Hero of Ukraine Dmytro Vitiaz: "Sometimes enemy dons civilian clothes and, in urban combat, tries to infiltrate our combat formations"
Lieutenant Colonel Dmytro Vitiaz commands the 4th Separate Special-Purpose Detachment "Omega" of the National Guard of Ukraine. His work largely remains out of public view but is critical to countering the enemy.
From the outset of the war, he was deployed to the hottest spots, the Ilovaisk cauldron, the Shyrokyne operation, and the area around Donetsk airport. He endured captivity but returned to service after being released. From the first days of the full-scale invasion, he has again been on the frontline: in the Kyiv, Chernihiv and Kharkiv regions, as well as in Donbas. Much of his work remains classified, but some episodes have been made public, in particular, the battle near Chasiv Yar, where the group led by Dmytro set an ambush, eliminated an enemy sabotage-and-reconnaissance group, and forced the enemy to retreat. For his courage, he was awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine with the Order of the Gold Star.
- How did you learn about the award? Who informed you, and how?
- I was on a mission. In the morning, my commander, Major General Yatsiuk, head of the National Guard’s Omega Special-Purpose Center, called me. He said: "I want to congratulate you. If there’s anyone next to you, put it on speaker." It was Independence Day, so I assumed the congratulations were for the holiday. I switched to speakerphone; he congratulated us on the national holiday, and then he began congratulating me on being awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine with the Order of the Gold Star. It was a bit of a shock. I didn’t quite understand what was happening, I was deeply moved. It was like a bolt from the blue. After that, all the guys congratulated me.
- What does this mean to you?
- First of all, it is a very great honor. I could never have imagined, not even dreamed, that I would receive this highest state award. Frankly, I wasn’t chasing it. I don’t collect orders and medals. I serve my Mother Ukraine, and my only wish is to do the utmost: to fight, defend our independence and freedom, and build a truly strong and resilient country.
Perhaps this dedication of mine, to the cause, to the Ukrainian people, and to Ukraine, was recognized with the Order of the Gold Star. You could say it is a recognition of my work and my commitment. Moreover, as I now know, my comrades-in-arms petitioned the commander for this title, given the tasks I carried out. That makes it even more valuable to me, because they were the ones who saw my work, which means a great deal.
On the other hand, it is a great responsibility: I have no right to lower the bar or do less than I have so far. We must keep fighting. I have enough drive, I don’t think it will ever run out. I was raised in a family that brought me up to be Ukrainian and to do everything for Ukraine, instilling the spirit of Cossack valor and the Ukrainian Insurgent Army. Since childhood, I knew who our enemy was, Russia. Deep down, I felt we would have to fight, because with its imperial ambitions, it could attack. I love history. I studied it extensively, both at school and on my own. As a teenager, I delved into the era of the Ukrainian People’s Republic and the Kholodnyi Yar movement. That finally made it clear to me who is who, how difficult our struggle with Russia is, and that it would certainly not let us go easily. So I knew and felt that sooner or later, we would have to fight them.
I was ready. And I will do everything I can to resist this age-old enemy. Right now, we have the best chance in centuries to become truly free and independent of Russia.
Right now, we have the best opportunity because we are acting as a united front, we are not dispersed into separate pockets. We are an undivided army and a cohesive society, united from west to east, from south to north. The people have truly understood: we are a distinct nation, Ukrainians, with our own identity. At the moment, we are operating as a single organism. That must be leveraged. Our strength is in unity.
- Was the battle near Chasiv Yar mentioned in the presidential decree the toughest one for you?
- No, it was not. Looking at my combat record, I don’t consider the Chasiv Yar period the most difficult. We were there not very long, up to two months. Those were not the most intense fights I’ve taken part in. At that stage, I was more focused on commanding special-purpose groups and coordinating actions and interaction. The main tasks were carried out by the special forces groups, while I directed the operations.
There were harder battles in my life, one of which saw me not only repelling an assault but also becoming encircled and having to break out to our lines, because we were partly cut off from the main forces. I had to do more than fire from a trench, I had to get out and go on the offensive myself to fight my way through their lines.
