Roman Stehura, Battalion Commander of 128th Brigade: Over time, commanders who shake hands with their combat soldiers only after successful assault lose trust. What truly matters is coming to infantry after defeat and losses
The 29-year-old officer provided a detailed account of the liberation of the Kherson region in 2022, the loss of his apartment in Irpin, coordinating breakthroughs from frontline command posts, and successful operations in the Zaporizhzhia direction that resulted in the liberation of settlements.
Since 2022, the frontline has expanded so significantly that we don't have enough time to cover all the successful operations. In fact, little is known about how the Kherson region was liberated and what happened before the occupiers fled from Kherson itself. Therefore, this account by a direct participant in the events is another piece in the puzzle of the overall picture of the Russian-Ukrainian war.
In August 2021, Roman was honored with the highest non-governmental award – the Silver Trident, "People’s Hero of Ukraine." Even back then, he had already earned this recognition. In this conversation, Roman also shares details about his missions into the gray zone and the elimination of enemy forces that persistently shelled our positions during the so-called "truces." After the full-scale invasion, he proved once again that the people's award was well-deserved. It is peculiar that the state has not recognized this young officer’s achievements since 2018. That year, he was awarded the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytskyi of the Third Degree. And nothing more. Meanwhile, his academy classmates have received two or even three "Bohdans", and some have been named "Heroes of Ukraine." Roman does not seek awards, but he has done much to make his country proud of him and to warrant its support.
"RUSSIAN ARTILLERYMEN WERE PASSING EXAMS NEAR DONETSK, FIRING AT US"
Roman Stehura studied at the Lviv Academy alongside Vasyl Tarasiuk, Andrii Verkhohliad, and Andrii Moroz. All of them graduated with honors—they were honors students.
- "How did that happen?" I ask Roman. "Were you competing with each other?"
- "Not at all. Everyone consciously obtained an education in order to join the army as worthy officers. We were all determined to study hard. Special attention was given to our specialized subjects. Our group was truly strong."
In the photo: Roman Stehura was presented with the non-governmental award "People's Hero of Ukraine" in August 2021 by his friend, with whom he studied together, Andrii Verkhohliad, call sign Levsha (Lefty). Andrii died in June 2022
- Why did you choose military education? Are there any military people in your family?
- There are no career soldiers in my family, only my father and grandfather served in the military. My grandfather had a good influence on me because he told me all my childhood how he served in a tank regiment. So I entered the Mukachevo Military Lyceum. There I was lucky enough to have a mentor in my life for the second time. It was an officer-educator, Colonel Ivan Ivanovych Patskan. He had combat experience.
When I was 15 or 16 years old, I didn’t fully grasp his words or sharp reactions. He never spoke to us about the battles he had fought in, but he said that war is terrifying—it means losses—and God forbid we should ever have to face it. However, if we ever needed to defend our country, we had to be well-prepared. When I was graduating, he asked me, "What do you plan to do next? You have the qualities of a commander and a leader." He recommended the Lviv Academy of Ground Forces, which I eventually joined. To this day, I remain grateful for his advice. We keep in touch, and whenever I’m in Mukachevo, I visit him.
- How did you end up in the 128th Brigade after graduating from the academy?
That’s a long story. In short, I’m from Zakarpattia, and I always wanted to serve closer to home. The 128th Brigade is the closest. I graduated in 2016, when the war was already underway, so, ultimately, it didn’t matter much because I would have ended up in the East regardless. But I have never once regretted joining the 128th Brigade. By that time, the brigade had already endured heavy battles and was a strong and highly motivated unit.
- Where did you come to join the brigade, where was it at the time?
- The unit had just entered the Donetsk airport. My company was assigned to the "Anthill," a large earth mound with our dugouts and trenches were dug. This position was located right next to the airport runway.
I served as a platoon commander for four months, and in July 2016, I took command of the company. The company's command and observation post was on the frontline. The enemy had excellent and advantageous positions in that area. I vividly remember that time because I had never experienced so much artillery fire concentrated on me before! Artillery struck us daily and with incredible intensity. At one point, intercepts revealed that Russian artillery military students had arrived to take their exams. And they strike us. They deployed a 2S1 battery, six guns positioned behind a spoil tip directly opposite us on the outskirts of Donetsk. I once timed it: they bombarded us for an hour and forty minutes straight. They were expending the entire ammunition load of the "Gvozdika" battery—around 240 shells! Fortunately, most of the rounds were minus round or plus round, with only a few landing directly on our positions. However, they kept firing at us using various types of weapons.
