I don’t believe in truce in near future, it will only give Russia time to prepare, - commander of medical company, call sign Machaon
There are company fathers, company autocrats, and company cold pedants. Based on the experience of our conversation with him (as well as communication with some of his subordinates), 37-year-old Viacheslav Nemtsev is a company chamber musician. He strives to set up the teamwork in such a way that people, on the one hand, do their best, and, on the other hand, know that the company commander appreciates their professionalism and loyalty to the cause.
Machaon says about his understanding of the position of company commander: "A good leader must listen to his subordinates. You need to be kind, humane and at the same time a little strict. My main job is to organise the process, to trust people, that is, to trust and allow them to show themselves. And to listen, to hear these people, to give feedback."
It was interesting to hear what Viacheslav thinks about the work of medics in combat conditions in the Kursk sector and beyond, about their burnout in the war, and how to prevent this burnout. I also wanted to find out about his mysterious call sign, which was allegedly borrowed from a spy novel.
This article was prepared for the latest military events in the Kursk region
- Viacheslav, why Machaon? I have only one version: you used to collect butterflies as a child, and when you needed to quickly decide on a call sign, the name of a famous butterfly came to mind.
- No. Machaon is actually my third call sign. Before joining the 47th Brigade's medical company, I was chief medical officer in various battalions of an engineering unit. There I had the call sign Hans, because my surname is Nemtsev.
- It makes sense.
- The commander came up with it. And when I was already transferring to a new unit, I decided to change my call sign; to choose the one I liked. Machaon is one of the sons of Asclepius.
- Yeah, I was wrong: at school, there was a focus on ancient history, not biology.
- I am pleased to learn something new, to develop. And so Machaon was a doctor and a soldier during the Trojan War. It seems to coincide with my status now. Hence the call sign.
- Do I understand correctly that you were a proctologist in your civilian life?
- Yes, I was a proctologist, a surgeon. I have several specialisations. For the last 6 years I have been working in the private sector.
- Did you volunteer for the war or were you mobilised?
- Everyone was mobilised on the spot. But I went to the military enlistment office voluntarily; no one forced me into a bus. It happened at the end of March 2022. I joined the army on 3 April.
- 3 years since the full-scale war began. Was your Brovary also bombed that day?
- Yes, it was. I sent my children and my ex-wife to my relatives in the western regions. I stayed behind, I wanted to be drafted locally. But then the queues were long, and no one was taking anyone. I was told to work like this. I went to civilian hospitals and helped out. But I felt that there was no real need for me. The military enlistment office did not want to take me away, and there was no such job in civilian structures at that time. I decided to go to my countrymen and was drafted there, in western Ukraine. I went to the military commissariat and was registered. They took me away immediately.
- Weren't you afraid that instead of being assigned to a medical unit, you would be assigned to the infantry? This happened a lot back then.
- I had an officer's rank - junior lieutenant in the reserve. Therefore, I would definitely be the battalion commander in a pinch. That's how it happened.
- How did you imagine your service in this war?
- I'll tell you right away - it's not like the films showed. To be honest, I had no idea. Because I realised that it often does not coincide with reality. But I definitely wanted to work as a doctor, to help save the lives and health of military personnel, boys and girls. This is what I am good at. And now it turns out that I am not only good at that.
- What areas did you have to work on?
- This brigade is the only one - Donbas (Avdiivka) and now Sumy region.
- You worked in Donbas near Avdiivka. What is it like to work as a surgeon and a chief medical officer in such a hot area?
- I joined the team and went straight to the stabilisation unit as a surgeon. I worked there for about a month and a half, and then I was appointed chief of this brigade. Later, I voluntarily handed over this position to another person because I wanted to do surgery. I worked in the medical department of this medical company, as there were no surgeons there. A few months later, I became the commander of the medical company...
So, the work of a surgeon does not depend on the direction at all, because the war is almost the same in every direction. There are gunshot fragmentation wounds, bullet wounds. Regardless of the direction, the surgery is the same.
- Yes, but I'm not talking about the specifics of the injury, but rather the influx of wounded.
- It all depends on the concentration of troops, on evacuation routes and evacuation possibilities. For example, we were one of the first brigades to enter Donbas. So all the evacuation routes converged on our stabilisation point, and the influx was very high. Here, in Sumy region, the situation is different. We were not the first to arrive, and this is not the first stabilisation point we have set up. That's why the influx is smaller.
