The longest we stood in the area of Kurakhovo, under the town itself, but towards the Marinka. At the very beginning when I first arrived, went to the store, showering, got out and approached me aged woman and says: "Glory to Ukraine! And thank you that we have you!" In his pocket, shoves me, runs forward, jumps in car and drives away. When I took out the money, it was a bit dumbfounded. We money never on posts no one took.

My life is very intense since childhood. I am originally from Pavlograd and how many myself I remember, always played sports: handball, Boxing, but in the end settled on hand-to-hand combat. My maximum achievement is the silver at the world Championships in military and sports all-around: shooting, knife fight, hand to hand combat. It was in 2011, I lived for sports.

Can't say that I was a patriot. Because in 18 years of sports of Ukraine gave me only 2000 USD for silver at the world Championships, and I have more money left for treatment gel. But the pride that I stand for the flag of your country, I had.

I worked on mine underground electrician, machinist underground installations, at a depth of approximately 345 meters above the ground.

When I was called and I saw with my own eyes first fights, I realized that we need to fight - I have a growing daughter, and I have to protect her.

Everyone who took the weapon and began on the other side, are the enemy. And everyone who is fighting on the Ukrainian side is not even friends, there is no such thing there all each other's brothers.

I called in 20 BTRO, was listed there as a gunner.
Once you get to war - first of all very interesting, because you don't know what it is actually. Moreover, what man is not interested in weapons? I was given just one that I never in my life held in the hands, and only saw on TV. This PKM (machine gun Kalashnikov modernized) and the preparation was as follows: on the range took a trip, to shoot and all.
For me the tipping point was the trench. What you dug his own to protect, could become your grave. But if flies "Hail", not just yours, and fraternal.
The longest we stood in the area of Kurakhovo, under the town itself, but towards the Marinka. At the very beginning when I first arrived, went to the store, showering, got out and approached me aged woman and says: "Glory to Ukraine! And thank you that we have you!" In his pocket, shoves me, runs forward, jumps in car and drives away. When I took out the money, it was a bit dumbfounded. We money never on posts no one took.
From our position to Kurakhovo was literally a mile. Happened the first unpleasant moments with the local authorities. The mayor of Kurakhovo told us not to come to the city and not to scare people. He held a referendum, and we had information that he was provoked: explosions in the city, referring to the Ukrainian military, to create panic among the population. He campaigned for "DNR", we had a video in support of his agitations. Together with the "Right sector" we arrested him along with deputies. And gave law enforcement agencies, and 2 days later it was revealed that he was released. Taruta stood up for this mayor to the President. Each of us was shocked by such news. In addition, he was held in Parliament on 59-th district. And today the Deputy mayor of Kurakhovo. That is, nothing has changed this past summer when we fought for, that people lived peacefully, and now there is again crept separatists.
Once from Marinka shot and killed two young boys. The machine, which was doing the shots disappeared. It turned out that the dead guys were selling drugs. And we stood there for literally 3-4 minutes and immediately responded to the shooting. Came and rendered first aid. Then called an ambulance, waited until she was coming. One boy survived, and the second died. Then we tried to find those who did it. But witnesses gave us wrong information and we have not managed to catch the perpetrators in the murder of the boys. People saw that instead of the police came to understand the soldiers and after a number of some cases, assistance provided to local, they began to trust us.
At Kurakhovo there is a reservoir, there's a camp where refugees lived. We brought food, children condensed milk or even some sweets. So people feel that they are protected.
In the war I remember the children, their eyes. Even though kids are there too different. Sometimes such that approached us and said: "Uncle, my dad's from DNA", so he will come and kill you!" And sometimes the opposite, when the boy pulls the pies and says they are with grandma for us soldiers, made it.