The enemy also launched raids from the occupied airport—until we demonstrated why that was a bad idea. One night, they nearly flanked us. I gave the command to open fire and engaged the enemy myself with an AGS (automatic grenade launcher). They retreated, but we heard a scream. They retrieved the body of their comrade only the next day. That marked my first rotation in the army.
During that time, Sasha Sak, call sign Staf, was a role model and source of inspiration for me. He was serving in the 93rd Brigade back then, and his sallies in Pisky were legendary. I learned a lot from his experience and applied it in my own service.
Later, I was transferred closer to Nevelske. For a week, we conducted reconnaissance to locate the enemy’s positions, as we had little data. One foggy morning, I donned a camouflage robe, and we entered a grey zone. The first forest plantation had nothing, only empty bottles. At the second site, there was no sign of the enemy either. Eventually, we reached the Donetsk bypass road, where we finally encountered them. We identified two ETBs (earth-and timber bunkers). The enemy seemed completely unbothered—they were strolling around like it was a leisurely walk. After that, we launched an operation and destroyed their ETBs.
That was my period of growth as a company commander. My next rotation was in Zaitseve.
- It's already 2017...
- It was tougher then. I was conducting sorties with a group of soldiers from my company. During these sorties, we engaged in close-contact battles. At that time, very few units operated like that. To be honest, I kept our sorties to the enemy's positions a secret from headquarters because I knew we’d get into trouble if they found out. For about three months, I managed to keep it under wraps.
Everything came to light when my platoon commander and I went into the trenches with the Russians and took their documents. We had to hand them over to our commander, so we confessed. We also found an intriguing explosive device - we had never seen anything like it before. We used it to detonate some of the ammunition we discovered there. After that, we quietly retreated back to our positions. When the Katsaps realized that we were in their trenches, they seem to have fired at us the entire ammo of an armoured group of three combat vehicles. When the commander heard about my sorties, he spoke frankly: "I don't know what to do. On the one hand, you need to be severely punished, on the other hand, you need to be praised. So I will punish you." And he began: "You are the company commander, who... you are conducting sorties back and forth..."
- And then he still told you that you did well?
- Yes, he praised me: well done, the man. During the sorties, I also removed Russian mines near their positions, and then we used them against the Russians.
- At that time, there were units that strongly disliked such sorties because they would provoke enemy fire on their positions. You could hear them say: "Why provoke them? If you do, we’ll have no peace..."
- Such actions are primarily a demonstration of strength of character. I wanted my unit to show strength of character. When we entered one of the positions, the predecessors there were crossing in one of the areas. They explained: "It’s 400 meters to the enemy. Digging is tough. Guys put up concrete blocks and we ran between them because the Russians kept shooting at this section with DShKs (Degtyarov-Shpagin Krupnokaliberny (DShKs) machine gun - ed.note)" I walked through the area, rolled in the mud a couple of times... Digging there really was difficult. So, we needed to ensure that the enemy wouldn’t dare shoot there anymore. We simply destroyed their position. After that, they avoided engaging us in that area.
"IN TWO DAYS IN KHERSON REGION, MY BATTALION BROKE THROUGH THE FIRST LINE AND ADVANCED 16 KILOMETRES"
- Did you have a sense that the war would escalate?
- At the end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022, I was already stationed in Kyiv, and I felt a constant, overwhelming anxiety. Honestly, I didn’t think the Russians would advance on Kyiv. I assumed the conflict would intensify in Donbas and that they would launch an offensive from Crimea—they had long sought a land corridor. But I didn’t believe that Chernihiv, Sumy, and Kyiv would become targets. It seemed like the troop buildup on the border was just a show of force. In January, I was sent to a training ground for exercises. That’s where we faced the start of the full-scale war. My wife and I had just bought an apartment in Irpin. On February 24, around lunchtime, I found out that the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone had been occupied and that Russian Ka-52 helicopters were storming Hostomel with troops—just a short distance from our home.
- Is your apartment in Irpin intact?
- No. The house has been dismantled to the ground. We live in a rented apartment...
- How did you end up back in the 128th?
- When I realized that I was no longer useful in the unit where I was serving at the time, I decided to move on. I called the brigade commander of the 128th and said I wanted to come back. However, I did not return to the motorized infantry battalion where I had served before, but to the 2nd Assault Battalion.
- Where was he at the time?
