyone was working relentlessly, and no one wanted to go home. I myself worked for maybe two or three months without rotation from the start of the war. My commander understood this and said all the right things, but I didn’t fully grasp it at the time. I knew something needed to change, but only after Zmiinyi did my brigade commander send me home. After that, I resumed work, starting with the Zaporizhzhia direction, then moving on to Donetsk, Luhansk, and now I’m operating in the Kharkiv direction.
– Working "on the directions." Could you tell us a little about it, of course, only what you’re allowed to share? As I understand it, there are no longer stories about convoys, right?
– Yes.
– Or are you no longer assigned such tasks? What do you do now? And what aircraft are you currently flying?
– Now, as before, we continue supporting the infantry, working on coordinates, targets, various observation posts, ammunition depots, equipment, and enemy manpower deployment. In other words, the task remains the same. Working in different directions probably only varies in terms of how much the navigation is jammed in a particular area. And, of course, the terrain differs. For example, in the Avdiivka direction, there are spoil heaps; near Kramatorsk, there are specific challenges, like the abundance of power lines – those who’ve flown there will understand. The Kharkiv direction "stood out" because the navigation is disrupted even before you reach Pisochyn – it goes down quickly, and there are specific nuances there as well.
– You must have worked all over Ukraine, right?
– Yes, the only thing I didn’t reach was the Kyiv direction at the beginning of the war because I was operating in the south. The number of sorties largely depends on the area of operation: in some regions, during escalations, there are more flights, while in more stable areas, the number decreases. It also depends on the weather and other factors. Before moving to the Kharkiv direction, we had been working intensely in the Donetsk direction, starting with Soledar, Bakhmut, Lysychansk, and Sievierodonetsk. Then, as the enemy began to advance, we started to draw back. Later, when the hustle in the Kharkiv direction began, including Vovchansk and other areas, our brigade was among the first to engage there. Now, there’s an escalation in that area again. So, it’s hard to say where it’s more intense... It’s roughly the same temperature in the ward.
– How many flights do you typically have in a week now?
– Sometimes it’s just one flight a day, sometimes two.
– Per day?
– Yes, it varies. I remember a period, probably in the summer of 2022, when we had 4-5 flights a day. That was during the time when the enemy was advancing on Lysychansk and approaching the outskirts of Bakhmut. We worked from early morning until evening. You’d wake up in the summer when the day is longer than the night. You’d get up around 3 a.m., have a quick bite, half-asleep, head to the aircraft, start it up, take off, and by the time you’re airborne, it’s already dawn. You’d complete the mission, land, reload, and head out again... You’d only return when the sun was setting.
– In fact, it takes some time to prepare a board, but apparently, at the beginning, there was no such possibility, right?
– It wasn't.
– Get dressed, think about everything, gather the team, talk about what happened?
– The fact is that there are certain things that regulate the preparation of aircraft, the preparation of the crew, but everyone understands that, if you take it normally, there is some time to prepare the aircraft, but everyone knows perfectly well that the faster the better, and no one thought about it. Moreover, at that time we already had some experience in the work, so the preparation took even less time for the aircraft technicians, who also had very good experience and have it, and for them, preparing the aircraft is very fast, much faster than the book says.
– What is your personal preparation for a flight, Maksym? Perhaps you avoid eating anything before a flight or don't talk on the phone?
– No, I just take my speaker on board and listen to music, that's pretty much it.
– Is this a joke?
– No, this is not a joke.
– Seriously? A speaker in a helicopter when you're on the sortie?
– Yes, but when I'm flying, I don't turn it on because it's very noisy. But on the ground near the helicopter, it's probably some kind of morale boost.
– What do you listen to?
– Everything from rock to mainstream pop, whatever suits my mood, from the 80s to the 2000s.
– Do you have a favourite song right now? Maybe you're listening to something new, can you tell us?
– SadSvit's "Cassette" is currently in trend, and I really like it.
– What about any superstitions?
– None.
– Besides the speaker, what else do you take on board
– The crew.
– It's an overused question, but you know - amulets, some kind of talismans...
– I always take a flag with me when I fly, all the crews that have worked with me are painted on this flag, it's probably a good luck charm for me.
– What is your connection with the helicopter? Do pilots ever form a bond with their helicopters? I imagine it might be like in the movies – you approach it, stroke it, talk to it, maybe even give it a name?
– There’s definitely something like that, for sure. If you don’t understand your helicopter and it doesn’t ‘understand’ you, nothing good will come of it. Even with two identical helicopters, each one behaves differently. Of course, if a pilot constantly flies the same helicopter, you get used to it and learn all its ‘quirks.’
– Are there situations where the command gives you a task and outlines a plan, and you or your team say, ‘We’re not flying there because...’ and provide reasons or arguments that lead to the mission being canceled? Or is that not an option?
– In my experience, in everything I’ve done, I have never said, ‘I won’t fly.’ It’s a matter of principle.
– Power lines, the sun – what else can interfere with your flight during a mission?
– Probably so, when you are flying in the morning, you can't see anything because of the sun. Since we operate at very low altitudes, obstacles like the sun, power lines, birds...it’s distracting, but you get used to it. That’s the beauty of aviation – you’re above it all, and that’s where the joy comes from.