First days Bros called Jackson. And now I'm more responding to the call sign, than to marry. But after the injury I was nicknamed titanium Jackson, because in my head I have is a titanium plate.
We were shot at every day, I've been so "hot" when on three sides thrash, and you with a machine gun on one side of the shot, then ran to second. And they mortars, guns, howitzers thrash, and a day's run from side to side - fire.
But a few days before my injury they generally insolent: tailings exhibited a 5-liter bottle to drink, sat down and corrected fire. When you see it, then take the gun and start to getit. And the joy he takes, that though not hit, but nix made; on the radio hear them sporobolis and complain to each other that even the head can not be raised. However, in response separa also begin to shoot, just from a mortar. A couple of times they tried to come up with small arms, but we had a very good response.
Wounded on 27 August, I have changed as time off duty. The shift is from 12 to 6 to stand on the mountain in the sun, in the Bronnikov in the helmet. So sometimes you just take everything off, so that the body rested. Telephone communication was only in one place. And that's when I came up to talk on the phone, even the shot not heard, apparently was fired from a distance. When I realized that yet "arrived", began somewhere back, but did not manage to escape the first 122 mm shell fell 5 metres from where I was. I was immediately wounded in the head, but somehow I passed out, and ran some more, then dropped the second shell about 7 metres. As he exploded out of the gate, the shards flew through them and hit me in the side. Somewhere ten meters was the cellar with our boys, I got there. My friend, Eugene cook, made a shot and rewound my head. These two shells were the beginning of the next attack.
When I'm stuck, I slowly started to fall asleep. But before that, I prayed and thanked God for what he gave me in life, and for the fact that I have a daughter is beautiful. Asked forgiveness for their sins. I thanked his parents because they always worried about me. Father really could not sleep and even started to repair the clock, to occupy yourself with something and just because the nerves through the roof. And when I was brought to the hospital, my mother said that for her 2014 does not exist, he crossed out of life because she lived and existed.
I was surprised by the actions of some local residents when they learned that Jackson was wounded, waited under the hospital in Kurakhovo, while I will bring. People brought new things, fruits, juices and everything else. It seems to me that they reacted like this because we have managed to earn their respect. I kept saying that while we're here - all will be quiet. But if we are, then we must worry about.
We really kept it clean. When my battalion was taken out of Marinka, people wrote a collective letter to the regional state administration and the President: "give us Back the 20th battalion, because we're with them still!" We for the first six months in the area of ATO was only three dead and 35 wounded from the whole battalion, so he was considered very effective.
Now overall I'm still "lives" up to 30 pieces. And pulled in a total of 83. Surprisingly, I was very stunned, but the concussion was not.
But my most serious injury is the fractured skull. Got there a little fragment, about 5 mm, and stopped about two mm of the Central vessel. I mean, I was just Vuh millimeters from death.
Plus I had a hematoma the size of about 20 cm - the whole occipital part. Noticed the shard only on the 6th day. Since I have the evening with a headache I couldn't sleep, the pills and the injections didn't help, I had a CT scan (computed tomography) and the results are instantly sent to the operating room. Part of the frontal bone already beginning to rot, and have it removed. I have three and a half days away from the anesthesia. Hard left: the mother sent, the walls of his fist, tube tried to pull. Grenades machines "held" in the hands, that is fought. And then, when my week was discharged from the hospital, I broke down and went to the front of the boys with volunteer help, and just because they missed me.
When I physicians reported that will write off, I said go back. But it so happened that I was sent to Poland to rehab, and then when I returned home, sent for re-operation. According to the results of the fight is still not allowed. Then I started using the boys: the socio-legal protection in the "Foundation for the Defense of the Country" I Now help to bring the soldiers to get UB ( a combatant), I go to the front, check the software, because without the front I can not, and the guys bring their necessary, as a volunteer.
I have a man I very much respect, is my Sergeant acne. For me he became a second father. Thanks to him, I more or less adequate. He very correctly affected me. I realized that in the war - either you or you. You're looking at, to some extent, into the face of death. Vitalik went through the war and I like the grain some invested. At the front, in a way very much leaps off the tower from not knowing what will happen to you.
My father said: "what I could read in the books, you saw with your own eyes!" I've seen young kids who just went to the slaughter. That is, the people had no fear. Because war is a kind of drug too and very strong.
Most of the guys that have already demobilized, still come to the front as volunteers, because they go there. This is the echo of the war that will be a very long time to sound.
Now I understand that parents are sacred. Before, I didn't feel it. And I have new values and new friends. Well, some old, those who played sports, who once were close in spirit, almost everything was lost, because our opinions on the war dispersed. We are now looking at the world, and our country.
Of course, I really want peace and a normal of a government that will work for the country. We have many wise adequate people and I believe in the future of Ukraine. I love the words of Boris Filatov about what he wanted his descendants to know that their ancestor was one of the revolutionaries who changed the country for the better and raised from his knees. I also want to be able to change something. I want people to believe in God and led an honest relationship, as in business and politics. And I very much want to be an example for my daughter, because it is my copy and the most precious thing I have.

Text and photo: Vika Yasinsaya, Censor.NET

Source: http://censor.net.ua/