But generally, I would not single out any one person in the work of special units, because every fighter here is a warrior who can both fight independently and contribute to the overall result as part of a team. In other words, special forces work is a team effort.
- Then recall the most dangerous special operation, from what can be told.
- Indeed, there are a number of missions executed by all of Omega’s special units that are classified; we can’t say anything about them. Maybe not for a long time. Although there were some interesting moments. Overall, I’ve had plenty of dangerous tasks. In the context of the full-scale invasion, these include stabilization operations around Makarov in the Kyiv region, conducting raids in the forests near Chernihiv, and breaking out from encirclement there.
At first,ер we were fighting our way into a town that was semi-encircled. We regrouped. My team was then tasked with operations on the outer ring: we worked along the road to Chernihiv, in those woods near the neighboring villages. There were a number of notable missions. During one of those sorties in the gray zone, we encountered two tanks. We executed a maneuver, struck them in a raid, engaged and put them out of action, then left them because we had no means to recover them.
We also carried out a multi-day raid to reconnoiter a specific site in the forests outside Chernihiv. There was an old, abandoned bunker facility with underground shelters. This was where the enemy had concentrated. Our task was to conduct additional reconnaissance and either confirm or refute the enemy’s presence; if found, to kill them or call in artillery and air strikes. We completed the follow-on reconnaissance and cleared the site. At that point, we realized we had been hot on the enemy’s heels: they had been hastily packing up and had only just pulled back. We saw fresh signs of their presence. We surveyed the area and cleared everything on site. Unfortunately, we found several of our fallen soldiers from the Defence Forces. Assessing the situation, we understood something was off — the enemy wouldn’t abandon that area for no reason, especially with underground bunkers providing solid cover deep in the forest. We had essentially completed our task, but we immediately decided on our own initiative to push deeper into the woods and conduct further reconnaissance, to reach the outskirts of the settlement of Yahidne and determine whether the enemy was there. As we advanced, we came upon one of their positions just outside the settlement, likewise abandoned in haste. We cleared it. That strongly suggested the enemy had begun to retreat, so we continued toward Yahidne. We approached, observed from a standoff distance, saw no movement, then cautiously moved closer and entered the village from the forest. We met local residents who said the enemy had left just a few hours earlier. We nonetheless carefully cleared the settlement.
We entered the school where a large number of civilians were being held. We began leading them outside, and they kept asking who we were. When we said we were the Ukrainian Army, people started to cry. One woman, eyes full of tears, asked, "May I hug you?" I warned her we were a bit sweaty and smelly after several days of raids, not exactly fresh. She replied, "I’m not fragrant either!" and hugged me with such joy... It was a vivid, deeply moving moment that stayed with me and gives extra motivation. It shows that, whatever the circumstances, our people on our land are waiting for us, and we must do everything to liberate them.
The next day we continued clearing operations in the area. We were ordered, while the enemy was retreating, to cut off their lines of withdrawal, specifically to seize a pontoon crossing over the river that they themselves had installed, which carried their main logistics and was their only escape route. We moved to the area, conducted a raid, and successfully captured the crossing.
Afterwards, the Defence Forces carried out clearance operations in areas the enemy was believed to have vacated.
Subsequently, we conducted missions near the town of Balakliia in the Kharkiv region, which was occupied at the time. We also carried out a series of raids in the grey zone, inserting behind enemy lines. One notable special operation stands out. We conducted several days of reconnaissance, observed their patterns and analysed their routes. Then we struck from the flank into the enemy’s rear: one team engaged and eliminated enemy personnel, withdrew, and at the decisive moment we brought in an anti-tank guided missile system (ATGM). We waited for their quick-reaction group to arrive (their reserve in IFVs), executed successfully and withdrew as planned with no losses.
Another episode that stands out: before Balakliia, we ran into a minefield laced with three belts of OZM mines, stretching for roughly 800 meters. Crossing it was next to impossible and unwise. Any contact with the enemy operating nearby could have made it hard to relocate the cleared lane, with a real risk of triggering a mine.
