"Question is not what you are afraid of. Question is what you can do," – Maksym Kazban, commander of Joint Assault Brigade of National Police of Ukraine "Liut"
Forty-year-old Maksym Kazban, call sign "Ahat," commander of the Joint Assault Brigade of the National Police of Ukraine "Liut" (Fury) and a police colonel, was killed in an accident in Kramatorsk. His comrades and senior commanders believe he deserves to be awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine posthumously.
When subordinates call their fallen commander a friend, recall his words, and openly shed tears, it is the best testament to a person who was neither public nor vain. At the same time, Maksym Kazban had been at war since 2014. He repeatedly proved himself in various positions, ranks, and situations. We asked his friends, comrades, and commanders to tell us about all this.
Oleksandr Fatsevych, Police General of the Third Rank, Deputy Head of the National Police of Ukraine:
"I have known Maksym since 2007, when I joined the 79th Airborne Brigade as a young lieutenant. I was assigned to the 1st Battalion. Maksym was already serving here as the senior officer of the mortar battery. In 2009, he was appointed battery commander, and later, I served as acting company commander in the same battalion. We worked closely together. After 2010, the 1st Battalion was called the unit of young commanders — it brought together officers who had recently joined the army but were eager to make it modern and progressive. Maksym devoted a lot of time to training. Together, we completed many joint and international exercises. His artillery unit was always the best."
In 2012, due to family circumstances, I left the army. Maksym continued his service.
In 2014, when the Russian-Ukrainian war began, I joined a volunteer battalion. During that period, we met but did not carry out missions together. By then, he was already serving as deputy chief of staff of the 1st Battalion of the 79th Brigade. I know that in September 2015, he transferred to the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU), the special unit "Alpha."
When the "Liut" brigade was formed in 2023, we searched the ranks of the National Police for officers with military education to form the core of the combat unit. There were not many. It was decided that Oleksandr Netrebko, who also once served in the 79th Brigade, would be the commander. But he needed a reliable and professional deputy.
We were looking for an officer with military experience who had participated in the ATO/JFO (Anti-Terrorist Operation/Joint Forces Operations) and fought during the full-scale offensive. We reviewed personnel files, even of those discharged from the army for health reasons. The artillery unit in the "Liut" brigade was being formed from scratch. It was Oleksandr Netrebko who proposed Maksym Kazban, an artilleryman by training. I immediately recalled his intelligence, his staff experience, and that he had been head of the special operations department in "Alpha." He possessed the set of knowledge and skills we needed, as the brigade was engaged in assault operations.
Maksym agreed to this proposal. However, he needed to be transferred from the SSU to the National Police. To arrange this, we met with Vasyl Malyuk, head of the SSU. He supported us and helped resolve all the legal issues.
When Maksym Oleksandrovych joined the brigade, it was carrying out combat missions as part of the Soledar operational-tactical group in the area of Klishchiivka and Kurdiumivka, participating in operations to liberate these locations. Maksym Kazban’s arrival significantly strengthened the brigade. He took part in planning all the operations.
Moreover, he devoted considerable effort and knowledge to perfecting the brigade’s artillery unit. Now it has everything, from mortars to howitzers. All of this is his achievement.
During the enemy’s offensive in the Kharkiv region, some units of "Liut" relocated to Vovchansk. Maksym Kazban remained with the group in the Donetsk region and served as acting commander. The unit remained effective and continued to repel the enemy.
The brigade was withdrawn for restoration for a short time, after which it returned to the operational-tactical group "Luhansk." "Liut" was engaged alongside other forces in the defense of the city of Chasiv Yar, after which it relocated to Toretsk.
At that time, personnel changes took place. Brigade commander Oleksandr Netrebko was reassigned to another position within the National Police and later took on the role of deputy commander of the operational-strategic group "Khortytsia." Maksym Kazban assumed command of the brigade, which continued to effectively eliminate the enemy.
