Mikhail received the Order For Courage for the downed Russian missile/president.gov.ua
The Armed Forces of Ukraine continue to hold a shield protecting Ukrainians from rocket attacks by the Russian aggressor. How the sailors of the Naval Forces do it – the material of the channel 24 website.
Michael is a sailor. July 3 – the day of the Naval Forces – he received from the hands of the President the Order “For Courage” III degree. Behind this official wording is a story about saving lives from the threat that now constantly hangs over Ukrainians – a Russian missile attack.
What is known about Mikhail
Contract soldier. Sailor. Originally from Nikolaev. He is 26 years old. He got into the Navy from military service – when he was taking the course of a young soldier, he was offered to try himself in maritime business. Immediately after the first exit to the sea, I realized that the choice was right, because the sea is his. Since then, he says that every exit is an unforgettable experience and emotion. Especially when it comes to shooting practice or joint exercises. If you see surnames and first names in our news with a small letter, this is not a mistake, but the position of the editors regarding the actions of terrorist states and individuals who supported a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Mikhail destroyed the missile that the enemy fired from the submarine. When the missile danger signal sounded late in the early summer, the ship's crew took up their positions. And just a few minutes later, Mikhail noticed the glow.
It was at night. It was very hard to see. The rocket is very poorly visible during the day, it is fast and hardly noticeable. But here it was lucky that it gleamed a little – there is a fire behind the rockets, and it glowed a little. That's where I saw him. Since it shone for a long time and flew towards the city, I understood that it was a rocket, because there was an alarm. Hovered, it fixed the target. He fired quickly – hit and destroyed the rocket, – Mikhail recalled.
He says everything happened very quickly – the whole process took no more than 5 seconds.
The sailor also became one of the faces of the social campaign for the Navy Day/Photo from Mikhail's archive
Destroyed a Russian missile – how the sailor was prepared to fight back against the occupier
The defender developed this reaction on the simulator in the training center.
In fact, there were shootings for the first time. First and successful. But before that, they worked on the simulator. At first, I went through a month of such training at the training center at the KMB. Literally a month before a full-scale war, we were sent to resume qualification, he said.
How important his successful first shot was, he says, he still does not fully realize.
< p dir="ltr">“At first I was amazed. Then I calmed down a bit. Then I began to realize that the rocket could have hit somewhere in a field where nothing would happen, but it could have hit a residential building where there were a lot of people. From the thought that, most likely, I could to save someone's life, it felt like some kind of calm. Then, of course, it was more fun that I was shooting for the first time, and for the first time so accurately. This also added to my mood – I didn’t study in vain, ”added Mikhail.< /em>
The fact that he was awarded the Order For Courage, the man also did not fully realize. jokingly adds that being able to take a selfie with the president is nice too.
After the award, the sailor took a selfie with the Supreme Commander/Photo from Mikhail's archive
On the beginning of Russia's full-scale aggression
Michael met the beginning of a full-scale war on duty in a ship's attire. I noticed that when a combat alert was given on the night of February 23-24, at first no one understood what was happening.
We took up fighting positions and waited for something incomprehensible. Then they began to understand what was happening. At 4 am, I already watched the air defenses begin to take off for the first time. Heard an explosion. Couldn't understand what happened. Then I saw how the air defense shot down a missile, and already realized that everything was serious. When he was released, he learned from the news that the Russians attacked Ukraine from all sides,” he said.
When everyone was expecting a Russian landing in Odessa, he says, it was a little scary. According to the serviceman, “We went to sea a lot, it was still cold then. I didn't sleep, I didn't eat, it was very hard. Then, little by little, the tension subsided. Weekdays began for us.”
But I was more worried not for myself, but for my relatives. The sailor's family lives not far from Kherson – there was no connection with it, because the village was under occupation.
“There was no connection with them, there was no light, there was no water. They walked there – wandered for a month. Now everything is fine,” the sailor said. – a story about the sailor's native village
Mikhail noted that the Russians killed several people in his village. And in general, according to him, the village suffered from the invaders. “It used to happen that they got drunk and threw grenades in the village, robbed, and it happened, they robbed shops, destroyed them. Not very fun. They dug up the football field with their own grenades. he added. He added that in some neighboring villages the situation was even more difficult – looting and abuse of local residents flourished there. Much of what the invaders did on Ukrainian lands surprised him. From the case when a Russian soldier gave the villagers weapons and asked them to hide them – to all manifestations of Russian cruelty. In the same Bucha, atrocities were committed by people, in my opinion, who had been outcasts all their lives, they were slandered. But here they were given weapons, they were given power, and now they are taking revenge on the civilian population, which cannot do anything against them. It is difficult to adequately perceive what they are doing here, – the defender emphasized. At the same time, he believes that every crime committed by the occupiers is the personal fault of each of the Russian military. It's all their own fault. They shoot at the civilian population, at houses, at factories, even at churches. They often don’t hit the military, they don’t even shoot. Even the Nazis didn't do that. They are even worse. They kill, rob and rape. Even if they survive this war, come home, I don’t know if they will be able to live in peace after all this,” Mikhail stressed. The sailor stressed that the Ukrainian Navy continues to work hard to protect and preserve human lives. He noted that now he can no longer imagine any other future than military service. “If there was nothing special in the military profession before the war, now everything has changed “We, especially those who were at the forefront, showed willpower, our character, the thirst for victory in order to defend our independence. This gave a lot to people – now people believe in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in all the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and are proud of us,” he added he. And this, according to Mikhail, is one of the reasons why he believes in the victory of Ukraine in this war. we are one now, and I do not know how such a country can be defeated. They are all running now, they are all afraid of us, because we are one people, – Mikhail said. In addition, according to him, the military profession also attracts him because the Navy is, of course, cool. “Everyone has his own purpose, each of us is irreplaceable. Everyone does their job flawlessly, because they have to do it. If someone can replace someone on land, then at sea, if someone does not fulfill their task “It will be very bad. Especially if there is a struggle for survival or combat. We are all professionally trained here to cope with the tasks set, which is why I like the Navy – there is professionalism here, in addition, we are all family, everyone is for each other, you are always here support. Well, in general, the sea is beautiful,” the sailor explained.
About the victory of Ukraine
Mikhail is sure that the sea is beautiful. Especially if you serve in the Navy/Photo from Mikhail's archive