But we are Special Forces! Anyway, we made a "corridor", bypassed the minefield, and about a hundred meters on we hit an even larger one, this time with four belts of OZM mines. So we had to study the forward edge on that axis from a standoff distance.
We also carried out a highly successful fire strike on the enemy’s positions, taking out their firing points at the strongpoint.
- What was your closest close-quarters fight with the enemy? Did you look him in the eye?
- At a distance of about a meter to a meter and a half. Yes, I looked the enemy in the eye. That last look of his is etched in my memory. I was in a covered trench with exits on both sides when they started encircling us, cutting us off from the main forces. They raked the position with fire and threw grenades. After the blasts, I was a bit stunned and realized I had to get out, in that trench I would either be killed or thrown by grenades. I had to act, break free and push through. I jumped out, flanked the enemy from the other side, and closed in. He was lying there aiming at the other exit from the trench, fully focused; he saw me at the last moment but had no time to react, I fired a burst into him. I caught his final, terrified look as it froze. He let out a distinctive cry, wheezed, rolled over, and seemed to stiffen, hands up with fingers half-curled. It all took seconds, but it’s like my eyes "took a snapshot."
Then, five to ten metres away, I noticed other Russians moving in the bushes. I fired a burst there and saw another one drop. I was out of ammunition. My extra mags were in my body armor, which I had left by the enemy I had just shot. I couldn’t get back to it. I quickly vaulted over a covered dugout with a small berm to take cover behind it. Then a burst came at me. The fire was intensifying. I had one more guy with me. We started crawling deeper into the tree line, pulling back and trying to reach our own. There was a road and woods, we wanted to get back to our main positions. But as they pushed us back, we ended up very deep. When we maneuvered and returned, our guys were gone, they’d been ordered to pull out.
For the record, we had completely smashed an enemy column there. As we later learned, even the so-called "Donetsk People's Republic (DPR)" news reported their commanders had driven the column into an ambush, losing 80 troops and 20 vehicles.
So we found no one and realized our forces had withdrawn. We did manage to establish comms, they told us which way to move (toward a specific settlement). We began breaking through across territory not under our control to reach our own forces. We had to cover about twenty kilometers, by then it was an uncontrolled area, the enemy was starting to occupy. When we made it back, our guys were surprised but happy, they’d found my vest covered in blood and thought I’d been killed. By the way, when an old friend and brother-in-arms later called to congratulate me on being named a Hero of Ukraine, he said: "You earned that title back when you led the breakout from encirclement." He meant this very episode.
I also got separated from one of my brothers-in-arms back then, he didn’t see me because we’d been split into different groups. After those battles, we withdrew along separate routes. I met him again on the front only a year later. I walked into a building, and there he was, sitting. He looked at me strangely and said, "Dimon, is that you?" "Yeah, it’s me." He said, "But you were killed!" I replied, "Nope, still alive." He said, "I thought I’d seen a ghost," with tears in his eyes. Out of joy, he gave me a wristwatch as a keepsake.
- Have you ever taken prisoners?
- Of course! More than once. But never alone, always with my comrades. I captured my first prisoner back during the Anti-Terrorist Operation in 2014. They’re all the same type, poor, pitiful, "accidentally here," and so on. They come up with every excuse to smooth over their guilt or appear meek and innocent. They claim they’ve done nothing wrong, never killed anyone, never fired a shot. But once you start questioning them, it turns out they know exactly what’s going on.
- Do civilians help you, or on the contrary, get in the way?
- It’s always complicated at the line of contact. You have to stay fully focused, putting all your effort into destroying the enemy. Then a civilian appears, and you can no longer act as you otherwise would, you must be careful not to harm them. The enemy, by contrast, hides behind civilians; that’s not a problem for them. The worst is when active combat is taking place in a populated area where locals are still present. You have to enter buildings and clear them. And you don’t know whether anyone is inside, there’s no information. It’s really dangerous. Working like that is hard, because in such situations any person can be perceived as a potential threat, so you have to make decisions very quickly. Fortunately, we have had no civilian fatalities. This is exactly where professionalism and training show: you go in and, within seconds, understand that the person in front of you is not a fighter but a civilian. Still, it makes the job extremely difficult.