Near the settlement of Zalizne, our units were retreating due to the enemy’s superior forces. However, "Liut" suffered minimal losses. This was Maksym Oleksandrovych’s achievement. For Maksym, minimizing our losses was always the top priority.
Under Kazban’s leadership, the defense of Toretsk has continued to this day. "Liut" carried out these operations alongside the 100th Brigade of the Armed Forces. Maksym Oleksandrovych also had other units under his command, the Patrol Police Brigade "Khyzhak" and our special police rifle units. From intercepted enemy communications, we knew well how effectively this unit's striking force operated, as the Russians regularly panicked on the airwaves, complaining about the damage inflicted by the well-planned actions of the brigade commander.
Additionally, under Maksym Kazban’s command, "Liut" received additional tasks which were executed together with the 12th "Azov" Brigade. He coordinated, supervised, and planned these operations. He was the commander holding many directions and missions together. He addressed issues related to the unit’s restoration and the constant recruitment of fighters from the ranks of the National Police and beyond.
For all of us, Maksym’s death is a heavy loss. Officers like him, experienced, effective, are very rare.
Roman Kostenko, the People`s Deputy of Ukraine:
"We joined the 79th Brigade together as young lieutenants. Maksym had graduated from the Sumy Artillery Institute, and I from the airborne faculty. Kazban was a very capable young officer. It quickly became clear that he was the best artilleryman. I often asked him to assist me during training sessions, to provide guidance. When I joined ‘Alpha,’ a couple of years later, I decided to bring him over, but who would want to transfer a competent officer? Especially one with combat experience? In 2015, when we were training before the parade in Kyiv, on the Antonov plant’s runway, I approached the commander of the Air Assault Forces, Mykhailo Zabrodskyi, and asked, ‘Give me this lieutenant.’ He was surprised by my boldness: ‘Maybe you should take this to the Minister of Defense?’ ‘If necessary – I will!’ I replied. Soon after that, Maksym was transferred to ‘Alpha.’"
He served in my group; we went on rotations together to Sieverodonetsk and Lysychansk. By then, active combat operations had mostly ceased, but we kept ourselves busy… Later, I was transferred to Kyiv, while he remained with "Alpha" in Mykolaiv. In 2022, I met him in the city when I came to fight during the full-scale offensive. He was adjusting artillery fire in Mykolaiv. Fighting by day, training others by night.
All artillerymen are smart. Maksym is a smart artilleryman—thoughtful, reliable, and athletic. When I heard he was serving in "Liut," I wasn’t surprised because I knew he would prove himself.
Maksym Myrhorodskyi, Major General of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Commander of the Air Assault Forces from 2021 to 2024:
"In 2014, from February 28 to March 1, Maksym Kazban was the first to deploy on a mission near Crimea. From that point on, as a staff artillery officer, he continuously carried out combat missions."
What impressed me about him was his ability to instantly grasp and apply everything new; he was well-versed in the latest technologies. Tablets, Garmin devices, modern software, he used all of it. Maks was the one who taught me how to use Garmin navigation systems."
During the fighting at Donetsk Airport, Kazban worked with me at my command‑observation post (COP). He was responsible for directing fires. When our own men requested support, we had to work off the coordinates they provided. And they were adjusting fire onto themselves. It required surgical precision to avoid hitting our own, and he did it extremely skillfully. He remained devoted to the defense of Ukraine. By the way, in the Mykolaiv "Alpha" unit, where Maksym continued his service, many are from the Air Assault Forces.
From the very formation of the "Liut" brigade, Maksym helped organize it. Oleksandr Netrebko was searching for the brigade’s chief of staff, and Maksym Kazban was among the first candidates for the position because he knew Maksym was highly experienced, capable of allocating resources, and managing forces and means wisely. Maksym became the commander’s right hand; he always provided backup. You know, the army has sticklers, those who demand strict adherence to all rules and orders. He was not like that; he could navigate between what was necessary and what was mandatory without bogging people down in bureaucracy. Maksym is the kind of person who keeps himself in shape and constantly develops. The position of brigade chief of staff didn’t build high walls around him. When needed, he could bring up a gun and adjust fire himself. He wasn’t afraid to take command.