- In the area of Orikhiv, in Zaporizhzhia. When I arrived, the Russian offensive in this direction had already been halted, and a defensive line had been established. However, the enemy kept attempting assaults every two or three days. I arrived in early April 2022. We stayed in that area until June 2022. Our battalion did not lose a single position there. On one occasion, the enemy managed to enter one of our forest plantations, but our troops quickly drove them out.
After that, we withdrew to restore combat capability. There was talk that we would attack in the Zaporizhzhia direction because we already knew the area. We began to prepare actively, and then suddenly we received an order: to go to the Kherson region. General Mykhailo Vasylovych Drapatyi was in charge of our group there. He is a very high-level professional, he is attentive to every detail and values the life of every soldier. In the early days, he gathered the commanders and said: "Our group here is small. But our success elsewhere will depend on how we prove ourselves." He did not say where exactly.
It was late August and early September 2022. We began to advance. The first attempts were successful: we drove the enemy out from the front lines and liberated two settlements - Novovoznesenske and Myroliubivka. At that time, the Kharkiv operation began. It became clear why we were needed here - the enemy was waiting for an offensive only in the Kherson region.
In the photo: If you look closely, you can see how Roman Stehura's unit's armour moves—smoothly and in sync, just as it's supposed to.
On October 1, we were tasked with entering the village of Petrivka. Our reconnaissance had combed the village and confirmed that there were no Russians left there—they had taken positions in a forest plantation behind the village. According to the original plan, I was supposed to advance across the field, but that would have made us an easy target for the enemy, so, I decided that my 4th Company, which was leading the operation, should quickly move through the village to the forest plantation. The Russians spotted them and launched a volley of Uragans at the village, but by that time, our guys had already gotten close to their positions and begun the assault. The next company took a different route, advancing under the cover of smoke. They successfully broke through the second line of Russian defenses. The third company reached the Russian mortar crews—this was the third enemy line. Within an hour of launching the assault, I was already at the third line of Russian defenses.
After this, we were ordered to push further. Other battalions followed along the paths we had cleared. They were advancing on either side of us. Our own route was marked by long, four-kilometre forest plantations, where we could have been easily routed, so we moved across the open fields, constantly employing smoke screens and fire support. The next day, our offensive continued, Russians were in retreat, and our infantry pursued and killed them. The enemy was disoriented and often couldn't tell where their forces were versus ours. At one point, a Russian tank drove toward us, thinking we were their troops, and the crew even waved at us cheerfully. My soldiers, too, were momentarily confused, which allowed the tank to escape.
In just two days, my battalion advanced 16 kilometres!
In general, the situation in the Kherson region varied greatly. There were places where the Russians fled, but there were also settlements that we had to liberate through extremely heavy fighting. We started fighting there, I believe, against the 82nd Ussuri Airborne Brigade, followed by the 126th Coast Guard Brigade. The Russians had formed the latter unit using the foundation of our own brigade in Crimea. Before the mission, I addressed my guys: "We’ve already fought paratroopers—and we wiped their eyes. Now, we’re going up against traitors. We must drive them out of here, no matter what." The 80th Arctic Brigade from Murmansk was also among those fighting us. During this counteroffensive, we captured many POWs. Two of them were brought to me for interrogation. One of them swore up and down, "I didn’t shoot. I never even picked up a weapon!" The other one, a skinny 70-kilogram figure, looked so miserable I almost felt like patting him on the head. He remained silent the entire time. I asked him, "Where are you from?" "From Murmansk," he replied. It turned out that he was a contract soldier, with a family and two children. And yet, his conscience did not stop him from coming here to kill our children!
In early November, I was wounded.
- How did it happen?
- We were heading to the front line—me, the chief of intelligence, and the deputy for artillery. We wanted to fly a drone and assess the situation. We sat down near a trench, and suddenly, an 82-mm mortar round hit us. I was the least injured—shrapnel hit my buttock and back. The scout sustained severe injuries to his arm and leg, while the gunner's legs were badly damaged. All three of us ran into a small trench. The shelling continued—I think they had spotted us because we had driven our car almost to the front line. I realized we needed to evacuate the wounded. Running on adrenaline, I rushed to the car, drove it up to the trench. Guys came to help load the injured and we sped off to the hospital. I was treated quickly, and that same day, I returned to the unit because we had to advance again—we had a mission to push another 12 kilometres forward.