Here’s an example: through a Mavic we saw that a family was living in a house, and a few buildings away was our position. On the other side, the enemy was advancing and assaulting. Artillery began to strike that house, and then people came out, waving, shouting. A man was carrying a child. Thankfully, no one was killed. Our team guided them out with a drone. But the very fact: what are you doing under shelling with a child?! The enemy’s artillery doesn’t discriminate between civilians and combatants.
- And what do you think about so-called "awaiters"? Have you come across them?
- There are cases where so-called "awaiters" pass on information and give away our positions. Once, a civilian led a sabotage-and-reconnaissance group from the rear to the soldiers in the adjacent unit, she showed them how to get in and where they were stationed. Those guys ran in and threw a TM grenade into the house. Fortunately, such incidents have been rare.
Also, sometimes, enemy dons civilian clothes and, in urban combat, tries to infiltrate our combat formations. That creates confusion because civilians move back and forth and it can be hard to tell who is who especially young men. We immediately detain those people and remove them from the area.
- Omega has existed since 2003. How long have you been with it? Why did you choose this unit?
- I’ve been with Omega since 2014. I initially did my conscript service, then signed a contract and enrolled in the academy to get a higher education and become an officer. I began serving in the Internal Troops. At that time Omega was based in Kyiv and was composed exclusively of officers, so my goal was to get an education, earn an officer’s rank, and get in. I wanted to be a special operator. I was finishing my studies in 2013, when internal restructuring began and some separate special-purpose detachments were being reformatted. A contact called and said there was a reform and, if I was interested, I could come and try out. I was ready, I had wanted it for a long time. I arrived and passed the exams. The selection was tough, physical trials, psychological tests, interviews. I passed almost everything, but in the final stage there are three fights against three different opponents, and in the last one, with only about 10–15 seconds remaining, I suffered a broken leg. It happens, someone gets their nose broken, I got my leg broken. But I hung on to the end, and those extra seconds were credited as a bonus. I was accepted. After the leg healed, I began serving within the system of separate special-purpose detachments.
- What makes this unit special for you?
- It is truly an elite special forces unit of the National Guard, one of the most combat-ready and effective in Ukraine. We are not a large formation. Of course, we can’t cover the entire front, but we carry out extremely complex and sometimes critically important missions. Our motto, "The final word is ours," speaks for itself. We operate where tasks are most difficult. We complete the mission, we "put the final period."
Another distinctive feature is our officer corps. Yes, during the full-scale war the structure has expanded, and we now have sergeants as well, mostly in logistics and support units. But the combat groups are officers. We break the stereotype that officers don’t fight. With us, it’s the opposite, officers lead from the front.
There are many interesting stories about this. For example, when we were fortifying a position on the frontline, we spoke with some infantrymen. Sometimes people just need to vent. They said, "Officers stay far behind." I told them, "You’re wrong! Look, a lieutenant colonel is holding a sandbag, a captain is shoveling dirt into it, and two majors are building the fortification from planks. Another one is digging a pit, while two captains are carrying logs." That’s the reality. I know for certain that in various units, officers work alongside the soldiers, carrying out every task together.
But for me, one of the key elements in Omega is camaraderie. You can feel it strongly here, it’s a real family. Even if someone leaves later, whether due to injury or family reasons, the trust and brotherhood remain. Whenever I go on a mission, I have never doubted that my brothers will have my back. You won’t be left behind. That’s simply not something that happens in a special forces unit. The sense of brotherhood is present both in daily life and in operations. We are proud of that. Everyone says Omega is known for its powerful esprit de corps, and it’s absolutely true!
- People also say Omega has the best equipment, the most modern systems and the strictest training. Is that true?
- To claim the best, you need something to compare against, but overall our provisioning really is at a high level. We have a quality kit and weaponry. Training, in my view, is also top-tier. We take it very seriously and place heavy emphasis on it. A special-operations operator is a multi-skilled specialist — an ultra-versatile fighter: today he may be piloting a drone, tomorrow clearing a building, the day after conducting special actions or a raid, and the next week manning an antitank position with an ATGM. We have many successful operations where, using Javelin ATGMs, we destroyed numerous enemy IFVs, APCs and tanks. I want to recall Vuhledar in 2023, when thanks to our work the Russian Pacific Fleet’s 155th Separate Marine Brigade was effectively wiped out. We significantly increased the count of destroyed tanks there.
