Company commander with call sign Borov: "Sometimes I had to deceive to save my soldier’s lives. Once, I deliberately shifted coordinates of my position 50 meters to side on map..."
...His name is Serhii Borovko, so it is not surprising that he fights with the call sign Borov (Hog). For some time, his company even had its own chevron, with a fanged animal and the slogan "Because we are insane". This chevron was awarded only to soldiers with combat achievements...
As the head of a company that traded in alternative energy sources, he ended up becoming the commander of the 2nd Company of the Darnytsia Battalion of the TDF (Territorial Defense Forces) during the war. Censor.NET learned this from Serhii in Kyiv, where he was undergoing treatment for his injured leg.
The Darnytsia barricades, the chalk hills of Pryshyb, the capture of Sviatohirsk—Borov has seen and heard much in this war. We recorded his vivid story in the form of a monologue, which touches on the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Ukraine itself, and Serhii Borovko.
"I WATCH THE NEWS ON THE 24TH: THE B**TARDS ATTACKED!". THE PATH FROM VOLUNTEER TO PLATOON LEADER
At one time, I graduated from a good military department at the Dnipro Railway University. But when the war broke out in 2014, I didn’t receive a draft notice and, like many others, started volunteering. I met Mariia Komarova, who headed Army-SOS. The girls were doing a lot for the frontline back then. And my business partners in Kharkiv had a small manufacturing facility that made "foam boots" for hunting and fishing. They had inflated foam bottoms, and the socks were warm. We sent them to the frontline to units we knew. I volunteered for about a year or two.And then, on my way back from Kharkiv, I was travelling with a soldier who, under the influence of alcohol, told me a lot of "interesting" things about what was going on there. He told me about the extortion at checkpoints, the drinking, and the complete lawlessness. And somehow I got involved in volunteering...The coronavirus showed people that they needed to disinfect their hands. And 5 years before the coronavirus, my business was connected to cleaning, so we took a German disinfectant that was supplied to hospitals, bought small bottles, and printed our own labels. And since I’ve been Borov for a long time, we called it "Borovs Family Recommends."That was the label I had. That was the label I had.
Prior to his full-time job, Serhii combined his business work with volunteering
How did I meet a full-scale one? At that time, I had been living on my own for almost a year, having moved to a private area near a forest – it was beautiful. And then, on February 24, I was sleeping near the Partisan Glory Park when suddenly, explosions went off. I watch the news: b**tards attacked! (Sorry, I can't call them anything else). I called my brother, who left Donetsk in 2014, a master of sports in American football, and said: 'Well, let's go to the military commissariat! ' There was no transport running, so I walked from the park to Darnytskyi railway station, picked up my brother, and together we went to Boryspilska Street to the military enlistment office. We came, said: we are volunteer fighters, we want to defend the country - And who are you? - We are both reserve officers - "No, guys, those who haven’t served in the army yet, we don’t need you right now. Come back tomorrow."
We went around for two days, they said we were not needed. Then they said: "Go to Bratislavska Street, they’re recruiting there." We got a car, picked up two more guys, and went to Bratislavska Street. There was a gathering, a crowd of people. We said: "We want to defend!" – "Well, take the papers, gather people, form platoons, and submit the documents."
As the director of the firm, I took the initiative. We made lists, submitted them, and were told: "No, there's nothing today, come back tomorrow". We left, it was already curfew, and then I got a call: "Come!" I called everyone, and all these volunteer fighters drove there in their cars, during curfew. We were stopped by patrols, and they even shot at us because they thought we were a sabotage and reconnaissance group (SRG)... But we got there, and again, no weapons! And at midnight, we were heading back. One of our guys was even "hooked up" by a patrol because he was walking home. He said: "I'm from the military enlistment office." "And how can you prove it?" He called me, but what can I do? I can't just call some Vasia from the military enlistment office, who isn't picking up. Well, that's it. There were no passwords or information back then...
The next morning, they told us: there will be no platoons, only squads. Divide into units by specialty. And we even had female medical workers: I selected them to make sure everything was organized and logical. But again, they said nothing would happen. And then I got a call: they said they were recruiting at the Territorial Defense Forces (TDF) on Virmenska Street!
We went there, got in line. Not all of us were there because it turned out that women and elderly men were not accepted. Again, the lists. And one of the guys had a five-ton truck, and he lived in Osokorky. At that time, all of Kyiv was being built up with barricades. And we were told: "Oh, can you use your private truck to help build barricades?" – "We can." We bought bags at Epicenter with our own money. And as a result, almost all of Darnytsia was built up with barricades thanks to my team, and we received certificates from the battalion commander.
And so we work during the day, and in the evening we come back hoping that maybe they will finally take us away. But no, they say: come back, we need to build another facility. You have shovels, right? We bought shovels. There were 10 of us and we were digging and building. Then a military man comes up to me: "Are you the senior here?" "Yes." "Look, do you have a deputy?" "Yes. My brother works with me. We carry these sandbags amid freezing conditions, load them, and fill them up. But it's a big one. There are volunteers. We need to lead them and have someone who understands what to build.
