Russians killed his sister and friend: story of 22-year-old tank crew commander
A 22-year-old soldier with the alias David has been fighting on the forefront for three years, and commands a tank crew. The man has no fear of death and seeks revenge.
A personal tragedy backs the soldier's desperate courage, as the Russians killed his sister and friend, reports Ukrainian Witness, the chronicles of Ukrainian resistance to Russian aggression.
David is in charge of a tank crew at the 28th Separate Mechanised Brigade named after the Knights of the First Winter Campaign. Nearly 30 Russian combat units were destroyed under his command.
His brothers-in-arms gave him the alias in honour of the famous footballer David Beckham, as he had been playing football for a long time before his military service and keeps doing it in the army.
"My guardian angel is kinda contused. I've long wanted to be a sniper..." he says jokingly.
He has tattoos with images of playing cards on his arms. This shows that he loves risk and is not afraid of any combat missions, David says. He is highly motivated since the Russian invaders have caused great pain to the soldier and his family.
"The Russians shot my sister along with my family in Kharkiv during the evacuation. I also lost many close friends in this war. And I promised myself: I will keep on doing my duties until the war is over. Even if it means death," the fighter said.
He admits reacting aggressively to the death of his close friend with the alias Chai (Tea). The man wanted to use his tank to drive straight into the Russian foxholes.
The young man recalled a case when, under his leadership, "the tank crew turned into infantry". This situation usually happens when a tank is hit.
This happened in August 2022 on the Kherson front. A Russian artillery shell wrecked a major part of their tank. The vehicle was still moving, but it could no longer fire.
The tanker said that he almost died several times. He got under the rubble of a local house. He was saved by infantrymen who were nearby.
"The guys accomplished their task: they led our infantry into the village," the serviceman added.
David accidentally met a relative he had never met before and made many friends at the front.
The man admits that he is not afraid of death. He believes that the greater the fear, the worse it is for a person.
David spoke about his own experience in combat.
"It's easier to fight in the Donetsk region than in Kherson due to the peculiarities of the landscape. A likely reason is that the Russians have specific equipment in the south that senses ground vibrations. Using this equipment, the enemy knew where and in what direction our vehicles would move," the tanker said.
He adds that on the Donetsk front, Ukrainian tanks face "trouble" from Lancets (Russian-made attack UAVs).
The tank commander says they do not pose a grave danger, but they can temporarily disable the vehicle.
Previously: National Guard officer Bur (Drill) spoke about how the infantrymen survive in the extremely challenging conditions of the war near the city of Kreminna.
Read also: "One mistake could cost us life": National Guardsmen told about battles for Volnovakha
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