– What is your personal sense of romance in the sky?
– You can romanticize anything, but for me, it’s probably the sense of complete freedom – being untethered. Up there, you can do whatever is needed.
– What needs do you have now, if we can talk about it?
– They have been there before, and they are, as always, missiles - you need more weapons, more missiles, more targets destroyed - it's very simple. You can dream about new helicopters, but you have to be realistic that it won't happen in the near future, and all pilots understand that there will be no new helicopters soon. And they are ready to do it, just give them something to do it with. That's all.
– I saw the condition of your helicopters and was surprised to see how you manage to complete missions with helicopters of this type.
– It's not the tool that matters, it's how you use it. Yes, the equipment is not state-of-the-art, but people with experience can do such things with it that it is not such an important point. I would like something newer, but it takes time and a decision.
– What else would you like to fly?
– I think you'd want to try everything. The Apache is incredible, but the training for it is extremely demanding—it has its own unique systems, still, why not?
– How do you assess the enemy now? Let's talk about their aviation at the beginning of the full-scale invasion and what you see now?
– At the start of the invasion, their aviation caused us significant problems because we didn’t fully anticipate how brazenly they would penetrate our airspace. But once we understood their tactics, we started taking them down in large numbers, and they caught on to that, too. That’s when you realize the enemy isn’t stupid—they adapt and learn quickly. Early on, the narrative across Ukraine was that the enemy wasn’t as fearsome as they seemed, but the reality is starkly different. They are a very dangerous, cunning adversary, completely devoid of morality, and they possess an abundance of equipment and manpower.
– From what you can see, what condition is their equipment in?
– It's significantly newer than ours. While it might not be as advanced or equipped with cutting-edge avionics like Western models, they have plenty of it, and it’s new. If you compare it to one of our helicopters fresh from the factory, it would perform entirely differently. The key point is that they’re constantly upgrading—when something doesn’t work for them, or if their systems get jammed by electronic warfare, they adapt and improve.
– But things are changing for us as well, right?
– Yes, absolutely.
– I’d like to hear some optimistic news from you.
– There’s always room for optimism. We should never underestimate the enemy, but the fact that we will win is 100% certain—it’s only a matter of time.
– You often raise funds for various brigades on Instagram, and if I understand correctly, you collaborate with someone to sell clothes?
– No, this is entirely my personal initiative. I decided to create some small merch. There were times when it was incredibly hard to get donations from people, and I realised that if I made something people could buy, and then put the remaining proceeds into a jar, it would make fundraising easier.
– What are you raising funds for now?
– I’m raising funds with my comrade-in-arms Ihor. We came to understand that if we don’t help ourselves, no one will. Our first fundraiser was for helmets, and we managed to raise our first million for protective helmets. Now we’ve decided to raise money for FPV drones for brigades in the Kharkiv direction.
– How much does your gear cost? You mentioned a helmet—how expensive is it?
– At the moment, just a helmet costs around $3,000. And that’s without a mask, additional filters, or mounts for goggles.
– Do you have clothes and uniforms?
– Yes, since it’s specialized clothing, it can either be separate pieces or a one-piece jumpsuit, the fabric itself includes a special material that doesn’t burn but smolders instead, preventing burns on the pilot. Prices vary greatly depending on the manufacturer and the country of origin. In some cases, we use second-hand items.
– What else is essential in a helicopter for your daily tasks?
– Various navigation systems, including GPS, it’s like a phone—the newer, the better, because better systems ensure more effective mission performance. We also use different devices to practice before missions, which are very expensive, as well as additional navigation systems. As I mentioned earlier, the enemy’s electronic warfare (EW) capabilities are very strong, so we need to find ways to work effectively under conditions of intense electronic suppression.
– Do you need any special footwear?
– It’s not about being special, but it has to be very comfortable because flying a helicopter requires precise and delicate movements. We all understand the importance of flying in specialized equipment because there have been many cases where this clothing and these helmets have saved pilots’ lives.
– Can you recall a moment where your life was at the greatest risk during your career?
– If we don’t count Zmiinyi... There was one time I got a reprimand from my command. It was Aviation Day, 2023, and we were operating near Bakhmut, the enemy, realizing they couldn’t shoot us down, started changing their tactics. There was a moment when I acted on principle and went for the target four times. Their plane kept coming at me—I knew I couldn’t return fire, so I’d turn away, land briefly, and they’d retreat. Then I’d take off again, approach the target, and they’d come at me once more. This cycle repeated. But that day, luck was on our side, and we hit very, very well. However, my commander was furious and said, ‘Should I punish you or spare you?’ I haven’t done anything like that since.
– Were you penalized?
– There are no penalties in the air.
– Does luck play a role?
– Probably 90%.
– So you can take off, know everything, understand your mission, but something still happens?
– Exactly. It can be something as simple as power lines or a bird.
– Does the bird often spoil your work?