I come from the railway engineering corps. I understand what construction is and how it should be done. I have a technical mindset. Under my supervision, as it turned out later, an exemplary checkpoint was built in Kyiv. A lot of inspections came to see that everything had been dug according to army standards and training.
It was already early March. And everyone kept telling us there was no war. Even the soldier guarding our site with a machine gun said: "You promised Borov you'd take him and his guys! He built such a huge checkpoint there." It cost about 200 thousand hryvnias. We all pooled our money, built it, searched for bags, sand – it wasn't easy...Thanks to everyone who contributed to the construction, carried bags, made tea, helped with money – we were like an anthill, with everyone making their contribution to the defense of Darnytsia.
Only then were we, 10 people, accepted as freelancers. There were regular units, and we were freelancers. This happened on 14 March, on Volunteer Day, and under this momentum, the company commander, who had promised to take us, did so. I was temporarily made the freelance platoon commander because I proved myself as an organizer.
DONBAS-2022. "AT THE BEGINNING, MANY OF US WERE CALLED ‘DISPOSABLES’ - THOSE WHO GO TO A POSITION ONCE AND DO NOT RETURN BECAUSE THEY LACK TRAINING"
My company was the 2nd. I was appointed as a platoon commander. Officially, there was an order on March 15: I was mobilized. All the volunteer fighters who joined are considered voluntarily mobilized. I had to take the oath for the second time, as they requested since the first time I took the oath was when I was still a student.
I was serving as a platoon leader when our company commander fell ill. They offered me to take his place, but I refused. I said: I have my 30 guys, I can't take on more, I'm not a qualified soldier. A company commander is a company commander. It’s a moral and material responsibility.
So I remained quietly in command of my platoon. By the way, I got the positions I had built. Everything there was perfect. Others had problems. All the inspectors who came to us said, "You come here: there's a waffle, there's tea, everything is tidy, beautiful, and done wisely." And it stayed that way until we went to Donbas.
Back then, I was doing my job as a platoon leader. I did almost all the paperwork for the acting company commander because he could neither draw maps nor read them. What is a cop? A policeman is not a soldier. If you were taught anything properly, you’ll remember it. When I was 12, I was the champion of Ukraine in orienteering, so maps and forests are my thing. I read maps "with ease..."
So, they give us an order: head on to Kramatorsk. We arrive, and in two days, we’re sent to Pryshyb. We check DeepState to see what it is. And it turns out there’s a river flowing—the Siverskyi Donets—and Pryshyb is encircled, in a pocket. Surrounded. And they’re taking us there! They said: you’re going for two days on reconnaissance. Don’t take anything with you, except your backpacks. And it’s summer, it’s hot. The duffel bags with our things are left in Kramatorsk. A few of our guys were injured at the training ground: one broke a finger, another got appendicitis. So, they were left to guard the things at the battalion’s permanent base.
We arrive in Pryshyb, and here’s a funny thing about Donbas: up in the highlands, there are chalk mountains, and it’s warm during the day but cold at night, even in summer. No one even took a fleece, because why would you need a fleece for two days if you’re coming back after that?
In the end, we got our duffel bags back in about a month. Do you know how we went to our posts at night? There was this broken-down house, with old ladies' belongings lying around—down jackets and the like. I, the platoon commander, was walking around in a pink down jacket that happened to fit me. There must’ve been some enormous old lady…
"We were told: you will stand there because you have the smallest company in the rear line. The village is below, and you will stand on the hill. This is the so-called second line, as everyone is standing along the river, watching to ensure it’s not crossed. Crossing it is impossible on its own, but they needed someone to fill the gaps, so they placed TDF units there. At the beginning of the war, TDFs were seen as useless because they were mostly 40-50 years old. So, it was easy to tell TDFs apart from the paratroopers: youngins and the old hats. What can I say? We had two people under 30, two more under 40, and the rest were 40-50+. All grown men, and after a civilian life, running and jumping... well, it’s tough. Don't forget, the Darnytsia TDF was manned with guys who were businessmen or something else in Kyiv. It wasn’t a forced gathering of homeless guys from under kiosks like it is now. These were conscious, educated people. I was a businessman—and I went. Someone else had three restaurants—and he went. Another was an athlete—and he went. Everyone followed the call of their soul. But how do you explain to the paratroopers that these are conscious people? No, the paratroopers look and think: ah, old guys, some untrained meat. Useless, in short. At the start, many of us were called "disposables" – the type that go to a position once and don’t come back, because they’re untrained. In the beginning, that could’ve been true because we were really green as grass...
