Ukrainian Trench Fighter: “We Are Doing Our Best to Bring All This to an End”

Trench warfare training is particularly important for us at this point in time because the Russian side is pursuing a tactic of infiltrating in small groups. We therefore have to stop them before they reach the cities they are attempting to infiltrate. This is where trench warfare comes into play for tactical reasons. In other words, we meet Russian soldiers in the fields outside our cities and prevent them from advancing any further.

This training clearly minimises our risks and strengthens overall security. Ultimately, the decisive point is whether communication works well at every level. That is still a weak point on the battlefield. In this area, we can learn an enormous amount from the German instructors during the training and gain a great deal of experience. Our communication, such as the coordination before combat, is constantly improving, making our tactics more effective and our troops stronger altogether. It is all the better that we can train here on site, in safety, as often as we want. Repeatedly practising different tactics, attacking the same bend in the trench several times. This complete safety makes this place ideal for us.

As squad leaders, we try to deploy our soldiers tactically and intelligently during combat while protecting them at the same time. We are doing our best to save as many lives as possible. We have to get our people away from rifle fire and out of the combat zone. That is what matters. It’s a good thing for us that everything is changing extremely quickly. For example, there are all kinds of unmanned ground vehicles. We can use them in a variety of ways, whether in combat or for rescuing and transporting wounded personnel. In that respect, these unmanned ground vehicles are the future of modern warfare.

In principle, I see the use of drones, as well as unmanned vehicles, as a positive development. Drones naturally wield a frightening power in war. Nevertheless, they help us keep our soldiers alive. For example, we use drones to reconnoitre the enemy’s movements, but also to attack them. In modern combat, drones can completely change the situation. They determine how to grasp what’s going on in the war – meaning what information we obtain about the enemy before the fighting even begins. For example: How many people are approaching? Where is the best place to hide during combat? We must constantly take into account the dangers and opportunities presented by drones, throughout every phase of combat. At the same time, we always keep everyone in mind. I do not just mean soldiers, but civilians, too. After all, we were all civilians before we came here to prepare for combat.

Originally, I worked for a European IT company. When the war began, I wanted to join the army straight away. My family was absolutely shocked. I cannot repeat the number of swear words they hurled at me. My mother was firmly against it. Other relatives didn’t know anything. I only told them about it a year ago. It is very emotional for everyone.

Ultimately, we have no other choice. The videos from recent times speak volumes: On one occasion, Russian soldiers used drones to pursue an ordinary civilian teenager who was riding a bicycle along the road. He was only about 16 years old. Then a greengrocer was attacked by a Russian drone. All this shows how Russian soldiers conduct themselves in the war: they do not care whether there is a civilian or a soldier in front of them. For me personally, the whole situation is extremely difficult. After all, I am half Ukrainian and half Russian. I cannot imagine shooting even a single civilian. This makes the things I have seen on the battlefield all the more distressing. The massacre in Bucha, where large numbers of civilians were murdered and tortured to death, was a real turning point in this war for me. From that day onwards, I stopped speaking Russian. After 26 years, I have not spoken a single word of Russian since – from one day to the next.

We must return to the borders of 1991. I know that sounds like a joke. But that would be the ideal scenario for me. I understand that it would be very difficult to achieve. The territories annexed by Russia, such as Crimea, are not Russian territory. That is complete nonsense. And all the people who live there are being treated inhumanely. The Russian soldiers have demolished everything. They want to destroy not only our cities, but also our culture. The same applies to the occupied territories. So many citizens are suffering under Russian occupation.

For eight years, from 2014 to 2022*, I never imagined that such an invasion could ever happen. I never expected any of this to affect me personally or to turn my life upside down from one day to the next. Then, in 2022, I realized that I was wrong. So, we all never knew what else would be happening. That is still the case today. It is completely unclear what Putin intends to do next. I am genuinely shocked time and time again. I only know one thing: We will do our best to bring all this to an end.