“I left everything I had,” - Guardsman on the path to war
The officer of the special purpose battalion “Donbas” V/ch 3035 of the 15th Slavic Regiment Yuri in peacetime was the owner of a construction company. Currently - serves in the National Guard.
“I left everything I had. On the 24th, I went to my customers, terminated all contracts, said that I was definitely going to defend the country,” the officer says.
During 2022-2023, the guardsman fought in Rubezhnoe, Dolyna, Bogorodichne, Kupyansk, Izyum and Zarechne. Also, the man took part in the Slobozhansky Offensive and the Liman Operation. He says that the most difficult thing he had in the period of fighting near Popasna. There, Yuri received several contusions. The guard notes -the closest thing to him is the feeling of loss when he has to bury dead comrades.
“The hardest thing is when you bring your brothers to bury. The last one was carried by us, my wife, my mother barely kissed our hands for pulling out their child, their husband, their father, from the battlefield and bringing them home. That's the worst thing,” the man recalls.
Yuriy is 59 years old. He has four grandchildren, two children. Both are also now defending their native land. Yuri assures that he will fight until victory over the enemy, because he has motivation - family and Ukraine - the most expensive.
National Guard of Ukraine