We ended up in a spot where others had already been before. So everything that was flying was hitting us. No one was bombing the village itself. They bombed the edge of the shore and the spot we’d entered. There were a couple of waist-deep trenches dug; we expanded them and dug out a full-fledged platoon strongpoint. And it turned out that fighting had already started in our rear. We were surrounded. We looked across and saw those b*stards, the river was 100 meters wide, and they were walking around, bathing, and strolling with their dogs. But we had the order "don’t shoot" so as not to give ourselves away. They said, "You're just observing." (At the time, we didn’t have thermal imagers or night-vision devices.) There’s a position there—the top of the mountain, all overgrown with impassable thickets, thorns, and so on. And we get word that a Katsap sabotage group is coming from Sviatohirsk to Pryshyb, and we, who were supposed to be the last, had now become the first. And we had nothing to watch with at night.
It so happened that all those who stood along the river were on duty calmly, while we were constantly being fired. We had to dig in according to the standards, but the ground was clay that wouldn't budge at all! One part was chalk, which you could break through with a pickaxe. But in the forest, there were places with clay so dense that even an excavator couldn’t move it. It was so tough that you would carve out a small hole, and then it was like cutting the earth into little chips.
"We were exhausted, cursed this place, and spent a long time digging. We eventually got used to it, and by summer, we had settled in fairly well. The clay saved us because when it hits, it doesn't collapse the trenches. At the time, we didn’t realize it was a good thing. It was hard to dig: the heat, blisters, and fatigue. But on the other hand, when it hits 2-3 meters away, the clay saves. I have a video: we’re being bombed, we’re sitting there – and it holds. When we were bombed, I went to our acting company commander and said: this doesn’t make sense, we’re sitting in the middle of nowhere, looking up – a rapeseed field with visibility of 20 meters, and we’re constantly being bombed, there’s no logic in it, we need to change our position. He says: I don’t get it, let’s go to the battalion commander. We go to the commander, and he says: that makes sense, but we need to justify it. I said I’d explain it to the military. They took me to the paratroopers, to the commander of the 81st Airborne Brigade. The battalion commander says: you’re not a platoon leader, you’re a company commander because I can’t bring a platoon leader to the headquarters. Fine, I’ll be a company commander then. I said: so be it. They immediately asked me to get lost, without even hearing my ideas: Are you the smartest? They’ve drawn where you’re supposed to be. You will stay there..."
STORMING OF SVIATOHIRSK, PART ONE. HOW TDF WERE TURNED INTO STORMTROOPERS
They called me in the evening and said: tomorrow, we’re going on the assault. -What assault ? Assault of Sviatohirsk. We were already at the briefing, we were supposed to go home. But no, not home, guys, but for an assault. What assault, with whom, and where? Before this, we had been trained to fight in the forests. Territorial Defense – from the word 'defense,' not 'attack.' So we were taught to hold positions, not to advance. The main thing was not to retreat, which we did. But then we were assigned paratroopers, and what do they do? They assault.
Then the news came: tomorrow, three groups of 10 men, and you, Borov, are in charge. You’ll take the best 10 from each platoon and make a forced crossing of the Siverskyi Donets near the Sviatohirsk Lavra. You’ll go into Sviatohirsk and clear it out."
I say, "What's there?" "There's no one there." Dudes, when they say there's no one there, it's the best topic you can have, because it means that everything is there. And we are sent there in groups of 10 people, one kilometre apart. I ask how we're going to get across, and they say, "Look for boats. There are some boats lying around in the village. Look for them.
INTERMEZZO. COMMUNICATION AND TRANSPORT: ONCE A DAY, WE SENT TEXT MESSAGES TO OUR FAMILIES: "ALIVE"
"We had no transport at all at that time. The only thing I was given was an electric bike after our bus was destroyed. I was riding around Donbas like Santa Claus with a sack. We didn’t have any Starlinks, batteries, or generators—nothing at all. Every morning I’d ride 5 km to a big meeting. Everyone would set their phones on silent, I’d hand out access points, beg for the Wi-Fi password, connect, and everyone would send the same text: 'Alive.' Once a day, we’d let our families know we were alive. They’d sit at home, waiting. For nearly two months, we had almost no communication.
Then, towards the end of summer, they set up amplifiers and a Wi-Fi point. I got to know the guys in charge of it, got the password, and we’d walk a kilometre to the spot, which was constantly being shelled, just to send a text message..."
THE STORMING OF SVIATOHIRSK, PART TWO. "WHEN THE SHELLING STARTED, THE PRIESTS CLOSED THE DOORS AND DID NOT LET US IN. IT WAS THE MOSCOW PATRIARCHATE."
"Well, I said, that’s it, let’s go. I was the commander of the second platoon, plus nine men from my platoon. And 10 men from the first platoon—also a solid group of comrades: they were being trained for reconnaissance, and from the third platoon, we had 50+ seasoned fighters under the command of a guy who had served in the ATO with Special Forces."
"I’m kind of the senior one. I said, 'Do you have a map?' 'No.' 'How?' 'In the morning, at three in the morning, they'll give you a map.' 'How am I going to prepare?' 'While you're sitting at the headquarters, there’s internet, open the internet and check where you need to go. And there’s a bombed bridge between the Lavra and Sviatohirsk, they are on different banks.'
