Soldier Vasyl Shcherbakov, call sign SWAT

I, Vasyl Borysovych Shcherbakov, call sign SWAT, military rank - Sergeant, entered the war as a volunteer in June 2014, participated in the liberation of Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, Artemivsk (Bakhmut), Debaltseve as part of the 11th Separate Brigade of the Territorial Defense Forces. 

In December 2014, by order of the Chief of the General Staff Viktor Muzhenko, I was sent to the Special Forces group of the Airborne Division of the 81st Brigade, where I performed tasks in Debaltseve that was invaded by the enemy and near Shyrokyne. 

In June 2015 I resigned and was mobilised again to the Armed Forces of Ukraine: into the 25th Battalion of the 54th Separate Mechanized Brigade as an infantry platoon commander. I took part in the battles for Popasna, later was promoted to the position of commander of a reconnaissance platoon and was appointed as the battalion's acting chief of intelligence. 

On the 9th of July, 2016, during the enemy's several- days-long assault on the Abdulla Joint Venture, we suffered losses: three ‘cargo 200s’ (meaning diseased), ten 300s (meaning wounded), including me - but we managed to hold the altitude. I received a mine-blast injury, a compression injury of the spine, a shrapnel injury to the right knee, and a bullet wound to the shoulder. 

After treatment in hospital, I received the ‘Pride of Zhytomyr’ award in the nomination ‘Hero of the Anti-Terrorist Operation’. 

Two weeks after I escaped from the hospital, I fought with the enemy as part of the 54th Brigade's reconnaissance unit near the village of Troitske, was severely injured again, and since 2017 I have been classified as a war veteran of group II.

Since I am an athlete and graduated from the Institute of Physical Education, after two years of training, in 2019, I returned to the Armed Forces of Ukraine: to the 54th Brigade, where I served in reconnaissance. I fought in Zolote-4 and Katerynivka, Popasna district, where I was severely injured again and received a group II disability for life. 

In 2020, I was released from the army, and on 25 February 2022, I came to help my brothers-in-arms in Bucha, where, in the absence of the army, police, Security Service of Ukraine, and authorities, I was obliged to form a squad of 17 people. We twice tried to blow up the only bridge over the Rohach River, but we failed due to the lack of explosives, and the army refused to destroy the bridge with artillery. At the same time, I was forced to enter the icy water twice to mine the bridge - after which I developed serious kidney problems. On the 27th of February 2022, a convoy of 150 armoured vehicles of the enemy crossed this bridge to Bucha. We met them in a planned ambush: we burned 2 units of vehicles, killed several dozen Pskov paratroopers from the 76th and 111th divisions, as well as the ‘tik-tok stars’ - Akhmat battalion. There is no information about this battle in the Ukrainian media, but it is available in the English version of the film ‘The Battle for Kyiv’, which begins at the 21st minute with a description of the events that took place, including photos of me and my soldiers:  https://youtu.be/ov10MD3HFao?si=V6UdRgns38Vp2eR1 (in English).

Later, I fought with his unit on the left bank of Ukraine in the area of Dymerka, Bohdanivka, and Strakholissia. After the liberation of Bucha, being disabled and written off, unable to find a job in the Armed Forces, I joined the Signum volunteer unit, which was fighting near Izium at the time, or rather, the fighting was taking place in Velyka Komyshuvakha. Two months later, my health condition deteriorated sharply, I was unable to walk, was seriously ill and was sent home.

Since 2017, I did not receive any free medicines from the state; neither treatment, nor dental prosthetics, zero help from social workers as a person with mobility issues, I did not receive any rehabilitation equipment - all this was not offered nor provided to me at all. I took loans for medicines with my wife and survived without the help of local authorities, who are supposed to visit me at least once a year and provide me with the necessary assistance.  I raised my son to be a soldier - on the 26th of May 2024, after completing his training, he is going to defend Ukraine.’ 

Currently, I need a special back support/bandage that will allow me to work and move around independently. In this regard, I appeal to people doing charity for help.
 

TRANSFERRED: UAH 8,200