Soldier Yurii, call sign MALYI

My name is Yurii, born in 1998. I started my military career at the age of 19 when I joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine for regular service and was discharged as a junior sergeant 18 months later.

During the full-scale invasion, I joined the army in April 2022. On the 17th I was called up, and on the 19th I was already undergoing training in Lviv. Once we acquired some knowledge, they sent us to the Zaporizhzhia region to defend our homeland. I understood what war was like. I clearly imagined all this horror. Yet, I also clearly realised that I had to defend my land and my family. Who else, if not us!

On 16th January 2023, in the same Zaporizhzhia sector in Orikhiv district, while performing a combat mission, I was seriously injured by enemy fire. Three of my comrades were killed, I lost my right eye, hand, my nose and face were mutilated, but I survived.

I remember that day well, even though it was not much different from other days. We went on a combat mission in a Vito minibus, arrived at the position, got out of the car, and the commander was clearly communicating the tasks. At that very moment, an enemy drone arrived and dropped a 55 mm shell on us.

I was thrown several metres away onto the asphalt. I did not see anything because of the impact. Only after a few seconds I came to senses and realised that one of my arms was torn off, that the other was damaged, that my right eye was draining, and that I could not see anything with my left eye and did not understand what was wrong with it. My comrade ran up to me and said: "Brother, I don't know what to do, I wasn't trained for this!" I didn't lose my cool and said: "If you do nothing, I will die. Listen to me carefully, and everything will be fine!" Then I was guiding him and telling him what to do. 

Despite my severe injuries, I was conscious all the time, until the operation theatre. No unnecessary emotions, just a cold mind. And after I regained consciousness in the intensive care unit after the operation, I felt fierce anger and a desire to return and take revenge.
 

Many surgeries on my head and body followed. Several more on my face are still ahead of me.

It's hard for me without one arm, because before the war I was a builder, I earned my living with my hands my whole life. I am used to working, so I need a bionic prosthesis. I understand that it will not replace my arm, but I believe that I will at least let me get closer to what I had before. I will be very grateful to everyone who will help me.

I recently got married, I dream of a big family and children. And I really want to get behind the wheel of my motorbike again and feel the freedom I so desperately need to feel under the peaceful sky of my homeland.

COLLECTING: UAH 1 153,008.92