Soldier Oleksandr, call sign FOREST

My name is Oleksandr, Senior Lieutenant of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, callsign FOREST.

I was 12 years old when the war in eastern Ukraine began. I was still a child, but the events of 2014 deeply impacted me. Watching the news, I decided that I would become a soldier because defending my country is more than a duty—it’s a calling.

After ninth grade, I enrolled in the Naval Lyceum in Odesa. It was my first encounter with military discipline, and I liked it. I realized this was my path. In 2019, I continued my studies at the Military Academy, choosing the Marine Corps. After graduating in 2023, I became a platoon commander in the newly formed 37th Marine Brigade.

My first battle, my first injury—it was summer, in the village of Velyka Novosilka. A shrapnel wound to my leg became my baptism by fire. After treatment, I returned to service because I knew I had to be with my comrades. A few weeks later, fate tested me again—I hit an anti-tank mine. Thankfully, I escaped unharmed and continued my service.

In November 2023, I transferred to the 505th Separate Marine Battalion as a deputy company commander. We were deployed on a mission in Krynky, where we spent 39 days under the harshest conditions. But the worst came later, in Tokarivka.

That day, I was at the battalion’s command observation post. The first shelling collapsed my shelter, but I managed to crawl out. Assessing the situation, I heard the second shell incoming. It landed behind me, and when I tried to stand up, I realized something was wrong. My leg was barely hanging on by a piece of skin. The realization was shocking, but there was almost no pain—just a sensation that it had been broken.

I started crawling toward the basement, leaving a bloody trail behind me. My comrades ALVAREZ and BORZYI were the first to help, dragging me into the basement. They provided first aid, applied a tourniquet, and called the evacuation team. ALVAREZ rode with me to the stabilization point; we even joked in the vehicle. I asked him to scratch my right leg, the one that was no longer there.

I accepted the loss of my leg as soon as I woke up from anesthesia in the hospital. It was a fact that couldn’t be changed, but I decided it wouldn’t change me. The hardest part came later—re-amputation in Mykolaiv and dressing removal in Odesa without anesthesia. That pain was worse than losing the leg itself. But even then, I knew I had to endure.

Today, I continue to serve. My goal is to stay in the ranks, be useful to my country, and inspire others. To do this, I need a sports prosthesis. It will allow me to stay mobile, carry out combat missions, and engage in sports, which has become a new source of motivation for me.

My story is not about loss but about the triumph of spirit over circumstances. I believe that together we can overcome any obstacle. And I thank everyone who supports me and other wounded warriors in our fight. Together, we will make the impossible possible.

 

COLLECTED AND TRANSFERRED: UAH 319,552.16