I also witnessed Maksym saving the life of another soldier. It happened near Donetsk Airport. It was necessary to deliver dry rations and water to the old terminal, which at that time was almost out of reach. The mission was difficult. I sent my driver to carry it out. In Avdiivka, he switched to driving a cargo truck. Kazban was waiting for him in an L200 in Avdiivka. The driver headed straight for the "Zenit" checkpoint, crossing the damaged cloverleaf bridge. There had been an agreement that the enemy would allow the cargo through to the terminal. But when did our enemy ever keep their promises? This time was no different; the ceasefire did not hold. The truck was fired upon. A VOG-25 slams into the KAMAZ’s windshield. The driver stayed on the radio the entire time, never turning it off. He immediately reported that shrapnel had hit his neck, arm, and leg. "Mike," he said, "I’m losing consciousness." "Can you dress your wounds? Stop the bleeding?" I asked. "Can’t reach all the wounds," I heard. I realized I was listening to my driver dying. I got on Maks’ frequency. "You hear me?" — he was also monitoring that channel. "I hear you." "Do you understand?" He sped off in his L200 toward Zenit. They were shooting at him. He approached the truck. Then I heard the driver’s voice on the air: "Oh, Maks, Kazban…" and the driver lost consciousness. Maksym pulled him out, provided first aid, and evacuated him from the front line. For this, he was awarded the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytskyi, 3rd class.
The command chain usually learns on the battlefield. I have witnessed this over 11 years of war. Everyone has their own "tricks" or quirks. Maksym always had notebooks at hand with all the targets. For each operation, target templates are determined. After the task is complete, you could forget about them, but he was meticulous about it. He used to say, "They’ll come in handy. Better to have them. Sooner or later, they’ll be needed." And he carried those notebooks with him. He approached service systematically, with precision.
We, veterans of the Air Assault Forces, have stuck together for many years, regularly keeping in touch and checking on each other’s affairs. Because we witnessed the history and development of the Air Assault Forces firsthand. Unfortunately, nowadays we see each other more often at funerals…
During the formation of the "Liut" brigade, I was often consulted. Oleksandr Fatsevych and Oleksandr Netrebko came to me for advice.
"How can I help?" I asked. "We need an area to train the regiments," they said. I immediately supported such a powerful project. I helped in any way I could, sharing experience on how to prepare the headquarters, units, and how to bring everything together. I immediately asked, "Netrebko is the commander, but who is his deputy? The chief of staff?" Because it had to be an experienced professional. "We want to bring in Kazban," they replied. That was a very strong move. I don’t know anyone else with such operational-tactical level experience as Maksym had. To calculate, plan, and provide, he could do it all. Such people are shaped over years. And, unfortunately, they are becoming rarer."
Ivan Bazarenko, police colonel, chief of patrol in Kherson region:
"Maksym and I fought together in 2014 in the area of Zelenopillia–Diakove. The 1st company was hit by Grad rockets. We withdrew to the command post of the 79th Brigade. We were surrounded. It was necessary to cut off a section of the road near the settlement of Bobrykove. I was supposed to carry out the operation. Maksym volunteered to go with me as the deputy company commander at the time. He didn’t want to stay at the command post; he wanted to take direct action. There, we constantly conducted sorties together, inflicting losses on the enemy. We operated in that area for about a month. Together, we broke out of the encirclement…
Oleksandr Netrebko, Police Colonel, first commander of the Joint Assault Brigade of the National Police "Liut":
"During the active fighting in 2014, Maksym was deputy chief of staff and then served as acting battalion commander. Even then, I saw how responsible, intelligent, and unconventional he was. When he joined us in ‘Liut,’ he said, ‘There’s a ton of paperwork in the troops.’ He eliminated much of the unnecessary and optimized processes. We created our own documents. He served in ‘Alpha’ initially as a fighter and later as head of the planning department. He had extensive experience in various services. He brought all that together and implemented it in ‘Liut.’"
