Malyuk, tell us about yourself and how your story began.
I come from the Chernihiv region. I worked in construction and had my own construction business. I had an order abroad in 2014, and I was there. After finishing the work, I came back home. Then Maidan [Revolution of Dignity] had already begun. When the fighting was already happening there, my friends were trying to get together the first Chernihiv hundred. They offered me to go with them. I agreed, packed up and left with them.
Why did you decide to go to Maidan? How long did you spend there?
I wanted to see changes in my country. Patriotism runs in my veins. I spent a week there. I got my first concussion. It was a light one. A stun grenade exploded nearby. The sensations were as follows: explosion, ringing in the ears, cloudiness in the eyes, nausea, I felt dazed. I didn’t understand what it was. It was only later when I got into the war and realized what it is to a full extent.
As we were considered a separate unit, I was sent home to ‘get a rest’. Then the troubles began: annexation of Crimea, the war in Donbas. Not ATO [Ukrainian Anti-Terrorist Operation that was happening in the east of Ukraine since 2014], but the war. Now is a full-scale war in full motion. What we saw then were the flowers, and now they blossomed, and we see the berries: the whole horde [russian army], the full force of artillery and everything else.
When you returned home after Maidan, what did you do?
When I came home, that was the time the first checkpoints started to appear. We helped our boys in the military. I had money, so I was doing my own thing then. We helped with everything we could and even took turns at checkpoints. After some time, the “Chernihiv” battalion started to form, and my boys [my friends] joined one by one. I, on the other hand, joined the Ukrainian Armed Forces. At first, the Military Commissariat didn’t want me. I tried to get through for a long time, but it didn’t work out. They knew my family very well and didn’t want me to go to war. But later, I got what I wanted. They issued a draft notice, and I left for war. Firstly, I was in Chernihiv, then, in Kyiv, then, we were transferred to Lviv, where we underwent two-week training and then we were assigned to different brigades.
What brigade were you sent to?
I ended up in the valiant 93rd separate mechanised brigade “Kholodnyi Yar”. By the time of the full-scale war, this was considered a very powerful brigade. We were feared. When the orcs [Russian troops] knew that the 93rd brigade was coming, we could go live and announce: “We are not taking anyone prisoner.” They feared us. Our motto was: “We always come back. We leave no one behind.”
I was very proud to serve in this brigade. Me and my comrades, we went through combat operations starting from Pisky, then Donetsk airport… I am one of the many who remained a cyborg.
Tell us about the fighting at the Donetsk airport. Why did you decide to go there, even acknowledging that you might not come back?
My first encounter with the russian invaders was at the Donetsk airport.
My first job was at the weather station – this is the territory of the Donetsk airport. Our group took the defence of the village of Pisky, Opytne, and the third division went to Donetsk airport. There were injuries and losses. The commander got in touch and said that he only takes volunteers. The guys who were at the weather station were out of breath, they had to be reinforced. And then we broke into the shelling and accepted the battle. We stayed for four days. When the reinforcement came in, we left.
Later, the moment came when it was critical to go to the Donetsk airport itself. The commander said there was no order, but we had to go. Again, he took volunteers and I went.
Do you know the story, of why cyborgs [the code name for defenders of Donetsk airport]? It was a fierce battle. And they [enemy’s troops] came out on the radio saying: “WE CAN’T BREAK THROUGH THEM! THEY ARE LIKE CYBORGS! THEY DON’T FALL! WHAT SHOULD WE DO?! THEY DON’T FALL! THEY GET UP AND CONTINUE!
WE CANNOT BREAK THEM!”. It was a hysterical recording we caught from the radio transmitter.
There is such an expression: “It has nothing to do with me, leave me out of it – it doesn’t work that way. Why does one go, but the other one does not? Am I any different? I’d rather stop them there than at the doorstep of my house.
When I went to war, I knew that I might not come back.
My story in the battle for the Donetsk airport ended with me unconsciously being carried out. I had several days left till the end of my rotation.
There was a battle and shelling. I ran from one point to another. Ten meters from me the mine has exploded. I didn’t catch any shrapnel, but I did catch a blast wave, and I blacked out.
They took me out on an MT-LB, where there was Cargo ‘200’ and ‘300’ [terms used to describe killed and wounded soldiers]. The most interesting thing is that according to the papers I was taken as the 200th [slain]. Then they figured out there was a mistake and found that I was alive and everything was fine.
The next morning, my father received the death note. He didn’t believe it. Everyone attributed his reaction to shock, but my father was sure I was alive. In the evening, my platoon leader called him and told him that I was alive, but not able to speak yet.
When I regained consciousness, I called his father and said: “Dad, I’m alive.”
How did the events unfold further?
According to the papers, I was 200th [slain]. It was one of the most difficult moments. It was a mistake, and it all got fixed over time. But the fact remained. As one grandmother used to say: “You will live a long time.”
After recovering a bit, I went home on vacation. There was also an interesting story there. I went to the Military Commissariat, and the workers there looked at me with big and surprised eyes. I decided to make a joke and said: “What? You didn’t expect? I came for you. I had risen from the dead and came for your souls!”. We laughed.
When the leave was over, I returned to duty again. We were still based in Pisky. Later, there was a long-awaited rotation – we were replaced and got a rest. But still, when the battalion was heavily attacked, we went out to help. I remember one of these moments: we took off on a BMW, two speakers played AC/DC music, and we just burst into battle!