What was it like in the Avdiivka sector? A lot of work. On average, 50-60 wounded per day. All of them of varying severity. So there was enough work for everyone.
- Have you ever seen medics who could not stand the sight of blood and the fact that they had to operate, or even just see their colleagues operating?
- No, because the brigade already had experience in Zaporizhzhia. In the medical company, I don't know a single person who is afraid of blood or any process of care, from undressing the wounded to the final stage of evacuation.
- Do you remember any special occasions since then?
- You know, I remember almost every patient - although there were a lot of them. But as far as remembering a particular case... Probably not.
- In general, is it more memorable when you managed to save a person or when you lost them?
- Our patients, when they came to us alive, very rarely died on the table. It happened that they were already brought in in a state of clinical death, and we were unable to resuscitate them. But when they came alive and died, it was a rare occurrence. As a rule, we managed to stabilise them and send them to the next stage.
- I've always wondered if your patients still want to keep in touch with you and remember you in general.
- I have never had such a case. They usually arrive in such a state that they don't even remember who exactly worked with them. They know us as doctors at the stabilisation point and thank us in general.
It was different at the medical unit, where I had wards and treated wounded guys! We still keep in touch with many of them.
- What is your vision of what a good company medic should do?
- A good leader must hear his or her subordinates.
You have to be kind, humane and a little strict at the same time.
My main job is to organise the process, to trust people, that is, to trust and allow them to show themselves. And to listen, to hear these people, to give feedback!!!
- What do you mean when you say "hear these people"? What are they asking for?
- Everyone is tired of everything that is happening, not so much physically as emotionally. Everyone wants to go home and relax. That is, we need to properly combine rest and work. You can, of course, drive everyone to work, but why would you do that? People need to rest, too. This is the way things are.
And I give them the opportunity to relax and see their families. This is important.
- Recharge the batteries.
- Yes, I do. I also try to create the right conditions. But in such a way that it is also safe. For example, many people ask to live in Sumy. But this is a rather dangerous region, so we live in the region. In order to spread out, to save the lives of every soldier of the medical company if something happens. It is safer. I also live in the village. I feel more comfortable and calm there.
- On the other hand, in villages it is easier to guide the enemy to the military. Every day we have attacks on villages in Sumy region.
- Yes. And this danger is increasing every day. That's why we don't focus on our location. Everyone does not live in one place, but within the same district.
- And what do you think of the general attitude of the townspeople towards the military?
- (After a pause) It's very difficult to find accommodation and any location at all.
- Did specific people refuse or did you experience resistance of the entrance or house?
- Most of them refused to help and did not want to make contact at all.
- Did you explain your position in any way?
- They explained that the military that had been there before had behaved badly, and they didn't want that anymore. They gave many examples, I don't know what kind of units they were... So there were problems with communication, even at the level of community heads.
- Coming back to your work as a company medic. Putting people in certain positions is perhaps the most important art. Do you practice this kind of headhunting at your company - to lure someone young, talented, professional to join you?
- No, I don't deal with that specifically. If a person wants to transfer, they apply, and then we communicate, conduct interviews and try to get this person to join us.
- Will you learn about a person's character and how they will behave in a team?
- It is difficult to find out about such things at an interview, everything becomes clear in the course of work.
I always tell everyone: don't mix personal and work life. You have worked a shift. You may not communicate outside of your shift, but work is work. I demand quality work from everyone - then there will be a normal, adequate attitude.
I don't like irresponsible, indifferent attitudes; this is the only thing that is unacceptable to me.
- For example?
- These are isolated incidents, but sometimes the crew goes on duty with non-working equipment, they just didn't check it before leaving and discovered the problems only later.
When you go on a shift and your life depends on it, you need to check the equipment. I always focus on this.
- Without giving away any secrets, tell us about the structure of your company in general.
- In general terms, we have a department that deals with logistics: repairs, food, logistics - that sort of thing. There is a department that deals with medical supply at the brigade level. There is a medical unit, like a civilian clinic, where we receive patients on an outpatient basis and treat them. There is a stabilisation point, where the wounded and evacuation crews are received.
- How many evacuation vehicles do you have?
