Path to the East and the tragedy of the air force unit
Hello, folks! My name is Victor aka vicchern.
I have been serving as a military chaplain for half a year now, combining my service with work, my studying at university, the gym, and other activities. I have a Telegram channel where I discuss my activities in greater detail. Join us!
The Beginning of the Path
I was already tired back in February, but there is a story about Moses in the Bible, where he came across a burning bush that didn’t burn up. I am that bush. I know our boys are even more tired, so I have no right to complain.
In the past months, I’ve traveled over 30 000 kilometers (~18 650 miles). There were cases when I went to the east on one day, returned to Kyiv on the next day, and drove to Lviv one day later. I’ve been to Lviv 17 times already in recent times. I almost feel like a local there. This time I traveled to the East with other chaplains and a journalist. And on that trip, I saw more than I usually do, it seems.
Our path began with a 5 AM trip from Kyiv to Pavlograd through Poltava. That day, Ukraine suffered a massive missile shelling. In one Oblast, we saw missile strikes that weren’t even reported in the news.
There we met with a team of chaplains and headed to Slovyansk.
I saw the Kramatorsk train station with my own eyes. It’s a landmark for every Ukrainian.
A few months ago a journalist from Finland gifted a portable x-ray prototype for our medics to seek shards or bullets in a human body during combat. We had the opportunity to witness the device’s work in a Slovyansk hospital.
They have electricity but no drinkable water. Medics told us they don’t remember what it’s like to have water running from the tap.
Luhansk in 2014 wasn’t as empty as Slovyansk is now. There are neither humans nor animals on the streets. Even Mykolayiv is livelier than Slovyansk. When you walk the streets, it feels like you’re in a horror movie about the end of the world.
My friend’s story
At about the same time, in a forest 60 kilometers from us Dmytro’s aerial reconnaissance unit, commanded by Hlib Babych, was destroyed. It was an experienced team with a large kill tally of burned enemy vehicles. They were unfortunate enough to hit an anti-tank landmine.
I met Dmytro after my first trip to Azov. He was hitchhiking near Poltava. I picked him up, and we started talking. He told me his story and how he defended Chernihiv in March. You can find more about it on my Telegram channel.
I remember praying for him in my car, proclaiming: “you will live.”
Dmytro is the only one who survived… He sustained many injuries, but he will walk and will live on! For which I thank God greatly. And I believe that he will continue helping to fight russians.
A few days ago, he was transferred to Kyiv. I visited him there and planned to continue doing so while he undergoes treatment. His fighting spirit is strong.
These things happen. For you, it’s just another day on the front while the life of someone next to you changes forever.
But I didn’t know all this back then. I found out accidentally on a public forum.
On hospital grounds, I saw a young man without a leg in a wheelchair, wearing a Grammarly employee shirt. I think he had all the opportunities and the job of his dreams, but he sacrificed it all for his country. And these sacrifices are not in vain. We will definitely win!
The Gray Zone and Chasiv Yar
After visiting medics in Slovyansk, we moved on to Chasiv Yar. On our way, we had to stop in the gray zone, and while we waited, we found a tripwire hooked to a hand grenade right next to the road.
This is an American grenade with a rather noticeable wire.
russians don’t use these. More likely, our soldiers left it for orc SR groups that prowl at night.
After waiting for our team, we moved on, noticing many tracks from our MLRS. Maybe they were even from HIMARS. Now people say that about any artillery mark they see.
Chasiv Yar is a place where almost 50 people died a few weeks ago.
A bicycle and an armchair
Damage to buildings in that place is catastrophic. You’re left wondering how anyone could survive that at all.
In Chasiv Yar, we met with a reconnaissance unit that one of the chaplains earlier gave a night vision device and other stuff.
On our way back at night, we came across an entire convoy of M777s. You can’t mix them up with anything. Around 11 PM, passing through the Pokrovsky district of Donetsk Oblast, we saw the burning remains that were left after a Kalibr hit railway infrastructure.
After stopping in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast for the night, we returned home. Tired but satisfied. With a feeling of duty fulfilled.
In the next article, I will tell you how we bought a pickup truck for our Special Operations Forces. But for now, we are moving toward victory together. The support of each of you is very important. Without it, Bayraktars, vehicles, and equipment for our boys and girls wouldn’t be purchased.
I want to once and for all say this to all those who are still uncertain whether they should join the army or remain working and donate to UAF. Remain where you are and help on your own frontline. If there is ever a need to fight with weapons, we will all go, including myself. I saw how different units in different divisions live. Take my word for it- military life is not for everyone. I know people who truly enjoy it, as well as those who fight themselves and their habits every day in defense of their country. I want to emphasize that anyone can be taught to shoot, but not everyone can be taught to code, despite what IT schools and advertisements might tell you.
Being on the front, we are continually surprised that most of our soldiers move around on vehicles bought by volunteers, thanks to us, those who donate to these things. Were it not for volunteers, what would they drive? Soon our SOF will be driving a pickup truck that all of you, mostly the IT community, donated for. Keep working, boys and girls. Work effectively to be an example for others and leave them wondering how we can remain in place while going through all the horrors that we all witness every day. When thunder strikes and you mistake it for a missile. When every day can be your last. When you see the bright sights of the world and think that it’s all unreal, just made up, and only exists somewhere out there, but not for you. When you wake up every morning and wonder about what terrible things you will come across today. When you ran out of tears long ago, and nothing can surprise you anymore. Let’s bring our victory closer together, each on our own frontline. This nightmare will definitely end, and the new light will shine over our country. February will end, and we will enter the dawn of New Mighty Ukraine together.
If you want to support my work- welcome. All the necessary information is provided below.
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Below is a series of my articles on the war and my time in russian captivity.
