Soldier Oleksandr Kostiuk, call sign DOTSENT

My name is Oleksandr Kostiuk, call sign DOTSENT (meaning Associate Professor), a platoon commander of the 130th battalion of the 241st brigade of the Territorial Defence Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This unit defended Kyiv, Irpin, took part in the liberation of Kharkiv region, and held the defense line in Donetsk region.

In civilian life, I was a director of the IT department at the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy National University.

Even before the full-scale invasion by russia, I became a reservist with the 130th Battalion of the Territorial Defense Forces (TDF). On the 24th of February, I was one of the first to meet the enemy near Kyiv, together with my comrades. My story in the TDF forces began back in 2021. Back then, I almost accidentally found the 130th Battalion's Facebook page. I contacted them - as it turned out, the soldiers trained every Saturday.

Thus, even before the 24th of February, I knew that in the event of a large-scale invasion, I would get down to the defense myself with the people I had already trained with and found a common language with. We already had a lot in common, and such informal horizontal ties are very important for cohesion in a unit. So it is not surprising that we, the reservists, became the core of the company.

The 13th of December 2022 turned out to be a long day in my life. During the rotation at the positions in the village of Bilohorivka, the first pickup truck in the group exploded on an anti-tank mine. I dispersed the personnel reported on the circumstances and that I intended to take the wounded to the stabilisation point on my own. However, while driving around a blown-up pickup truck, I hit an anti-tank mine.

The moment of the explosion looked as if in a slow motion, time stretched out. There was an explosion, dust, contusion, terrible pain in my limbs. My first thought was that there were no entrenching tools and that my comrades would not be able to get me out of that car. 

However, very little time passed, and I heard: "Dotsent, Dotsent, legs, legs". And the feeling that I was being pulled by the armoured vest. Then I took IPP pills, and one of my comrades gave me a warm jacket, as I started to show signs of blood loss. Czech reported to my comrades that I was in a serious condition, and literally in 30 minutes a fellow soldier Chernobyl came from the city of Siversk and took me to the stabilisation point.

I never lost consciousness, but I remember well that I asked Volodia to drive slowly, as my shredded legs were swinging around the SUV and Zoia, the medic, was cutting my boots and uniform before our arrival at the hospital. When we stopped, I saw a gurney and people in white coats, and realised that I  definitely would not become “cargo 200th” (meaning “dead”).

The company's combat medic, Marta, met me at the stabilisation point, made a few jokes and connected me to anaesthesia. I remember that I started to come to my senses in the ambulance, but on the way to another location - Kramatorsk, as it turned out later.

It was as if in a movie, when through the fog you start to hear and see the medics talking in the ambulance, a light fighter sitting next to you, you being calm and pain-free.

In Kramatorsk, a surgeon came up to me in the emergency room, tired, with a beard and round glasses. He asked if I was from the 130th battalion and if I knew the commander of one of the companies. I replied that I knew the deceased commander of the 7th Company. The surgeon said that he was his brother. It was very touching. 

I remember telling him: "Brother, if you can, save both of my legs, if it isn't possible - act depending on the situation". 

When I woke up from anaesthesia, I saw that I had one leg, but the other was amputated. I immediately thought: "Okay. I accept this state. A new stage of life begins".

Then there were a few days in intensive care in Dnipro, evacuation to Kyiv, 3.5 months in the Central Military Clinical Hospital, and visits from friends every day.

Seven months of rehabilitation followed. A change in condition from when it was difficult to even sit to when I could drive myself to rehabilitation. 

Now I continue to serve in the General Staff structures of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. I moved to another city.

To recover, a veteran needs to develop professionally, socially and physically. Fate brought me together with a Thai boxing coach in my new duty station. Serhii served for many years as a special forces officer in a unit of the security and defence sector. After being seriously injured during an assault, he recovered on his own from being in a wheelchair to becoming a full-fledged citizen.

I had no idea I needed a sports prosthesis. However, a month of training with Serhii changed my physical condition and allowed me to have prospects.

My goal is to return to skiing when it is going to be possible. An interim solution to having a sports prosthesis is a liner, which provides a better level of fixation and mobility. 

I am turning to the Foundation for the purchase of a liner, which will allow me to continue my rehabilitation and increase my prospects for further service and for leading an active life. 

 

TRANSFERRED: UAH 30,759.25