A young soldier saved a wounded brother-in-arms after two shells exploded in the trench – photo

Andrii, a border guard officer known by the call sign SWAT, rescued his fellow soldiers from two shell explosions in the trench while serving in Kharkiv Oblast. Andrii himself had been injured by the strike.

Source: State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.

Andrii had always wanted to join the military and become a border guard like his father. He consequently took the decision to enlist in the Offensive Guard Brigade Border of Steel following his graduation from the National Academy of the State Border Guard Service.

The officer performed combat missions in Kharkiv and Donetsk oblasts. Soon, he was appointed to lead the unit. He always consulted with more experienced soldiers and supported the younger ones, they say in the SBGS.

"A brother-in-arms is a person who will be side by side with you, a person whom you will cover without even sparing your life, and who will cover you and provide medical assistance even when it is very difficult!" Andrii, who was convinced of this in practice, is sure.

Andrii and his subordinates carried out a combat mission in the summer in Kharkiv Oblast, close to Izium.

"The enemy attacked us from two sides, drones flew, and we were fired at with artillery, with RPGs, with SPG-9, with mortars. Shells flew lower and lower overhead,"  SWAT recalls.

Two shells exploded in the trench where Andrii and his brothers-in-arms took cover.

"Andrii had blood pouring from his ears, it was very painful; he was screaming, but managed to pull himself together in the end," the border guards recall.

All soldiers of the group were injured and suffered contusions. Andrii gave them first aid and searched for doctors.

The injuries of two soldiers were incompatible with life. However, the rest of the group were saved – Andrii carried the seriously wounded out. The border guards walked through the woods, through trees fallen from explosions and shells and under fire to reach a safe place.

The departure was covered by a machine gunner with a call sign Shpak, who decided to remain in position. Despite his injuries, he held back the advance of superior enemy forces for six hours.

"SWAT was very concerned about the fate of the machine gunner who remained to cover them, he was afraid that he [the gunner] remained on the battlefield forever. But Shpak fired off all his ammunition and was able to get out of the encirclement," the SBGS reports.

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