Maks personally visited the positions, listening to the soldiers, observing what was happening in the trenches and dugouts. Thanks to his service in "Alpha," he knew urban tactics and anticipated that this knowledge would be crucial for our fighters. So before the brigade went to the front line, Maks inspected all the training grounds, reviewed preparations, and advised on what to emphasize and where to focus attention.
During operations, Maksym always defended the brigade’s interests before higher command and wasn’t afraid to voice his opinion to senior leadership. I really appreciated that because, to be honest, I have more of a military mindset than he did. He would sometimes stop me and say, "Yurich, look, you can act this way or that way."
When he was ordered to have eight soldiers clear a nine-story building, he "advised" the commanders: "Put on a helmet and body armor and run from the first to the eighth floor. How long do you think you’ll last?" They thought it over. Then he continued, "I know how it’s done. Clearing an object of this size takes more than one day." He presented his arguments, and that’s why they listened to him.
He was awarded the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytskyi, 2nd class, for the defense of Kherson. When Russians entered the duty-free area of the airport, his group learned about it. Maksym personally took two "Grad" launchers, went to the very front line, and fired two volleys. A Russian general was killed in the airport at that time... The offensive was stopped.
When I was promoted, I had no doubt that Maksym was ready to take command of the brigade. And that was the best option, because the first deputy and the brigade commander are, essentially, one and the same.
From time to time, when there was a chance to talk, he would repeat: "Stay at home? Run away from the war? Then who will defend the country? It’s our duty. We must fight the enemy."
Artem Bohomolov, Brigadier General, commander of the Soledar operational-tactical group, 2023–2024:
"We met Maksym Kazban when he was deputy commander of the ‘Liut’ brigade and participated in planning combat operations. He personally prepared assault groups and led combat actions of units, coordinating closely with the Armed Forces of Ukraine. When the brigade commander left his post, Maksym took his place with dignity. Maksym was a positive, competent officer who began his service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He was attentive, intelligent, and straightforward."
When the National Police units were consolidated into a single assault brigade, we understood that they were not trained for the kind of combat operations awaiting them in the war. Therefore, Maksym was directly involved in their training. As a result, police officers who had never previously held combat positions effectively carried out and continue to carry out complex missions.
Few know that Maksym Kazban, along with several brigade units, conducted operations in active combat alongside the 24th Brigade near Maiorsk. Assault operations were conducted in the area of the former checkpoint, effectively and powerfully. At that time, it seemed the brigade’s regular commander was on temporary duty, so we worked directly with Kazban.
Maksym always approached his duties to defend the Fatherland with utmost diligence.
Roman Ostrovskyi, Police Lieutenant, Senior Inspector-Doctor of the Operational Dressing Unit of the Department of Pre-Medical and Medical Aid, Special Police Department of the Joint Assault Brigade of the National Police of Ukraine "Liut":
"I was finishing my surgical residency when I was immediately sent to the front near Mykolaiv in 2022. I found myself directly in the trenches and dugouts on the front line. That’s where I first saw Maksym Kazban. What he was doing seemed very unusual to me. At that time, he was a colonel in the SSU. Someone of that rank certainly shouldn’t be on the front line. I was a young lieutenant, and I didn’t understand much about war then. And there I met Maksym, who became more than a commander to me. He was the god of war. He knew everything about war: aerial reconnaissance, artillery, assault operations, engineering, and diving. We spent evenings together. He told me how things should be done in war, and I told him about military medicine. I had more knowledge than he did in that field. That’s how a unique tandem developed between us. I found a mentor in the war who helped me survive."