Everyone here is well trained in marksmanship, tactics and combat medicine, which we emphasize heavily, it’s not just about knowing the algorithms for care but also about being able to insert various types of catheters in poor conditions, at night, or in low visibility. We train that constantly.
Working with different gadgets also requires expertise: thermal sights, night-vision devices, these all need continual practice. We often operate in varied environments: today a city, tomorrow a forest, the day after maybe mountains (who knows where we’ll be working next, perhaps the Caucasus), so training must be versatile.
We prioritize it to the utmost and continuously improve, there are no real breaks. As soon as there’s an opportunity or free time, we train. I won’t even start on physical conditioning: a special-operations trooper must be in top shape, and each of us maintains that fitness. We try to train as close to combat conditions as possible and to intensively develop and constantly refine a range of skills. Yes, training requires hard work and sweat. But sweat saves blood, so we always say: "Train the way you fight."
- You’re a commander. What is most important for proper and successful cooperation within a detachment?
- First and foremost, there must be mutual trust. When that exists, you can discuss things, build together and pursue a shared goal. There must be no hidden agendas. Trust, honesty, openness, full transparency, proper communication and mutual understanding are essential. Without these, in a unit like ours, the whole "ship could sink." If there is no trust, especially in the commander, the unit will not function. As I said, camaraderie is also highly valued here. So we build the unit as one big family.
At the same time, a commander must demand a lot of himself and his subordinates in order to work toward the common objective. Of course we are all human and sometimes want to relax or feel lazy, but you must always instill discipline in yourself and the guys. Not through heavy-handed militarism, but by example, incentive and support.
Believe me, taking on responsibility is not an easy choice. In these times, when you become a commander you take on full responsibility for the lives of your brothers-in-arms and for the unit’s performance, it is not some great pleasure. As they say, the Motherland says "it’s necessary," the brothers support you, and I know for sure: if I’m needed and can do something useful, I will do it, whether in this post or another. Anywhere there is a chance to fight the enemy.
- How do you motivate your men and yourself now?
- Fortunately, my fighters don’t need a lot of extra motivation: we already have very highly motivated personnel. People join us voluntarily, there’s no practice of coercing or holding anyone by force. After all, this is a special unit you still have to earn a place in. Those who come to us are already highly motivated; our job is simply to sustain that motivation. The vast majority know what they’re signing up for. During interviews and selection we make clear the conditions of service and that "it’s not a bed of roses." So people understand where they’re going and the tasks they’ll perform, and those who join truly want to fight the enemy and defend their land. Frankly, I’m very proud to serve in such a unit and to have subordinates who don’t require extra coercion.
An important point: in combat you don’t just give an order and that’s it, "go." No. Initiative is prized above all. Every fighter, not only the squad leader, doesn’t wait to be pushed, they are motivated to complete tasks and often propose ideas on how to do things more effectively to defeat the enemy. I’ve been very lucky with my troops and I’m genuinely glad to command such people.
Look: at the start of the full-scale invasion there were many missions, especially raids. At that time, I was a group commander. Ninety percent of the tasks we carried out were initiatives I proposed. I saw work that could be done on a sector, approached the detachment commander and outlined a plan, "we could do this and that." He approved, gave consent, and we went and executed.
Personally, I’m driven by a deep love for Ukraine and a profound hatred of the enemy. I already said I love history and I’m well oriented as to where threats come from. Many people now complain about the recruitment centers, saying they’re being "dragged into the army" and treat it like punishment. It isn’t. Defending your country is not a punishment, it’s an honor. I consider it a privilege to take part in this whirl of history and to fight for the independence and freedom of our long-suffering Ukraine, especially against our age-old foe.