In the spring of 2015, we were placed in a position near Avdiivka and stayed there for a long time. We took part in heavy battles.
And only in September [2015], I resigned from the Armed Forces.
I couldn’t stay at home for a long time. It’s been six months, and I returned to the military commissariat. They said I had enough, but I got a job in the Military Service of Law and Order in the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
I served there for a short time because I was too right. I was then transferred to the 59th Separate Motorised Infantry Brigade. We were the Mariupol direction in 2018. There I had another concussion and also a shrapnel wound in the collarbone.
After a month of rehabilitation, I went back again and took revenge.
Our position was called “Vegas” – it is 60 meters from the enemy’s side. We heard what they were saying there, and they heard us. At that time it was a difficult position. Few people wanted to go there. But I wasn’t looking for easy ways, as they say: “Dedication to the task: the goal is achieved!”
Then, there was another rotation, and I went to the hospital for treatment. There, I met a beautiful person who helped me transfer to the Operational Command “South”. I served there for eight months.
Then, for personal reasons, I was transferred to the 57th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade, and by coincidence, I ended up in Pisky again. It was 2018. After a long time I haven’t been there, the Pisky has changed beyond recognition.
I served. I finished my three-year contract, resigned from the Armed Forces and promised myself that I would not return to this army again.
But fate played a cruel joke on me, and after five months, I went to serve again.
Why did you decide to return to the Armed Forces for the third time?
I was missing something in my life. I signed a new contract for 1.5 years.
I joined my first brigade – the 93rd Brigade “Kholodny Yar”. They were then in the Luhansk region. I arrived on February 28, 2020, just as they were about to attack. It reminded me of the year 2014 – the active phase, the heavy battles, artillery firing, and shooting.
While serving in the Luhansk Region, I met my wife.
Did you meet there at work?
No, on the Internet. We started to correspond.
Did she know that you are in the Luhansk region?
Yes, she sent me parcels where she’d put homemade goodies, cutlets, and Snickers.
And then I came to her in the middle of the night with a big bouquet of roses. Anna didn’t know about this. Before that, I told her I’d gone on an assignment and would be out of touch. At two o’clock in the morning, I called and told her to go out. This was a surprise.
I realised that I fell in love, and later, she gave birth to the most beautiful daughter.
You said earlier that you were in the Mariupol direction. That means that you held the defence of Mariupol and kept it under Ukrainian control until 2022.
Yes. We entered the positions, Mariupol was already behind us, and we held them [russian troops] so that they would not break through. I also fought in Volnovakha.
How did the events of February 24, 2022, unfold for you?
I was at home. We were sleeping. The Godparents of our daughter called me and said: “The war has started.” Explosions were heard in Dnipro. I told the family to be on the phone and wait for a call. I told them they’d be picked up and taken away. On the other hand, I packed up and went to the unit.
You packed up and left without thinking?
Yes! I was a military personnel. I packed and took off. That’s how I started a full-scale invasion: Sumy, Kharkiv direction. We went to Chernihiv for a week when they [russian troops] were retreating.
What would you say about volunteers?
We appreciate them very much. If it weren’t for them, we would have died. They do a lot for us.
Did you capture someone? How did it happen?
Of course, we did. We took prisoners, and some of them surrendered themselves. We locked them in the basement and disarmed them. We’d asked them: “Why did you come here? What are you doing on our land?!”. At the very beginning, some of them replied they didn’t know where they were going. And some shouted that they were going to liberate the people from fascism.
The first time that we took part in a battle with the Russian Pskov paratroopers was at Donetsk airport in 2015. We beat them up all right. That’s when we saw what the Russian army is like. They retreated, fled, and abandoned the wounded.
At one of the fundraisings on the Internet, there was a bid for a diorama with your participation, which was called “Comrades Malyuk and Zhuk, ATO” by the miniaturist artist Markus. Tell the story of this diorama.
There were four of us. We became friends while studying in Lviv: Vaska, Andryukha, Vasya Zhuk and me. We were friends, we ended up together. At first, we were in the same unit, and then we were separated.
In the morning, Zhuk and I drank coffee, and laughed like horses, hee-hee, ha-ha. A young guy, he was 20 years old.
After dinner, we had a battle on their positions. I hear o the wakie-takie, one – 200, one – 300. I asked who is the 200, they say – Zhuk. He did not have enough time to hide from the tank’s shot, he was all broken.
I can’t believe it, I immediately jump into the car, and rush to that position all during the shelling, during the battle. From that position, I carried him in my arms. I was walking, shouting and screaming, it was very difficult for me to believe it.
In a month or two, my phone rings. I pick it up and see Vasya Zhuk calling. Something came over me. How can he call if he is dead? It was his mother who was calling. It was cruel.
Malyuk, after hearing all these stories, there is an understanding that you have gone through a massive experience. You are, by all means, a very strong person. How do you stay so positive?
I don’t even know how to explain it. I learned to keep everything to myself, although it’s not very good. Mostly my family supports me. It’s thanks to them I am trying to be like this.
How do you see the end of the war?
I want to see only one ending! We will win! We will throw these creatures out of our country! And we will celebrate the victory! First, we will celebrate it, all together. There will be a big table, we will drink, and then we will remember our friends who died. And later we will all be rebuilding our cities.
What is the first city you will visit after the war?
Chernihiv. Although I only passed it through, I will go there. This is my native land. I will have a rest.
Translator: Anna Konovalenko