The next morning, our 4th Company was the first to advance. I followed them in an MTLB, where I set up a command post. The enemy had prepared for our offensive. Every forest plantation and passage was heavily mined with a variety of explosives. We encountered the first minefield just 200 metres from the front line. A tank with mine rollers was deployed to clear paths. The Russians displayed remarkable creativity in their mining tactics. I even kept photos of where I found mines—under ammunition boxes, inside abandoned vehicles, everywhere. For instance, there was an S-300 system that appeared to be destroyed. When you approached it, it was entirely booby-trapped. Ammunition was scattered all over, and we came across surprise mines, TM mines were sometimes hidden in puddles, and the forest plantations were littered with petal mines.
On the road from Arkhanhelske to Bohuslav, for example, we found the road suddenly dug up in several places. It was also mined so that any vehicles trying to pass would detonate. The Russians had thrown a lot of ammunition and lightly covered such pits. Unfortunately, there were many blowings up in the Kherson region. My engineer platoon commander, Artem Holodiuk, cleared all of those mines. He lost his life during one of these demining operations... We were the first to drive there and make the road passable so that others could use it.
During the battles for Kherson, we captured a cutting-edge Russian armoured vehicle, the AMN-590951. The Katsaps only had ten of them. Three were captured, and one of them was taken by us. There was plenty of abandoned new Russian equipment in the area, all manufactured in 2021–2022. Overall, we captured many trophies.
Later, my deployment area was in the newly liberated village of Chervone. This was the place where we received the warmest welcome. I initially sent scouts and signalmen to scout for a location for the command-and-observation post (COP). But they didn't return for some time, and I started worrying that something had gone wrong. Eventually, they showed up. The signalman explained: "Commander, it's not my fault! When we arrived in the village, the people started hugging me. I told them: I'm a signalman, not an infantryman—wait until the infantry arrive if you want to hug someone. But they wouldn't let us go!" The civilians gave us the largest house and prepared dinner for us—potatoes, meat... It turned out they had given us their last remaining food supplies. One grandmother had five ducks and slaughtered three of them for us. That’s how the Kherson region welcomed us...Around the house, 10–15 women gathered, and we began asking them questions. After we talked, they asked us: "We haven't had any communication, but you have Starlink. Can we use it to connect with our relatives?" They began calling their loved ones, overjoyed to finally speak to them. I called the executive officer and asked: "What supplies do we have—grain, oil? Bring everything here." I gave instructions to distribute food so that everyone had enough. But we didn’t need to organize it ourselves. The village head turned out to be a collaborator, had fled with the Katsaps, but she was an informal leader among the locals. The soldier I left in charge later told me: "I’ve never seen anything like it. They were pouring oil, dividing sugar to make sure everyone got their share. Everything was calm, everything was fair. It deeply impressed me."
I have never experienced such emotions in my life as I did in that village. Those people made all our efforts to liberate these territories absolutely worth it.
"OVER TIME, COMMANDERS WHO SHAKE HANDS WITH THEIR COMBAT SOLDIERS ONLY AFTER A SUCCESSFUL ASSAULT LOSE THE TRUST. WHAT TRULY MATTERS IS COMING TO THE INFANTRY AFTER DEFEAT AND LOSSES"
- Is it hard when you can't carry out an operation?
- Assaults can be either successful or unsuccessful, even if everything has been meticulously planned and everyone has given their all. I believe that over time, commanders who shake hands with their soldiers only after a successful assault, when morale is high, lose the trust of their troops. What truly matters is coming to the infantry after a defeat or losses. It is at such moments that a commander must find the right words to motivate and support their soldiers and share in their defeat. It's incredibly hard, but I firmly believe that this is how trust is built within a unit. When heading out on a mission, no one knows if they will back. Imagine an armoured vehicle filled with infantry. If they see their commander standing by the roadside, not hiding far away, it boosts their confidence in their own strength and abilities.
- Can you tell us about your unsuccessful assault, the most painful for you?
It was in mid-October when the legendary tanker Dmytro Hranchar, call sign Demon, was killed. He was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine. Demon always stormed with my battalion. Most of our successes are due to the fact that this tank crewman was the first to go. He would drive his tank close to enemy positions, dismantling them, allowing the infantry to clean out afterward. Dmytro was killed in the Kherson region. At the time, one of the neighboring units rolled back from my flank just as my company was entering positions. From that flank, fire was opened on them. I gave the command for my troops to withdraw. Tanks and infantry fighting vehicles pounded there. Then tank crewman drove his tank into the field, deployed smoke-screens, and began firing at the corner of the forest plantation so that our infantry could roll back. I told the company commander, "Get him out of there." But then two ATGMs struck the tank. It started to smoke. Motor driver mechanic managed to escape and was evacuated, but the tank remained in the field. We had a strong feeling there might still be someone alive inside. We moved closer and launched a drone to inspect the open hatches. We saw Demon was dead, but the gun pointer next to him wasn’t moving—until suddenly, he twitched his hand. He was alive! We planned his rescue: Self-propelled gun opened fire at enemy and our recovery detachment drove up to the tank on an ATV and managed to pull the gunner out. Thankfully, the gunner survived and, after recovery, returned to the ranks. That day, Demon saved many lives at the cost of his own. And Nazik, who rode the ATV, showed incredible bravery and saved a life.