You will be in charge of the assembly point because the National Guard, specifically Kulchytskyi’s battalion, is also entering Sviatohirsk. They’ll be on the left side of the bridge, because there’s a police station there. They’re not part of the Armed Forces, they’re from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and they’re responsible for the left side, while you’ll be responsible for the right side. About 10-15 percent of the city is on the left side of the bridge, and the rest is on the right, where the private sector is. And the b*stards can only retreat to the right, to our side, with access to Yarova Street.
I arrived with the guys at Sviatohirsk Lavra, where the bridge was destroyed, which also served as a crossing point. We know the other side is completely mined. We’re given a sapper. He says: 'I’m a former marine,' and limps. 'I have a spur,' he says, 'I can barely walk, but one thing: I’m a miner, not a sapper. I can blow anything up, but I can’t defuse it. I can barely walk, and this is not my area of expertise, so we’ll be moving very slowly.'"At least something is better than nothing.
We were split into three groups, spaced a kilometre apart. I was the senior officer at the point where the National Guard's interests and our unit's responsibilities converged, right in the Lavra itself. There were lots of people around—fully equipped, tactical Rambos. And then there was us—barely walking, looking like hobos, carrying 30-kg backpacks. They asked, "Are you special forces?" "No, we're TDF." "Are you out of your minds? How can you advance for 2 km in three groups with just 30 people? That makes no sense whatsoever. We’ve got 100 men holding a position eight times smaller than yours, and we’re moving light to stay mobile." And so on.
I replied, "In our group of 10 people, we’ve got one sapper we’ve never met before and one medic who’s never stitched anyone up—he’s only done the theory, and that’s it. The only thing we’re good at is applying tourniquets because they drilled that into us during training."
We weren’t given a boat to cross the river. They told us, "Ask the National Guard to ferry you across." But the Guard only had a small inflatable boat for two people and a big, rusty, leaky tub. I said, "If we can find some oars, maybe we can give it a try."
The National Guard went first because they had a proper sapper. They landed and cleared the landing site of mines. We crossed using two boats, and then we pulled the boats back with ropes—only because we had those ropes. We’d been taught to use them for safety when pulling a corpse or door.
Another interesting point: I asked where the shelter was in case of shelling. They said: "We agreed with the priests that we would be allowed into the Lavra, it would not be bombed. And what was the result? When the shelling started, the priests closed the doors and we were not allowed in. It was the Moscow Patriarchate. And an old nun came and cursed us. This, I said, is a normal bonus, guys - we are going on the attack for the first time, forcing a river, five out of ten of us cannot swim, and we have a miner instead of a sapper, and we were cursed (laughs).
Near the same Lavra. Photo taken later
"I hear them on the walkie-talkie all the time: The National Guard started on their flank, and there is constant work of b*stard snipers from the rooftops. Constant shelling - and here we are trying to swim across. Unfortunately, I overestimated my strength in the sense that I had been involved in sports, went to the academy, and thought I could row well. I said, 'Guys, with little cargo in order not to drown. All the backpacks were put into the leaky boat, and the personnel into the small one to make it faster, and in five minutes they were on the other side. The current is strong, you have to fight it, and the boat is inflatable, lightweight, and they are two by two, two by two... I took big guys to the leaky boat, the three of us rowed, one steered from behind. I thought I was going to die because we loaded it with all our backpacks, each of us weighed about 100 kg, and it was not only leaky and sagging but also had small oars. We were rowing and realised that we were standing still, and meanwhile, we were being shelled by mortars, and they were shouting on the walkie-talkie: 'Hurry up, snipers are working, you are a target!' We pulled on the oars, but the boat did not move, and we rowed for 15 minutes, sweating buckets. Thank God, we transported our belongings, everything is fine. We crossed the river and had to head to our part of the city, but in front of us was a collapsed bridge, and we had to climb over it. Each of us had a 30kg backpack; even if it was 20kg - someone skimped on packing. I realised that I couldn't climb over the concrete structures because I had no strength left after this rowing. The bridge was in pieces, like scenes from Armageddon films, with slabs at an angle. I stepped on them and slid because the weight made my boots lose grip, and I was sliding like on ice. Well, somehow, just barely, we threw these backpacks over and crawled to the other side..."
