Fighter of the 128th brigade/Photo by Alina Turishin , Channel 24
The 128th brigade from Transcarpathia repels an enemy offensive in the Zaporozhye region. Ukrainian defenders said that all the soldiers who defended the country in 2014 gathered here.
Ukrainian soldiers told about what they see and why they fight channel 24 exclusive to the site.
“We fight for the sake of victory, for the sake of children and the future”
The 128th brigade heroically defends the state from the Russian occupation troops and has already been awarded the presidential distinction “For courage and bravery.” For almost 3 months, the fighters have been defending the independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine at “zero” without rotation.
29-year-old Sergei Lukashchuk, call sign “Grasshopper”, said that he had been at war since 2014. Participated in the battles on the Debaltsevo bridgehead and in the defense of Stanitsa Luhanska. He served in the Crimea in the 36th separate coastal defense brigade. After the Russian invasion, the man saw that the guys he served with were standing at the gates of the brigade.
They were helpless, and I felt annoyed for them that they were there and I was here. I wanted to leave so this wouldn't happen again. I wanted to stop this invasion. He ended up in the 128th brigade. Our first arrival was on September 1, 2014 in the village of Zolote. And then we arrived at Debaltseve. And they were already out. When a full-scale war began, we immediately left for a military unit in Mukachevo, and from there – straight to the front. We fight for victory, for the sake of children and the future,” he stressed.
Sergey Lukashchuk/Photo by Alina Turishin, Channel 24
The same people came to the defense
Alexander Mamontov, callsign “Anatoliyevich”, senior officer at the position, told that now on the front line again the same guys who were in the brigade in 2014.
I did not believe that there would be a full-scale war. For some reason, both in 2014 and now, those who came from the reserve became in the first echelon. Not regular military, but reservists. In 2014, there was such a situation that there was no army, and people came to defend the land. But in seven years, a more prepared army should have been formed, and not again put the same people in the front positions, he said.
Alexander Mamontov, call sign “Anatolievich”/Photo by Alina Turishin, channel 24
The man said that 25 February he arrived at the draft board, and on March 2 he was already in the Zaporozhye region. All fighters practically do not get out of the trenches.
Sergei Leshchuk should have been awarded. And the first question from the representative of the brigade was: “Why are you not washed?”. And where? How? All day long dugouts, trenches, rain, sun, wind. Where to wash? A man came from the front line, from scratch, and they ask him: “Why are you not washed?” How is this related to a person? In my opinion, this is wrong. It seems to me that our leadership thinks that they are shooting at us with slingshots,” he added. /p>
Mamontov said that the Russian invaders used planes, mortars, howitzers, phosphorus bombs, mines.
There was absolutely everything here. This war is not a toy. This is protection. Russia has shown what the “Russian world” is. I do not want to return to this stone age in which Russia lives, – the defender emphasized.
Since the beginning of the war in the East of Ukraine, the servicemen of the 128th brigade have taken up positions in the Luhansk region, in the area of Lysychansk, Severodonetsk and Rubizhne. They also took part in the battles near Debaltseve near the city of Artemovsk at the beginning of 2015.
Also important – the commander of the “Azov” recorded an appeal for evacuation: watch the video