- Was Demon’s body recovered?
- There was no way to do it that day. His body was recovered a few days later, once we had liberated the territory.
After the Kherson region, we were transferred to Bakhmut for defense without any chance to recover. The brigade took positions in Yakovlivka, Bakhmutske, and Soledar itself. We stayed there for a month, and it was pure hell. Winter, freezing temperatures, and endless assaults by Wagner forces—6–7 attacks a day. It was a dark chapter in the battalion's history. We lost positions, but even worse, we lost many soldiers in those battles, with many more wounded. After that, we returned to Zaporizhzhia, where we spent the entire year of 2023.
- Why was there so much talk about a counteroffensive at that time? Didn't it allow the enemy to prepare?
- Perhaps it was meant to put moral pressure on the enemy—highlighting that we had new equipment to break their spirit before the offensive even began. However, the terrain in that area is extremely challenging for an offensive, with numerous ATGMs, dangerous directions.
We were also preparing for an offensive in Zaporizhzhia in the area of the villages of Lobkove, Zherebianky, and Piatykhatky. The offensive was scheduled for June 7. I was to start moving in the morning, and later that day, the 47th and 33rd Brigades, along with others, were to advance toward Robotyne. Our battalion's task was to engage the enemy as a diversionary maneuver—nobody expected significant results from us, except for us. Yet, we succeeded. On the first day, we captured a dominant height and liberated Lobkove. A few days later, we also liberated Piatykhatky.
In the autumn of 2023, we conducted successful offensive operations in the Kopany area—we needed to expand the corridor to Robotyne.
- So Muscovites can be defeated?
- I’ve reached this conclusion. Changes need to be introduced into the psychological training of young officers. Yes, we were taught that a commander is a leader, that he must do everything himself and lead by example. This is correct, but we also need to emphasize the ability to win battles psychologically. We succeeded in situations where the enemy outnumbered us. For instance, two groups of my fighters—12 people in total—stormed a company strongpoint held by about 50 Russians. I tasked them with entering the enemy trench and holding here. "If you hold out until evening, you'll see how the Russians will break down psychologically," I told them. The sergeant believed me, and the guys managed to hold a portion of the trench until evening. That night, one group of Russian infantry began fleeing and was eliminated by our fighters. Later, another group of 30 Russians fled as well. That’s how we took the position.
We stormed a platoon stronghold with one tank and two IFVs. Even though one of the IFVs hit a mine.That time, ten infantrymen in a tank and an IFV actually stormed military strongpoint, and they captured it.
- But there is an opinion that we will win technologically, with the development of drones and payload drops...
- Technology and drones are undoubtedly very important, but we cannot win the war with drones alone, without well-trained and motivated infantry. I have always explained one simple truth to my subordinates: "War evolves. But the heaviest burden of war still rests on the infantryman." Until an infantryman's boot touches the ground, the land cannot be considered liberated. We can eliminate dozens of enemy fighters, but until our infantry enters their trench, we cannot claim the position as ours. Every unit in the army plays a crucial role in the ultimate victory.
Before every operation, we conduct coordination. Simply put, it’s a meeting of commanders to finalize the details. I always made sure to call in the sergeants who were going to take part in the assault, as well as the commanders of tanks, mortar crews, and collective means of destruction. Each of them must clearly understand their task—who will engage the enemy position and with what means. After we’ve discussed everything, I ask them: "Now look at the sergeant who will lead his people into the assault. Look him in the eye. Do you have any excuse to shoot inaccurately or perform poorly? The lives of Sania and his soldiers depend on how well you execute your task." This approach works. Once, in the Kherson region, my tank crewmen were left alone. The tanks moved forward, but the infantry didn’t. After that, I always told my infantrymen: "Look into this tank crewman’s eyes. If you don’t advance, he’ll be left alone. Do you understand?" When such mutual understanding is achieved, the likelihood of anyone abandoning another on the battlefield drops to zero.