INTERMEZZO. RULES OF LIFE FOR A COMPANY OFFICER WITH THE CALL SIGN BOROV
You wake up every morning alone with yourself, and your conscience must be clear. You shouldn't fear taking the heat from your superiors because being a company commander is the 'sexiest' profession. It’s 24/7—you’re always whipping boy, no one ever says 'thank you,' and you’re always the one to blame. You need the skill to hear some idiotic order and carry it out just to keep them calm. But you have to execute it in such a way that no one dies, because there are two crucial conditions: carry out the order and preserve your personnel. It’s a very fine line—keeping the team alive while completing the mission.I was the type of person who could be told to do this or that, but I’d still do it my way. Sure, the higher-ups often believed I disobeyed the order, but everyone in my unit stayed alive! And, in the end, I turned out to be right. When the inspection team arrived, they would put pressure on me, accusing me of doing things wrong, but in the end, it turned out I did it the right way…"
I have a normal approach to new people. I am the only company in which the soldiers come up to me and say: 'Dude,' so there is such communication; everyone can come to me with their problems. Is there discipline in the TDF? On the one hand, if a person is a moron, you can't fix him, and on the other hand, if volunteer fighters tell you: "I came here on my own, so why the f*ck do I need the charter?", then it's a very fine line - to work and be normal, not "I'm the boss and you're a fool". I talk to everyone, I know everything about everyone: what, where and how, and it all works. Especially if there are platoon leaders: first they get the task, then the sergeants. It has to come down, but everyone is used to going to the company commander and talking to him, and this feedback is necessary. And I know who is who. You have to fight with this person, risk your life. If you and someone else got buried together during a bombing, you dug yourself out and they are like family now, and almost everyone has a similar story.
STORMING OF SVIATOHIRSK, PART THREE.
...We made a forced crossing of the Siverskyi Donets and started working. I requested a sapper to ensure we didn’t walk into any tripwires. The group on the right reported they had captured two b*stards, and then, as if by magic, counterintelligence immediately arranged a boat to take them away. Meanwhile, we didn’t even have a boat for the assault...
The leader of the group that captured the prisoners reported that, while being led, the captives claimed there were over 100 b*stards preparing to defend near the church and further uphill. What should we do? I told them: hold your position and wait for reinforcements; you won’t knock them out with just the ten of you. Besides, you’ve only got one RPG with four shots. And they’re inside a building. You’ll just get picked off from inside. You need a 3-to-5 ratio against defenders. That’s what the doctrine says.
That group was a kilometre away. I thought to myself: the NGU troops on the left are engaging; I’m in contact with them, and they’re holding the fight. In the meantime, we’ll reinforce our own. Over the walkie-talkie, I said: ‘You’re in a tough spot, but I’m moving with the guys in your direction.’ We repositioned and got caught under mortar fire again..."
And here’s an interesting story. We saw some movement. Based on the description, we figured there must be bastards there. Should we open fire? I said no. Stop! These are definitely not civilians, even if they’re wearing uniforms—what if it’s just a hunter or a fisherman? Turns out, they were our guys, escorting the prisoners, and we reunited. That brought our numbers to 20, with another 10 a kilometre away. The "funniest" thing was that as we were walking that kilometre between the river and the lake, we passed through a residential area full of red-roofed houses. Suddenly, the National Guard shouted over the walkie-talkie: "Snipers in a red-roofed house!" And there we were—walking straight into the line of fire, like sitting ducks! It was tough, but we made it through. We roughly picked a spot to fortify ourselves. Then we were told: "Now help bring in another company!" So we started transporting them, trying to figure out where to position them. We settled them in. At that point, we still hadn’t fully cleared the part of the city we were assigned to. Then I got an order: "Move forward." I said, "Move where? I’m not leading people to clear the city at night without night vision equipment. That’s a ridiculous order. This should’ve been done during the day." And then I added, "Sure, maybe we should’ve had a motorboat too, so I could’ve ferried people in 3 minutes instead of 3 hours." I said flatly, "I’m not taking anyone. We’re holding here. Tomorrow morning, I’ll finish clearing the remaining part of the city." They replied, "Well, if the NGO fighters take over the administration now, we’ll lose all the glory!" I shot back, "I don’t give a damn about your glory! I’m not risking my men. As the senior here, I’m making the call: adios."
The next company that entered in brought us a starlink. Finally, I was given the radio as the senior officer. I was in charge of the direction, of this attack, because I was a platoon commander and a lieutenant by status. And my communication includes the paratroopers and the National Guard. I communicate with battalion commanders as a platoon commander. They don't know who I am. They were told that Borov is the senior officer in our office. Other companies come and ask what to do, where to go. I give them tasks, maps, drawings. We start clearing Yarova...".
COMPANY'S EVERYDAY LIFE: UKRAINIAN PAPER ARMY
"I heard this mocking abbreviation somewhere: UPA - Ukrainian Paper Army. It is really true. With all the paperwork you have to keep, it's crazy to shoot yourself! I was very lucky that on my second deployment, I was given a captain from another company (I was a sergeant at the time) to be a executive officer. And this captain, a very competent man, relieved me of almost all these stupid paperwork processes, because you have to write tons of paperwork for injuries, awards, everything. This is in addition to the fact that you keep war journals, and there is a lot of stuff there. And I was very lucky that from the very first time I selected and appointed a competent person as a technician. I also put her in charge of some of the paperwork. In general, thanks to Dzhura and Student, the call signs of the captain and sergeant, a lot of questions have been removed from me. I am constantly on the move - and there are a lot of reports, statements, information, unit size that I have to submit.