My brothers-in-arms also keep me going. Sometimes conditions are tough, especially when losses hit hard and you feel like giving up and saying, "I’m done with this responsibility!" But that would be betrayal. I’ve never been a traitor and I’m not going to start now. The guys count on me, am I going to throw in the towel and walk away? No. If even half of them had said, "You’re a bad commander, we don’t want you leading us," I would have turned, shaken hands, thanked them for the cooperation and left. Honor isn’t an empty word for me, so I build an atmosphere of brotherhood and honor in the unit, that matters deeply to me.
- What are the most important qualities a special-operations soldier must have?
- First and foremost, a special operator must be a professional. Professional skills need to be drilled to the point of automatic response, because in critical moments, during close combat and amid a fluid, rapidly changing situation, that’s crucial. It’s those honed skills that let a fighter act instinctively: in the decisive moment the subconscious takes over. Muscles and mind repeat what you’ve honed in training.
Stress resilience is also vital, how well a fighter holds up under stress and sudden changes. He must keep a cool head: calm, composed, able to make a measured and, most importantly, rapid decision. That’s where decisiveness and initiative come to the fore. I always say: a quick decision that isn’t 100 percent perfect is better than a delayed but correct one. From my experience: once I made a fast decision, risked it and decided to outflank the enemy. There wasn’t time to weigh all pros and cons. I realized that if I stayed put the enemy would get in and I’d lose my chance. So I had to make an instant decision, maneuver around them and destroy the threat.
We had a similar case when we walked into an ambush. There was confusion, no one knew where the fire was coming from or what to do. I quickly assessed the situation, dismounted, took cover, returned fire and began maneuvering toward the village. My brothers started to pull back behind me, and almost everyone survived. Getting out of an ambush and surviving is extremely difficult: you’re being shot at, you don’t know where the fire’s coming from, chaos sets in. The ability to orient yourself quickly, pull yourself together, calmly assess the situation and take an immediate tactical decision, to execute a maneuver that improves your position, is lifesaving.
Also essential is endurance, not just raw muscle. It’s not about huge pumped-up muscles, as some think. You must be able to cover long distances under heavy load: raid rucksacks, kit, extra ammunition, personal effects, equipment, everything needed for the mission. And it’s not only about getting to the objective and completing the task, but getting back afterwards. That’s why endurance matters so much. Add to that the ability to operate as part of a team.
- How do you keep calm and keep a cool head in emergency situations?
- People either have that composure or they don’t. When I say we screen for stress resistance and character during selection, that’s precisely to assess whether a special-operations soldier will remain cool under fire, act measuredly, calmly and logically or whether he will panic, create chaos and simply freeze up. That’s the first point.
The second is that training helps you stay cool. The less prepared a fighter is, the more he fears combat; the better prepared he is, the more he wants to take it on. When a soldier is thoroughly trained and knows what to do and how to do it, he will act confidently. If he’s not prepared, he will panic. You must have skills honed to the point of automatic response, we embed those into the subconscious. They do work at the moment of a sudden, drastic change in the situation.
Then, once you grasp what’s happening, you must soberly assess the situation and continue to act, take concrete steps and make decisions. You need to focus and set aside emotions. Sometimes you must even detach from certain human reactions. For example, we had stress-resilience training in the mortuary. What stuck with me was watching a pathologist perform an autopsy. It’s hard work and not everyone can see and dissect a corpse every day. When asked how he feels about it, he said: "It’s a job. I simply block it out and no longer perceive that corpse as a human organism. The person is no longer alive; there’s no soul in it now. It’s a biological object." It’s the same here: the way you perceive a situation determines how you act. Afterwards you can allow yourself to feel those human emotions again, for example, leave the fight and process what happened. But in the moment you must act. I’m not saying don’t be afraid, only the dead or mentally unwell truly feel no fear. Fear should exist because it helps you avoid mistakes and prevents reckless charges into fire. But you must control it, because it can paralyze your body and your actions.
- You also fought during the ATO. What comes to mind first when you’re asked about that period?
