“My youth is war”: stories of National Guardsmen who, despite their young age, went to defend the Motherland
Ukrainian youth are a powerful force in our country. All the heroes of these short stories are servicemen from different units of the Northern Operational and Territorial Union.
Not so long ago, these young people were still studying in schools or universities, serving military service and planning their future, but the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation on the territory of Ukraine destroyed these plans.
Andriy, 20 years old, Kyiv region:
“On February 24, my mother woke me up and said that a full-scale war had begun. At first I did not believe it, but already on the way to work I realized that it really began. Then my friends and I gathered and went to the nearest military unit, already from it we went to combat near Gostomel, and then to the Kharkiv region, - recalls Andriy and adds: “If men do not run away from the service, but on the contrary, we all unite and defeat the enemy, then the following Generations will live in a peaceful Ukraine.”
Gura, 25 years old, m. Dnipro:
“My youth is now a tactic,” a military man with combat experience, in particular, in Belogorovka, briefly answers. “I have three nephews. I really want them not to see this war. Children should have a full family, parents, a home, not a war...
Gura was looking for himself before the war. He says that there are about ten different entries in the workbook, which is why he joined the ranks of the Security and Defense Forces of Ukraine, first for military service, and later for a contract.
“I would not even imagine that my youth would go to war. There is nothing good in this. It would be cool to spend your youth normally: study, rest, work, holidays, and not to engage in war,” says the fighter. “I hope that modern youth remember that there is a war, so we need to work, volunteer. It's a little offensive when young people are in discos now, and we're here...”
El Pacho, 23 years old, Poltava region:
“I have little sisters, they also need to be protected, someone has to do it,” the soldier explains and adds: “I served military service before that. Only 2 months stayed at home and again went to serve. Now I have little combat experience, I was wounded and I am undergoing rehabilitation.”
About her youth, El Pacho says that she is “very full of different adventures”, but believes that the next generation of young people should definitely wait for peace.
Denis, 20 years old, m. Dnipro:
“I think that our youth is hope, it is the struggle for Independence and the free life of our children,” says the soldier, who plans to become an officer after the victory. “I think that after so many years of trials, the next generation of young people should enjoy life. There are many young soldiers in my unit, but none of us could have thought that our young years would be taken away by war.”
Nikolay, 25 years old, m. Kiev:
“Youth in uniform is also youth,” says another fighter Nikolai. He did not undergo military service, but at the beginning of the full-scale invasion he was mobilized into the ranks of the National Guard of Ukraine. Subsequently, as part of the unit, he already went to combat operations in the Kiev region, and then in the Kharkiv region. Recalls the first battle in one word: “Finally!”.
“I hope that we will still walk in the parks and not think that somewhere something will fly, someone somewhere will be killed. So that they do not even think about the war, but only remember,” says the military man, and then recalls: “If it were not for the war, I would have repaired the car. I really like to do this. After winning, I want to discover something of my own and work for myself.”
Each story of the young National Guardsman is unique in its own way, but in one they are all similar - none of them planned to fight and risk their lives, but each of them is now a fighter who defended Ukraine.
National Guard of Ukraine