Because, unfortunately, it takes half a day to prepare just one such document, and you are alone, and you have to go to the headquarters and back to zero line. And then sit at the command-and-observation post and send some documents electronically from the dugout? No, you have to bring in paper documents as well, but how? There are constant battles, you are in charge of the battle, you are guiding the mortar, the AGS and the drones, and you are told to drop everything and bring the papers, which, to me, is moronic.
"ONCE I DELIBERATELY SHIFTED MY POSITION 50 METRES TO ENCRYPT MYSELF..."
Unfortunately, we have a lot of senior leadership with a Soviet mentality. I completed the NATO course 'Captains' Training' with honours, and now I understand how things should function in modern warfare. We were taught how wars are fought today and many nuances that are crucial for battle management. But the 'Soviets' don’t grasp this, because they haven’t been taught and don’t want to improve, yet they still issue orders that must be followed. A brigade commander gives an order to a battalion commander. Even if the commander realizes it’s nonsense, he can’t (or is afraid to) say so, and he passes it down to me, the company commander. And I, in turn, have to tell my people: we’re going there to die. That’s the reality.
Navigating through all this takes a huge toll on your nerves... Many company commanders say they’ve had enough and just shut down—no paperwork, no nothing. Someone else ends up dealing with it all. It’s actually easier to run around with a gun and shoot. But listening to and executing orders is truly the most cursed job. When I became a company commander, I saw people laughing: 'I don’t know whether to congratulate you or offer my condolences for being appointed.' Probably the latter. On one hand, as a company commander, you spend less time in the trench. But on a psychological level, it’s unbearable. I can’t stop treating my people, my fighters, as friends or even family. But I also can’t see them as mere cannon fodder. That’s the dilemma...
Sometimes I had to deceive to save my soldier's lives. Once, I deliberately shifted our position 50 metres to the side on the map to encrypt it. (Back then, there were no drones, unlike now when you can’t fool anyone.) Later, when the enemy captured our allies’ tablets with the 'Kropyva' system—paratroopers, and bastards cracked our positions (because we pass these tablets between units)—it turned out they had been shelling my position for two days with 120mm mortars. The point I marked as our position. Almost all of my men survived. Only one, unfortunately, died in a bizarre way: a fragment ricocheted three times and slipped under the armor of a soldier in a trench.
What about company commanders who receive draconian assault orders from foolish commanders? I don’t know. Everyone deals with it according to their conscience. Some simply pass the order along and say, 'I can’t do anything about it.' Others, like me, argue with the command, trying to prove that this is not the way, that it should be done differently, that the plan makes no sense.
The only solution is to be cunning, to find ways to keep your people alive. You have to understand that those who came voluntarily at first were mostly TDF soldiers. We joined consciously and knew what we were signing up for. But now, when people are being drafted by military commissariats and sent to me, I see that they’re scared of their own shadow. What can you expect from them?"
SEREBRIANSKYI FORESTRY, LOSS OF COMRADES, TREATMENT
"There was an order to make one company in the battalion an assault company. And since I had the least losses and the most gains after the first mission, my company was unofficially made an assault company. I was joined by the guys who wanted to go on to fight, and we were given a month to train. We were trained to be stormtroopers. And when the whole battalion stayed in Kyiv, my company went to fight again - and again under the airborne forces, only this time under the 95th Brigade. It was Serebryanskyi forestry, and in a month we lost almost everyone. 7 are KIA and almost all WIA. I was returning from there with only four soldiers left...
"How did I take it?" - "Normally": I spent a month undergoing psychological rehabilitation in Pushcha-Vodytsia, in the "Poliana Lisova". Not only was there pressure, contusions and everything else, but there was also a separate psychological situation - I was quarreling with the leadership to whom I was attached, because I openly blamed them for the deaths of my guys: an officer, sergeants and privates. It would cost me a year later, my aggression towards the command. I sent a f*ckton of people...
KUNIMEN, STORMTROOPERS AND CHEVRON COMPANIES
..I had a concept called 'kunimen'. Everyone in the battalion adopted it. Kunimen are the ones who fake illness to avoid duties. After my first deployment, when I became a company commander, I changed almost all the sergeants. I appointed those who were more respected by the soldiers as the leaders. I restructured everything so that it worked like a real Swiss watch. The real Mafia (from Italian 'family') - everything ran smoothly. And if you were a kunimen and faked being sick, or did something else... I figured them all out and kicked them out. How did I do that? When they said our company would be stormtroopers, I asked: 'Can I remove those I'm not sure about?' I was lucky that those I kicked out went to other companies, and it became a headache for the other company commanders. But I only had guys who were like, 'Let's go, blue berets!' Everyone was motivated to fight.
Is it true that my company has its own chevron? Yes, it's true. Here, look.
Do you see the slogan? "Because we are insane". What is the essence of this slogan? I'll tell you now. There was a situation in Bilohorivka (I had just been appointed company commander at that time) when intelligence reported that 300 Wagnerites with equipment were going to flank us. In reality, there were almost no people left. No one provided us with reinforcements. But we had to stop them somehow... The paratroopers said: 'You can handle it yourself.' And I received an order to stay in a town on a hill. I said I wouldn't do it because standing on a hill that is being shelled is stupidity. I'd rather set up an ambush, blow up the bridge, and kill the enemy there.