- I have a lot of memories, it was a long period. Perhaps not as intense as the full-scale war, but even then we carried out many missions, especially at the outset of the ATO. There were also interesting and difficult operations later on. If I had to name the first thing that comes to mind, it would probably be the Ilovaisk pocket. My unit was operating in that area. During the withdrawal we walked into an ambush and were overrun. I took two bullets into my body armour, it’s what saved my life. After that we spent another week trying to break out, moving through the tree lines, but the encirclement was so tight that eventually we ran into Russian paratroopers who took us prisoner.
Another thing I recall is the Shyrokyne operation, in which I also took part as a member of a separate special-purpose detachment. We operated alongside the Azov unit and other neighbouring forces; our detachment worked directly in the Shyrokyne area.
We also carried out a wide range of tasks, including missions in the area of the Donetsk Airport (the DAP). Later on duties became somewhat quieter: counter-sniping, sniping, and detecting and neutralising enemy snipers by various means.
- Where were you when Russia launched its full-scale invasion?
- We were supposed to go on rotation right before that. But they kept us back because there was information that it might start, though nothing specific. Since our rotation had already gone beyond schedule, we sensed there were some signs of an impending invasion. No one yet grasped the scale, but about two or three weeks before the attack, we were finally pulled out. We went on leave, and I even took a short vacation. Still, as that date drew closer, I had this inner feeling, something was coming. I was staying at my wife’s parents’ house. We were just resting, but I was mentally prepared. I started packing a bag, just in case: if something happened, I’d grab it and leave immediately.
On the night of February 23 to 24, I got a call from our duty officer: alert, full combat readiness, Russia had invaded, the full-scale war had begun. That was it, I rushed to base. I remember that state of mind: anger, aggression, hatred toward the enemy. I was driving fast, hazard lights on, overtaking every car and truck, furious that they wouldn’t give way. I kept thinking, "Don’t they realize the war has started? Why aren’t they letting me through?!" I was just trying to get there as quickly as possible. Then we were thrown into battle and the fighting began.
- You’ve fought in various battles. Is it true that urban combat is more difficult than fighting on the outskirts? Tell us something from your experience.
-Yes, it is more difficult. Even military manuals define urban warfare as combat conducted under special conditions.
On the streets, danger surrounds you from every direction, it’s three-dimensional: from above, from the sides, and even from below through underground communications. You can make contact literally at 360 degrees. Fire can come from any window, any corner.
It’s also extremely difficult to dislodge the enemy or clear a building once they’re inside, because every room poses a threat and a potential ambush, especially for maneuver groups like ours or for assault units. On the other hand, it’s easier to defend in a city: you already have fortifications, concrete, brick, there’s no need to build dugouts like in open terrain. You just barricade yourself inside a building, reinforce positions among the ruins, and you can hide better from artillery or FPV drones. So, for defensive forces, fighting in a city is easier; for assaulting troops, it’s harder.
That’s why higher command, at the operational-strategic level, usually plans operations to bypass cities, either encircle them and move on, or try to cut off the defending forces from their logistics, and only then move in gradually to clear and retake the area. We can see this in practice. Early in the war, many towns were simply encircled as Russian forces pushed toward their main objective, Kyiv. Now, in Donbas, we see attempts to encircle cities from three sides before launching an assault.
Personally, I like operating in urban areas because there’s a sense of relative protection, once you dash into a building, an FPV drone is unlikely to catch you; you can take cover from small-arms fire or sniper shots. I felt comfortable fighting in the cities where we worked. One of them was Sievierodonetsk, we fought there hard and well. That’s where I sustained a gunshot wound and my second concussion.
By the way, at the end of last year we had serious missions in Toretsk. I was in charge of command and coordination there. Our special operations groups did excellent work, carried out daring raids against enemy troops entrenched in high-rises, cleared buildings, and blew the Russians up along with their positions. There were many effective operations that significantly helped the Defense Forces.
- What was the hardest decision you had to make during the war?
