Soldier Anton, call sign ZOLOTYI

My name is Anton, call sign ZOLOTYI (meaning Golden). In 2015, I volunteered to serve in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. During one year of service, I mastered various types of weapons. All this time, guys from the intelligence service were eyeing me, and when they saw my skills, they took me to their unit. I served in intelligence until the end of 2016.

In December 2016, during a combat mission, our unit took and held the orcs' positions at the Svitlodarsk Bulge with heavy losses. After this operation, I resigned - and decided to take a break. 

I returned to the service in 2018. Then we were working in the Luhansk direction of Zolote settlement. Many people know about the difficult situation in that area at that time. It was there that I "lost" my knees for the first time. I had torn ligaments, menisci, and my knees were scattered in different sides.

After that, I had to go to the hospital to get fixed a bit and returned to my comrades as soon as possible. However, I left the unit for a while, to undergo treatment and knee surgery for a year and a half. Back then, the doctor told me I had to get a discharge, there was no way I could serve anymore, the most I could do was run to the bus and only lightly. When I was on medical leave, I realised that I could still serve  for a while and support my guys. As soon as the situation with my knees improved, I signed contracts with the Armed Forces for several times. In between, I rested and treated my joints. 

On 24 February 2022, I once again picked up a machine gun. First of all, this is a weapon that you need to be able to handle. Despite the severe pain, I spent the first two months of the full-scale war with my guys. I had to work under very strong medication, because my knees were hurting badly.

And after two months, my comrades said it was time for me to go for treatment, because they could no longer be pulling me out of the shelling. I would go to the position, performed my tasks, but I could not get out as fast as they could. I realised that the guys were all young, more mobile than me. Firstly, they were tired of carrying me where I could not walk. Secondly, I realised that I was no longer the kind of fighter who could fully perform my duties.

When I got to the hospital, every day during my rounds, the doctors told me that they did not know what to do with my knees. Knowing the problem, I replied: "Then do an arthroplasty, and I will continue to defend our Motherland Ukraine."

In the end, I was sent back to the military unit, and from there - to the military medical examination board. Then I was written off. 

While I was passing all this way, my guys who said: "Brother, go to the hospital, don't worry, everything will be fine!" - died. I was with them in 2016 and 2019, and they became like family to me. While I was collecting papers and applying for disability, my commander, with whom I had been fighting since 2016, was killed.

I have one dream - to help the guys! I know military matters well. Unfortunately, I am not able to do this now, because I can barely move on crutches. The only solution to my problem is total knee replacement of both knee joints. I want to join the Armed Forces. I understand that I won't be recruited to the infantry for offensive operations, but I am quite capable of flying drones. Therefore, I am appealing to all those concerned for help so that I could return to the army.

 

COLLECTED AND TRANSFERRED: UAH 182,000