What did they say to me? They said: your people, your decision.
And then there was frost... I gathered four volunteers. I had three machine gunners (some of them with a fever of 40°C), a grenade launcher, and me—the fifth. Everyone understood we were walking to our death. The company commander with the call sign Krasyvyi, who had become my friend, said in this situation: 'I won’t leave Borov. I still have five men. Let’s go ten together!'
So, we went. We were lucky that the paratroopers didn’t leave us after all; they stopped the advance with artillery fire, and our guys, whom we were covering, captured six Wagnerians. The Katsap column didn’t reach the place where we were waiting for them. And then there was this meme on the internet: 'God, they're so insane.' Do you remember? Five of us against 300. 'God, you're so insane!' - that’s what Krasyvyi said about me. And when we returned after our first mission, they created a chevron based on my design. Look at it. Here, Borov, or the pig, is the commander. And "Because we are insane".
Not everyone in my company received this chevron. It was necessary to perform some kind of feat. Or for being wounded. I had a case when a young guy was given one. After the battle, they brought him back wounded, his fingers were torn off, and he said: "Commander, do I deserve a chevron now?" I gave him a chevron. I told the medics: God forbid you f#ck it up!
That is, you have to earn it. Because if you have such a chevron, you are already an experienced warrior, not some trash rag... You can be anyone - an alcoholic, a pothead, as long as you do your job well..."
Borov: "In 2023, we won the Zaluzhnyi Cup sports competition between Kyiv battalions. It was the first time they were held, and we won four out of seven disciplines. The guys were still alive then, the best of the company. A year ago, we lost many of them, the best ones (((..."
ABOUT MENISCI, VEINS, BACK AND FRONT
I have torn both of my menisci. Now part of one has been removed, and I am undergoing rehabilitation in Kyiv. In the summer, when I was transferred to a reserve unit, they let me go because of the veins. I had two blood clots that were on the verge of rupture, hanging horizontally like grapes. The doctors wrote that I couldn’t even walk up the stairs. So, I had to undergo surgery.
After that, I was transferred to a completely new team (‘come back to bite you later’). Why was I allowed to have the next operation (removal of part of my meniscus)? Apparently, because during the rotation I quickly established good relationships with the new soldiers, or as I say, I set up 'business'. When the inspection came, they said: 'Wow, you have a platoon leader – a captain – with such an orderly setup, with horizontal bars, parallel bars, people reading books, and everything well-organized.' I said, 'Well, I was a company commander.' And then the battalion commander, 'He’s got the business set up, let him get treatment now.'
I’m very grateful to the new battalion commander for his humane attitude because before that, they wouldn’t let me go for treatment, saying that as long as I could walk, I should keep walking until I die."
Strangers turned out to be more humane than those under whose leadership I fought for 2.5 years....".
On military fatigue, unsuccessful mobilisation and lack of supplies at the frontline
"Unfortunately, the military is extremely fatigued because they are not given any rest, as there is no one to replace them. And this gathering of criminals, beggars, and drunks, who are brought to us without any training, only makes things worse. They'll get wounded, and others will go to rescue them, and guys who actually know how to fight will die.
You have to understand that we're not like the Russians. We don't need to send just anyone there, especially if the person has eyesight of minus 8 and a "bag" full of illnesses. And he’s registered with me. They tell me, 'You have a fighter, don’t you? Let him go to work.' But I can't send him out – he'll get wounded, and when they try to pull him out, I’ll lose people who are actually capable.
You ask if there are many such people? No, the word 'many' isn’t right. It's almost all of them. Now, they’re taking all sorts of useless people into the Territorial Defense Forces. To give you an example, in our Darnytsia Territorial Defense, only 10% of the people fighting are actually from Darnytsia (I’m not talking about the command, they live there). There are fewer than 10 fighters from Darnytsia left in the company, but there should be 100. Instead, people are arriving from Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, and Chernihiv. They're just transferred from boot camps, and they think these people are ready, but they’re not. I’ve had to teach them how to shoot, dig, and everything else from scratch.
This is the problem in the army: every person counts, whether sick, limited, or fit for service. If they don’t have restrictions on paper, even if they're 60 years old and legless, and there’s no paperwork, they still have to go to war. How can I possibly send a fighter like that to fight?"
Unfortunately, corruption that protects everyone who doesn't want to fight is commonplace. But if it is afraid, why is it needed there? They'll also say: 'I wasn’t prepared for war.' Well, I wasn’t planning on fighting either. I’m also a peaceful businessman who traveled the world and worked on new technologies and alternative energy sources. And what? I joined. My partners from all over Europe ask me, 'Where did they catch you?' – 'I volunteered.' – 'So what were you missing? You’re a respectable man...'