– It happens. Once, in the summer, we were flying near Lysychansk, over a huge oil refinery. We were flying a separator along a hollow, and the temperature was around 40°. Suddenly, a bird flew right into my windscreen. In such cases, you shouldn’t use the wiper because it will dry out and become impossible to remove. But reflexively, I turned it on, and it just smeared everything. Flying after that was a bit uncomfortable.
– Now we’re getting into army humor. Off-camera, you seem a little different—more joking, but on camera, you’re very serious.
– You can’t go without humor.
– What’s unique about aviation army humor? Every unit seems to have its own style—scouts joke one way, tankers another.
– Honestly, our humor is very dark, with sharp jabs. For instance, there was this one time when we were heading to Zmiinyi Island. Our cameraman, Yevhen, who rarely jokes but when he does, it’s kapooey... We were sitting in the smoking area, and he walked up and, in this gruff voice, said, ‘Maks, you already have Bohdan the Third, right?’ I replied, ‘Yeah.’ He continued, ‘I think after this mission, you’ll definitely get the Second, and after that, well, we’ll see.’ Something like that—it was brutal but classic army humor.
– And so, perhaps, amongst yourselves, when you are sitting together?
– Constantly, without humour, it's both moral support and a kind of release, so that your thoughts are not focused on the bad, but on the good, I never think about the bad, and if I do, I immediately assess all the risks and prepare my crew. I understand that if I focus on it myself and transfer this energy to my crew or newcomer, then... Even when you are afraid, you don't have to show it.
– Do you ever have a quarrel?
– Very rarely.
– Are you switching to shouting?
– Not really, maybe in the moment, but once we land, we joke and move on, because everyone understands that there is such a thing as an aviation family — when you fly together with a flight engineer, an operator, or a right pilot, you become a small family because you fly together, perform tasks together, and in some cases, die together.
– Did many of your colleagues or friends die during the full-scale war?
– A lot of them, yes, all my friends are very good guys, a lot of guys from my class died.
– What age is considered young for a pilot? Are you a young pilot now?
– Now there probably isn't anything like that. Earlier, before the full-scale training, there were probably some principles of training, when you realised that he was ready for something... Now I'll say that no matter how it sounds, pilots of 21 years old, with no class at all, have about 200 combat missions, have such a vast experience that it's just... He is only 21.
You can look at it from different perspectives: from the negative side, people might say, 'He’s only 21, and he's already been through all this...' But you can also look at it from the other side – at 21, he already has such a wealth of experience. Of course, it’s a bad kind of experience, and it would be much better if he didn’t have it at all, but it is what it is. And later, he’ll be able to pass this experience on to future generations – which is remarkable. War, as harsh as it is, drives progress.
– Are you tired of the war?
– Everyone’s tired, I think. We all want the war to end, we want victory, we want to visit the Donbas Arena, we want to go to Yalta...
– How does your fatigue show up now? Do you feel sleepy or want to take a break?
– Not really, it’s more that I don’t sleep well.
– In general, do pilots spend much time sleeping?
– Well, according to the regulations, we’re supposed to get eight hours of sleep.
– And do you actually sleep for 8 hours?
– Yes.
– Come on... How many hours of sleep did you get on your way here today? Be honest, no fines, so you can tell us.
– No, I slept fine, it's just that I probably had some thoughts running through my head before the interview, but other than that...
– Did you say everything you wanted to say to Ukrainians during the interview today?
– You can say a lot, but no matter how bitter it sounds, until someone finds themselves in these situations, they don’t understand anything. That's just the way our world works, that's human psychology, while our guys are constantly fighting out there, someone else is partying at a club somewhere. But when a Shahed drone strikes nearby, then they immediately realize they need to donate to the army. If we don’t all come together and understand that Russia is the enemy, that we all need to work—it's not just up to those who are drafted or have been serving since the start of the war and when everyone understands this and does at least something for this war, when everyone realizes that our guys are in captivity and that we need to protest, to show that they aren’t forgotten, and that this war is going to be long... All those fairy tales and rumors that someone new comes into power and suddenly, within 24 hours, the war will end—things like that don't happen, it’s the ravings of a madman.
Some people just don’t get that we’re not infinite. Every soldier in a trench, every morning he wakes up, goes to sleep—if he even sleeps at all that day—he’s also exhausted. Until we understand that, especially those who left the country and don’t want to come back—they’ll come back eventually, but who will they be by then? Can we even call them the same people?
I believe that everyone is doing everything they can for this war, because if we don’t, our next generation will have to, and that’s something I really don’t want to see. Sometimes you come across moments like this on the internet, for example, where a little girl goes abroad on holiday with her mother because her father is somewhere on the front lines, and fireworks are being fired, and she says: "Mom, what is that? What are those explosions?" And her mother can’t explain to her that it’s just a regular firework display. That’s what's awful—it’s really awful when children understand the realities of war. It shouldn’t be this way. To make sure it doesn’t continue, we all need to work together to bring this war to an end—that’s the message.
– Thank you very much.
– And thank you.
– I wish you rest, peaceful sky to all of us, and I really want your words to be heard by Ukrainians, they are very important. It’s not often that we have pilots here, especially with such heartfelt words. Thank you.
Anna Miroshnychenko, "'Who is with Miroshnychenko?"