- There have actually been many such decisions, because each one had to be measured and considered from every angle. But perhaps the most painful episode in my life was surrendering in the encirclement. The circumstances we found ourselves in were extreme, we were completely routed: for a week we had no food or water, not a single grenade, not a single round of ammunition; we slept on the ground, hid, ran through tree lines, trying to break out. We had been driven into a corner like wild animals. We were surrounded on all sides. Deciding to surrender was probably the hardest thing. I didn’t want to do it until the last moment. It’s a bitter memory for me, but there were men with me, and I made that decision for them, essentially to avoid exposing them to an even greater risk of being wiped out. We could have tried to break out again, although, as I said, we were encircled from every direction. But I was responsible for the men, and so I acted to give them a chance to return home alive. Now I view it differently: at the time it was a hard choice, but I believe it was the right one, because we survived. I returned to the line and continued fighting, and I promised myself I wouldn’t stop until we achieve the victory we want. I will do everything I can to inflict more damage on the enemy and to avenge that painful moment. So I keep fighting.
- You’re originally from Lviv region. Did you ever think Russian missiles would reach your home? How do you perceive these strikes on civilian towns? What does it show, that Russia, unable to win on the battlefield, inflicts more pain in the rear? This isn’t how war is supposed to be fought.
- I never even considered whether missiles would reach there. Although, in hindsight, it was predictable. Russia launched a large-scale offensive aiming to destroy our economy and to break people psychologically. You’re right, these strikes show that Russia cannot win on the battlefield the way it wants, and they lash out by launching missiles at peaceful towns.
But if we fought Russia on the territory of Lviv region, in the Carpathian forests, in Podillia, in Kyiv region, in Donetsk during the Ukrainian People’s Republic period, and even in Crimea (the notable campaign of Colonel Bolbochan), where is the guarantee that history won’t bring us back to such times again? I always said I chose my fate, to dedicate myself to this struggle for Ukraine and against this enemy. We must finally secure our freedom and independence. The next generation must then rebuild this country and make it truly strong and great. Whatever happens, I will keep fighting.
About two years before the full-scale invasion, I had a very realistic dream that Russian troops had reached my home village, and I was running and fighting them. In reality, actions like Russia’s don’t surprise me at all. It cannot live and develop itself, and it won’t let others do so either. The moment it sees someone starting to build a normal life, it comes in to ruin it, to wreck everything and bring chaos, destruction, misery, tears and deaths. That is its essence.
You said Russia does not play by the rules of war. It never has! And we have consistently been too tolerant. But with this enemy that must stop. It is the most treacherous, insidious, cunning and dangerous foe, one that does not follow the rules. Don’t expect Russia to be honest. That’s simply not who they are. Again, looking back at history: so many agreements and treaties were signed, and yet Russia violated them all. That’s how it has behaved for centuries. We keep making the same mistakes with them, we negotiate, we trust them, we draw closer, and then they quietly start deceiving us, pressuring us, and once again disaster follows, we are forced to fight for our independence all over. Therefore, at the state level we must do everything to keep as far away from Russia as possible. Which is exactly what we are successfully implementing now. But that is for the present, because it is openly at war with us. I am also talking about the period when the fighting subsides — it will not end, because Russia will never willingly let us go. We must not react situationally to circumstances as they arise; we need a long-term strategic vision, to look ahead and build our policy and statehood clearly not in cooperation with Russia.
We have no right to lose our independence. It was not won by us alone but by our ancestors, who suffered for a long time and paid with many lives, strength, effort and health to obtain it. Today we are fighting for that final independence and freedom. If we lose it, we will leave our children a legacy they will not forgive us for and will speak ill of. I do not want to bequeath devastation, slavery, or war. I, for one, do not want my children or even future grandchildren to go through what I have gone through. You know, I have already endured and seen a great deal in this war. But the one thing I cannot get used to is losing my brothers-in-arms. Visiting the graves of those who died long ago, I understand that the pain does not fade. You go to them and feel such an emptiness in your soul, as if a piece of your life has been torn away.
Also, after we liberated some of our territories, I saw a large number of civilians who had been killed by the occupiers. Children’s deaths hit especially hard. That is why there is such hatred toward the Russians. There is no forgiveness for what they have done. We have already paid and continue to pay a terribly high price. This enemy must be met with just retribution. We are now in a situation where, to live, we must fight. This is necessary for the survival of our nation. So the struggle continues, hold the line!
Olha Moskaliuk, Censor.NET
Photos provided by the interviewee
