Soldier Artem, call sign KORSHUN (KITE/bird)

My name is Artem, call sign KORSHUN (KITE (bird). I have been serving with the 36th Marine Brigade since 2019.
 

On 15th August, 2020, at about 8 am, near the village of Vodiane, Volnovakha district, Donetsk region, I was seriously wounded while performing combat missions.

That morning, together with my comrades-in-arms, we were working on tasks against the enemy. A mine came in "response", fortunately, no one was injured, but we decided to change positions. I moved to another trench, which turned out to be mined.

I stepped on a PMN-2, an anti-personnel landmine, pressure-activated. It is designed to incapacitate enemy personnel. It is a plastic munition that can only be detected by a pulser or probe. I clearly remember that moment: an explosion, a bunch of shrapnel entering my body and head. There was a terrible smell of chicken (the tissues of my wounded body were burning).

I immediately began to assess the situation: I realised that things were bad, to put it mildly.

The explosion had punctured the first aid kit, damaged the tourniquet inside, and ripped two more tourniquets off my armour. I saw that the fingers and wrist of my right hand were broken. I started pulling the lace from my right boot, I had to bandage my leg, where part of the foot was torn off, to stop the bleeding. 
After that, I tried to radio in: "I'm KORSHUN-cargo 300, I'm at ... position!" However, the explosion also damaged the radio. 

But I was lucky. My comrade ROMAKHA (unfortunately, deceased as of now) came to my rescue, despite the difficult situation, he came flying with a first aid kit and tourniquets to save me. He was administering first aid, and I had my first cigarette. Then the second, third and fourth. And at that time, a medic got to us. And they started pulling me out of the position to a calmer place. They bandaged me properly.

Although I lost a lot of "useful fluid" (blood), I was conscious all the time. And when they were taking me out of the position, for some reason, I remembered a song and sang it. 

Later, my colleagues recalled it: "We are taking him out, and he wasn't crying, he was singing 'On a white blanket of January...'"
 

I was shell-shocked pretty badly, and I still can't hear in my right ear. In addition, I received multiple shrapnel wounds to my head, neck, torso, upper and lower extremities. However, my moral state was calm, as a cucumber when it is not bothered. All I could think about was the KAMAZ of the russian brats, which we had been waiting for until 9am. I was sorry I didn't have time to burn it. 

After the guys administered first aid, I was evacuated to Kharkiv to the central hospital. That's where I met my future wife. I remember waking up in the intensive care unit, asking the nurse for water, and she said: "It isn't allowed". And I responded without further ado: "Then you will be my wife!"

Over time, when I felt better and was allowed to move around the hospital in a wheelchair, I realised that "she was on the hook". I asked her for a phone as if to call someone, but in fact I dialled myself from her number... And from that moment on, our family life kindled.
 

After Kharkiv, I was undergoing a lengthy treatment in Germany, went through many surgeries in Hamburg. And my beloved was with me all the way through this difficult journey.

I continued my military service after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The prosthesis does not prevent me from defending my homeland. 

However, due to excessive loads, my artificial foot burst and now I need to have it replaced immediately. This will allow me to continue defeating the orcs and bring the Victory closer!

 

COLLECTED AND TRANSFERRED: UAH 144,320