In the Mykolaiv region, Maksym was with a relatively small unit. But he already had a good drone, which he used to coordinate artillery. The enemy was 30 kilometers from Mykolaiv. Defending the city where Maksym served for many years became a personal mission for him. He would launch the drone and search for the enemy. Once, the drone crashed about 300-400 meters from the enemy, and it was the only one they had. And what did Maksym say? "Night is coming, and we’re going to retrieve that drone." He taught me not to be afraid. He had balls of steel. When night fell, the commander took a group of men, went after the drone, and brought it home. "That’s it," he said happily, "tomorrow we’ll be flying again." I admired him from the first meeting! He believed so much in what he did! And… he didn’t believe in God, but he believed in the 155 caliber. That’s what he told me when we talked about faith.
Overall, Maksym joked a lot. I will remember him forever as a very funny and jovial person. His great strength was that, as a colonel, he could speak very simply with a private soldier and joke around. That’s what people appreciated most about him—that he became their friend.
"Commander," I once asked, "how can we move forward if there are ‘Petal’ mines scattered all over ahead? A soldier will step on one and it’ll blow his leg off." "You take a small rake like a granny uses in her garden," Maksym replied, "and slowly, carefully, you move forward, raking in front of you."
"We worked together near Mykolaiv. Then our paths diverged, but not for long. One day, he called: ‘I’m in Kyiv.’ I had already completed two voluntary rotations and was at home in Kyiv. We met, like most servicemen do, at McDonald’s. And he started "recruiting me": ‘We don’t have a single doctor in the brigade.’ I promised I would help, but only up to a certain point. That’s how he brought me in to set up the medical service in the ‘Liut’ brigade. It was created precisely on his initiative. He said a combat unit must have a medical service because it saves lives."
"And Maksym literally hauled me out himself… One day, he called, ‘Doc, pack your bag, we’re going to the zero line.’ I’m a surgeon, already operating in a hospital, and another trip to the forward line rattled me. So I packed my bag and we went with the commander. This was in Chasiv Yar. Maksym regularly went to the front line, personally checking it before the morning briefing. And when someone reported less-than-accurate information, he’d say: ‘I was just there. What are you telling me?’ So we set off together. We rolled out of the vehicle. I ran, fell, and twisted my ankle and that was just the beginning. We’d maybe covered 200 meters, and we still had about seven kilometers to go. "Commander," I said, "you have to go on without me." We stopped, took a smoke break. He said, "I’ll pick you up on my way back," and left. I crawled into the bushes. They call me, and I can’t admit I messed up the commander. I sit there for an hour, two… Then over the radio comes: "Ahat on the line. Hold on." He arrives, gets me to the vehicle, and evacuates me… I was diagnosed with a torn ligament in my ankle joint. So Maksym even evacuated me. He finished all his tasks and took me away.
When he was appointed brigade commander, I felt relieved: "It’s done, you’re the commander, the brigade is formed and operational, so I’m resigning." He agreed. But time passed. He called me and said, "Come to the front. I have an idea about complex prosthetics." I came. We talked. Maksym convinced me to return to the brigade and take on this important project. On July 22, I submitted a report addressed to him. He signed it and messaged me, "I’m waiting for you…" A few hours later, I learned that Maksym had died.
"The question is not what you are afraid of—the question is what you can do." This phrase of his is always in my mind. He said it when we first met. I was scared. I asked him how to overcome fear, and he spoke these words. He also loved the saying: "When the fight starts, we’ll see how it goes...."
Maksym was skilled in working with personnel. A quality many officers lack. That’s why soldiers don’t trust them. But people followed him. His gaze, the way he sat and looked at everyone, the timbre of his voice, everything about him was perfect.
..On July 3, the tenth anniversary of the National Police’s founding, Maksym Kazban, commander of the "Liut" brigade, received the "For Courage and Bravery" ribbon from the hands of the country’s president. On July 22, the brigade commander was killed...
All photos provided by the press service of the "Liut" brigade.
Violetta Kirtoka. Censor.NET