- There is no shortage of evacuation vehicles: we can cover all the needs both inside and outside the brigade on our own. This means evacuating the wounded, plus various tasks within the brigade, such as being on duty at different locations, teaching tactical medicine, and so on. Crews, paramedics, and medical instructors are involved in this.
- And what about supplies? What do you have more of - what the state gives you, or what the delivery team finds?
- The supply of the medical brigade is working perfectly. And the state can fill almost all the positions.
- Let's get back to team management. Have you ever had to get rid of a medical professional from your team simply because the person is either not up to the task or is constantly behaving unethically?
- I try not to transfer anyone. Not at all. As long as I have been in office, I have not personally transferred anyone on purpose. I believe that there is a place for everyone in the medical company. If they cannot do the job now, there will be another one in the medical company.
Although, no, there was one such soldier, despite my efforts to find a job for him!
- He didn't find it because it wasn't his thing, or he didn't have the skills?
- Most likely, there was no desire and no skills. But now, as far as I know, he has gone to study to become an officer (smiles. - Y.K.).
- You yourself said that you need to hear your subordinates, because people get tired, and nowadays the typical term is burnout. There are different ways of burning out at the front, how does it happen to medics?
- Depression and, probably, aggressiveness.
- Depression from what exactly?
- It depends on the whole environment. This is a multifactorial concept. It is difficult to single out something specific. Depression from being away from home, perhaps from what a person wants to do as in civilian life; what they used to do. In short, most people want to return to the civilian life they once had. They miss their jobs, certain everyday things.
- Is this why holidays and rest at home allow them to let off steam psychologically?
- Not everyone wants to do this. Or they come back in a bad mood. You see, we are, relatively speaking, a rear unit in a combat brigade that deals with the preservation and restoration of the health of military personnel. But we still have this problem of burnout. Many have depression. Many are taking medication, undergoing treatment. Not everyone is open about it. But there are quite a few of them.
- Your doctors work in shifts. How long does a shift last?
- It varies. Now it takes two or three days.
- Do you work or sleep at night?
- As it works out. Now we work mostly at night, so we rest more during the day.
- Of course, your schedule is determined by the wounded. That's why when people come back home, they get some sleep and put themselves in order.
- We give them a day of rest. And a day, depending on the workload, to solve household problems.
- At the beginning of the conversation, you said that the specifics of wounds do not change depending on the direction. Does this also apply to the Kursk operation in which your brigade is currently engaged? Are these mostly shrapnel wounds?
- Yes, about 90 per cent. These are fpvs, mortars, artillery. There are very few bullet casualties. Almost all the work is done by drones - drops, fpv. Often, if they can, the wounded describe the situation in which they were wounded. Almost always it is fpv or drops.
- Do your evacuation vehicles often have to face enemy fpvs?
- Recently, the enemy started using fibre-optic fpvs along the main medical evacuation route.
- What exactly does the enemy get out of the fact that fpv is fiber optic?
- The problem is that the electronic warfare equipment that is currently on every evacuation vehicle does not work. So we need to look for other means. These are pump-action rifles and so-called barbecue nets that are used to cover vehicles. But this makes an already heavy vehicle heavier. And driving on the roads of Sumy region, which are in very poor condition, is expensive. So the easiest option is to use backup evacuation routes, which is what we are doing. We use medical reconnaissance to find safe backup evacuation routes. And then we use them.
- How do you find safe evacuation routes? With the same drones?
- How? We get in the car and go looking for it. Because the drone cannot fully show whether the road is passable. It's only when you're driving a car that you realise that it's definitely passable.
- In my texts, I usually ask my readers to donate a penny to the needs of the interviewee's unit. What is the biggest need in your company?
- Car repairs. This is a very expensive item.
- If the vehicle does not work, they will not bring the wounded...
- We have a freelance service station - the guys of the medical company themselves, together with the drivers, are engaged in vehicle maintenance and repair. Every shift, they repair vehicles. As a rule, it's the chassis - springs, wheels, etc. Sometimes there are more serious breakdowns, such as engine problems. For example, we currently have one evacuation vehicle under repair because the rear axle has cracked. So now the backup vehicle is performing the task.
- Very often, these details have to be ordered from abroad. This means money, time and resources.
- It is likely to be so. Now we have another car with a broken engine. We've been waiting for it to be repaired for about six months. Fortunately, we are working to ensure that we have backup vehicles that are replaced during the repair. And so that we do not reduce the number of crews and the capacity of the medical company.