"FIRST, SERGEANTS, SOLDIERS, TANK COMMANDERS, MORTAR CREWS, DRONE PILOTS SHOULD RECEIVE AWARDS, AND THEN COMPANY, BATTALION AND BRIGADE COMMANDERS"
Roman's only combat award is the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytskyi, Third Class, which he received in 2018. However, during the full-scale offensive, the state did not acknowledge him for some reason.
- Well, I still have my award pistol, along with several departmental and commander-issued recognitions. But honestly, I’ve never been overly concerned about my awards. Over the past three years, I’ve deeply rethought the meaning of the word "courage" in the military. I believe awards should first go to sergeants, soldiers, tank commanders, mortar crews, drone pilots—those who directly engage and eliminate the enemy—and only then to company, battalion, and brigade commanders. When my soldiers distinguished themselves during assaults, I made every effort to ensure they were nominated for awards, ensuring all the necessary documentation was submitted. And while, of course, not everyone was recognized, many were. I can proudly say that two company commanders and several sergeants in my battalion are full knights of the Order of Courage. One company commander holds the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytskyi, Second and Third Class. We also have two Heroes of Ukraine. Unfortunately, one of them, mortar battery commander Volodymyr Lobodiuk, was awarded posthumously. He engaged in small-arms combat in Yakovlivka near Soledar, rushing to assist the infantry in reclaiming positions. He was an extraordinary officer—a recent university graduate, yet incredibly brave and talented, earning immediate respect from his subordinates. His loss is a profound tragedy for our battalion. The second Hero of Ukraine is company chief sergeant Anatolii Banatskyi. He has been through countless assaults, sustained several injuries, yet continues to fight. There are also others in our unit who deserve this recognition. I am deeply proud to have had the honour of serving alongside these remarkable individuals.
- You are currently studying at the Defence University...
- Yes, it was my decision to obtain an education before moving forward. There were offers for promotion, but I didn’t want to leave the battalion because our team was very important to me. I served as a battalion commander for two years, which is quite a long time under current conditions. Of course, there comes a moment when you have to move on. At some point, I realised that I had done everything I could for my unit. I am confident that the new commander will now provide them with valuable experience and share his knowledge. He is a very talented and capable officer, my former deputy.I stay in constant contact with my former unit, and after everything we’ve been through together, we are more than just comrades-in-arms. Before moving on, I want to learn. The army is a place where you must continually educate yourself and improve. Your competence and knowledge can save lives, and that is why this is so important.
- How will we win? On strength of character, as you said?
- Strength of character is important, but we are also winning because most units from 2014 to 2022 did not sit idle but actively prepared. They trained soldiers, sergeants, mortar crews, and ATGM operators. The enemy underestimated us. Now, in my opinion, the level of training has slightly decreased because the quality of personnel has changed. However, the effectiveness of units depends on the commanders. When the infantry abandons positions or refuses to complete a task, 80 percent of the responsibility falls on the commanders. Correct appointments are crucial. At the moment, we are sorely lacking competent platoon leaders and company commanders. This level needs to be developed from sergeants. We saw this in our battalion. A commander must also act as a manager, recognizing people's potential and selecting them accordingly. For example, a fighter with the call sign Hercules didn’t want to become an officer for a long time, but we convinced him and sent him for training. Now, he’s one of the best company commanders in the brigade. There’s another soldier, call sign Archie. I met him in the Kherson region and was shocked to learn he had six children at home. I asked him, "What are you doing here?" He replied, "What am I doing? I'm protecting them." Archie became a sergeant and was later promoted to officer. He initially didn't want the promotion, but I insisted because I saw his talent and leadership qualities. He’s been a platoon commander for over a year now and will soon be leading a company.
In the Soviet Union, it was welcomed that during an attack the commander with the gun would run first - this is how their school taught them. But if every commander does that now, we might not have any left. In our battalion, we have a company commander named Yurii Anatoliiovych.
When two men were killed in his unit, the infantry couldn’t even get out– the shelling was so intense. This Yurii Anatoliyovych went in alone and pulled out the dead man. One ATGM hit after him. A second one… It’s good he survived. After that, I scolded him severely. "Commander, I did everything right," he replied. "You must understand that you are a company commander. Your company has already witnessed your courage a thousand times. No one doubts it. But if the soldiers are left without their company commander, who will lead them? Who will be their father?" - I explained to him. "Nowadays, commanders protect each other, the senior commander protects the junior. Everyone has a responsibility to the people. You must always keep that in mind. People are the most important thing in war.
Violetta Kirtoka, Censor.NET