In this situation, none of the available solutions will fundamentally solve the issue. On one hand, people are needed. But we don’t need trash. They then go AWOL, that scum, and stir up others. This is the worst thing. When you maintain the spirit in your team that everything is for victory, and then some kunimen shows up and starts faking illness to avoid duties, it's better to get rid of them.
What’s good about the Third Assault Brigade? Everyone works. It's disgraceful not to work. It’s disgraceful not to fight. When we were attached to them, we felt right at home. And that’s how it should be everywhere.
In the Territorial Defense Forces (TDF), they come in, and you ask, 'Where did they get you from?' – 'I was drinking beer in some village, they came, took me, and brought me here.' – 'What were you trained in for a month?' – 'Nothing, they showed me something, just once.' – 'Well, here, take a shot.' Missed the mark. 'Can you disassemble it?' – 'Well, I can kind of do something.' And it's already considered that you have this person in your ranks, like a fighter. And the tasks are given that have to be completed. It’s a terrible situation...
"KHARKIV REGION AND DONBAS ARE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THINGS. THEY LOOK DIFFERENTLY. THE ATTITUDE IS DIFFERENT"
Now I'm going to say a very unpopular thing. Out of my five missions in this war, only one made me feel like I was on Ukrainian soil. That was with the Third Assault Brigade, in the Kharkiv region. The Borova district. Native land. Native people. The attitude. Everything.
All the other times – it was Bambas (This is a reference to the meme 8 years of bombing Donbas ed.note). And my opinion is that there is nothing to defend there. Everything where the war line went has been erased, mined. No one will demine it for the next 50 years, and nothing will grow there. It's not needed.
How many of my male and female comrades think like me? I won't say in percentages. Some think like me. Others say: 'Why did we lose the guys then?' So we have to finish. 'Hold on a second, but without these guys, we would have lost even more.' And we are losing the сream of our nation, the best of the best. And what about those who stayed in Kyiv and are sitting here? Well, fine, some of them are performing administrative functions. That’s fine, we need to run the country. And what will happen next? Some of the conscious ones, those who went to war, will be killed, and some will be left disabled. And there will still be kunimens who will then cling to the wives of the dead – and what will be born from that? In my child’s class at school, only two kids have military parents. And do you know what her classmate said to her? 'Your dad doesn’t love you because he went to war. But mine does, so he stayed with me.' Is that normal? I came to kindergarten a year ago for the graduation ceremony..
I looked up and all the popes moved to the other side. Why? Because I came in uniform! They see that I am looking at them. They can't say anything. The reasons why they stayed? Some volunteer, some perform some function, and some simply told their child that they did not go to war because they love him/her. Substitution of concepts...
Coming back to Bambas. This land has never been Ukraine for me, no matter what anyone says. Because after the Second World War, a bunch of convicts from RF were resettled there. Only a very small percentage of Ukrainians remained there. And after 2014, everyone who wanted to leave left. Ukrainians left. I have a nephew there, but I don't communicate with him. Because he came here, graduated from a Kyiv college and returned there.
So for me, when they say "they will come back" - no, we don't need them!!! They are not Ukrainians. We do not need them. And we don't need this territory. Give it to them, it has been rotten for a long time. Why are you dragging it around with you? Well, great, create conditions in Ukraine so that the Crimeans come and say: we made a mistake, we repent, let's be better with Ukraine, forgive us! This is how it should be done. We need to motivate people, not force them...
And Kharkiv region is a completely different thing. They look at it differently. The attitude is different. It's completely different. Although it is less than 50 km from Lyman to Borova.
"I DON'T WANT TO BE A COMPANY MAN ANYMORE"
"If Zelenskyy says, like Trump, that there is only a 20km buffer zone, and then we stand as we are now, it's not a big deal. End the war. Because the best are dying now. One more year and it's just... I'm told: "Will you be a company commander again?" - I won't, because I don't know anyone in this company. I won't be able to fight properly. I can't treat people like meat, my conscience doesn't allow me to. It's not good to fight, it's not better. So now they are planning to transfer me to the battalion headquarters to use my experience and knowledge in terms of NATO standards. So that there are no positions that are completely unnecessary, which the brigade commanders just dump on us, saying, ‘This is your area of responsibility...’
What might a short dialogue at the headquarters look like (if you’re lucky to have a good leadership)?
I won’t do it that way. I can provide a reasoned explanation why it shouldn’t be done like that and why it should be done differently.
If you can prove it, do it however you want. In the end, it’s your area of responsibility. Set up a post and hang on to it if that helps you..."
Since we have a lot of unprofessional military, they are given tasks from above, especially the TDF.... They motivate it by saying that you are not a professional. This is how TDFs are treated. But a lot of people have learnt! And there are normal TDFs. Ground infantry abandons neighbouring positions, but we don't. We repel their positions, repel the assaults they are lose; we finish the assault. We are doing it! Or we did when there were people. Now there is no one left. That's why I don't want to be a company commander."
Yevhen Kuzmenko, Censor.NET
Photo from Borov's archive