- Do you communicate with other company officers about your colleagues' work?
- We are entering into cooperation, but... I don't want to brag, we have a fairly strong medical company. And this is not my merit, but that of the entire team. We have a very strong team of doctors, paramedics and crews.
- Well, don't be cheap either: you have to find the right people and organise them.
- It happens somehow. My task is to keep everyone together. Because there was a precedent when the medical company tried to fall apart. So now I'm glad that everyone is sticking together.
(Viacheslav receives a call from someone in his team. Judging by the lines, it is about business issues).
- May I ask what they were talking about?
- We have now changed the location of the stabilisation point and are setting up the living conditions anew. It turned out that in that place it is possible to put a regular toilet inside, which is quite rare. At all other locations, the village toilet is outside. And it is also important to have a washing machine so that you can wash some things for the wounded, your own things. Because the crews stay for 4 days... So we decided whether it was better to put a washing machine or a toilet (because it does not fit in another room, but stands in the place where a toilet could be).
- Do you try to regularly change the location of your stab point?
- Preferably, yes. It is important to save the lives of the staff.
- Have you ever seen any cases when the enemy fired on a hospital or stab point?
- This was not the case with our medical company and stabilisation unit. We try not to disguise ourselves. We don't crowd cars, we don't run around on the street.... I don't want to disclose everything so that we are not detected, seen and, God forbid, attacked. It is very difficult to find, gather and train qualified medical personnel. In general, it is very important that our entire team remains alive and well.
- I take it you don't have time for social media?
- I only have Instagram, which I sometimes watch somewhere (smiles - Y.K.).
- But you are aware that a large part of our rear is pinning a lot of hopes on Donald Trump with his bombastic assurances of a truce? What is your attitude to this?
- I, for one, don't believe it.
- Don't believe it or don't allow yourself to think about it?
- I try not to talk about political issues at all, because it is a sensitive topic for everyone, and it can make people quarrel. When I am asked, I can tell. But I don't do this to ask someone and prove my point of view. As for the ceasefire... I just don't believe it will happen anytime soon. I really don't. And in general, I don't believe this neighbour, I don't want to swear, I don't believe it. It will just give them time to prepare.
- By the way, their hawks say the same thing: the Khokhols will regroup and threaten us. Can you imagine?
- The world's second army once was - and they say this? They are afraid...
- At the beginning of the war, in '14 and later, our military bloggers showed their first aid kits from the positions captured from the Russians. I remember how we laughed at these first aid kits. Has the situation changed in recent years?
- It has changed. In the beginning, it was so. But the enemy, both in terms of fpv and medicine, first aid kits, has improved. They produce turnstiles, not tourniquets anymore. The turnstiles are similar to those we use, but they are their own. I was surprised that they are making progress in this regard. The first aid kits are quite good, as well as the equipment. But it depends on the unit, its elite status. Not everyone there has good equipment and good first aid kits.
- I've been asking about your subordinates throughout the interview, and I'd like to end with a question about you. How do you deal with your burnout?
- I don't think I have depression. Yes, sometimes it happens, there is a lot of work, I get angry. I had several periods when I couldn't sleep at night.
- Tell a journalist who has had the same problem during the war. How did you deal with it?
- Somehow it went away. You see, communication is important to me. It's hard to be alone. I can go to my friends, for example, in Sumy. Just to sit with them, talk to them, communicate with them. It's like that. It helps me. I need to concentrate on positive emotions.
I never hold grudges against anyone. I get angry - it happens. It's my job. Sometimes you shout. Everything happens. But it all fades away quickly. You don't have to keep it inside. I tell everyone: you have to speak up. If you want to say something, say it right away. It may be unpleasant, but don't keep it to yourself. I never combine my personal and work life.
A medic from our unmanned systems battalion once said that she had learnt from me in this regard.
- What did she learn?
- That I can come, tell someone off for something, and then stand with them, laugh and talk. Because there is work and there is personal. First of all, I try to maintain good relations with everyone. But there is work to be done, and if you do it well, you get bonuses))
Attention: Those who want to help the Machaon unit with the repair of evacuation vehicles can donate to the bank:
5375 4112 1555 3905
Yevhen Kuzmenko, "Censor.NET"
PHOTO: author, archive of Viacheslav Nemtsev
