Soldier Yevhen, call sign BORODA

My name is Yevhen, callsign BORODA. I served as a career military officer for many years, starting in 2005 and continuing until the end of 2017. As part of the 95th Separate Air Assault Brigade, I participated in the war in Donbas from its very beginning. In 2017, I decided to leave the military, but when the full-scale invasion began in February 2022, I couldn’t stand aside. I voluntarily rejoined the Armed Forces of Ukraine and participated in battles near Kyiv, in Donetsk, and in the Kherson region.

During one of the combat missions, while returning from the frontlines in a vehicle, one of our tires burst, causing the car to veer into a ditch. I was thrown from the vehicle and sustained severe injuries — fractures to my spine, pelvis, and right shin. I remained conscious and my first question was to my comrade, asking if he was okay. He stayed in the car, while I tried to stand but couldn’t. With my medical background, I had an idea of what had happened to my body. I was evacuated to a stabilization point, followed by surgeries and treatment.

It has now been three months since my last surgery, but my leg is still not functioning, and I have ongoing issues with my pelvis and spine. I need long-term professional rehabilitation at the Western Rehabilitation and Sports Center to regain physical functionality and return to active life and service.

I dream of continuing to live in my country and pursuing my craft as a tattoo artist. After our Victory, I hope to fully return to this work. I want my children to have the opportunity to study without constant alarms and the need to run to shelters. I want them to live without the fear that one day they might have to flee far from home, far from our “neighbors.”

It’s a simple dream — to live and work in a free Ukraine.

I ask for your support on my path to recovery. I believe that with the help of specialists at the Western Rehabilitation and Sports Center, I can get back on my feet and continue to fight for our shared future, moving toward this cherished dream.

 

COLLECTED AND TRANSFERRED: UAH 90,000