Soldier, call sign “ZMII”

My name is Andrii, I am 31 year old. I am an officer in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In 2014, I was mobilized into the armed forces and served 2 rotations in eastern Ukraine. In 2015 I signed a contract and at that time entered a military higher educational establishment. 

In 2019, I graduated and was sent for further service to one of the reconnaissance units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as a part of which I went to the Joint Forces Operation in the Donetsk area. 7 months later, I was transferred to a different unit. In 2020, I was again sent to the East, and again to the Donetsk direction.

On the first day of the full-scale military invasion, we arrived at the unit on an alert and immediately headed to the defense of Kyiv. 

After Kyiv Kharkiv region followed, and then - Donbas again. But this time it was Luhansk region. Together with the guys from our unit and other units, we held the defense of Severodonetsk for more than a month. 

At the end of June, hostile troops began to launch an offensive south of Lysychansk, using a significant amount of armoured vehicles. I was in a position with my soldiers to counter this offensive, but an enemy tank shell hit our location.

Unfortunately, one of my fellow soldiers was killed immediately, and I was seriously wounded: open fractures of my right leg and arm, contusion, broken ribs and shoulder blade. I am grateful to my fellow soldiers, they were able to administer first aid and evacuate me. I was taken to Bakhmut and then to Dnipro. Unfortunately, in Dnipro I had to have my arm amputated up to the shoulder joint. 

I was in a coma for three days, but thanks to my beloved wife, I regained consciousness, it was her who brought me back to life.

I spent six months in bed because the shrapnel knocked out a solid piece of bone, and I had a metal device installed on my leg. The doctors performed a complicated surgery and implanted two metal rods in my thigh. Now, so much time later, I can walk on my own two legs. 

Now I am dreaming of a functional prosthetic arm - myoprosthesis of the forearm, so I can return to a more or less full life, and most importantly, to serving in the Armed Forces to continue defending my homeland.