Surviving where there were almost no chances: the story of veteran Vasyliev Oleksandr
War changes people in different ways. For some, it becomes a short episode in life, for others, a point of no return that separates the past and the future. The story of veteran Oleksandr is a journey through pain, loss, struggle, and recovery. This is the story of a person who managed to preserve the most important thing - strength of spirit.
It all started in Kyiv, after updating his documents, Oleksandr was given one day to gather the necessary things. Then there was a training center in Goncharivske and assignment to the 66th separate mechanized brigade, which has been holding the Lyman direction since 2022.
During the day, under cover of night, until dawn, two groups were supposed to reach the position, but they never reached their destination. The first group was attacked by FPV drones at the start. Fortunately, the guys survived, receiving shrapnel wounds. There were comrades nearby who evacuated the wounded. Therefore, the second group was ordered to move on. And it was during the movement that Oleksandr stepped on an anti-personnel mine. The situation was critical, the burning pain and the imposition of tourniquets - it was all like a nightmare. Evacuation to the zone that the military called "clear zero" was impossible, they had to escape on their own. "I put up two tourniquets. The pain is so bad that it's hard to even remember. But we had to get out, thanks to my brother who helped with the ammunition. Under the drones, on a mined landing, on our knees - back. We had to crawl because of "I can't", because of the pain." Together with his brothers, they walked about two kilometers, until at dusk the M113 tracked armored personnel carrier was still able to break through to the edge of the forest strip. The mechanic who dared to come to that point actually saved their lives.
An ambulance was already waiting at the stabilization point, which immediately took Oleksandr to Lyman, where the first operation was performed. In the morning, Oleksandr was transported by car to Dnipro, where doctors emphasized amputation. Oleksandr refused and began looking for a way to get to Kyiv, namely to the Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics, where complex operations are performed. Medical evacuation was not easy: the evacuation train does not stop in Kyiv, so he had to go through Ternopil. In the capital, Oleksandr underwent three operations, after which he was expected to undergo rehabilitation.
The rehabilitation process itself turned out to be long and painful - more than a year. “They say that until everything adapts in the middle, you will not be able to step on your foot normally,” says Oleksandr.
After the commission and demobilization from the army, Oleksandr returned home. But civilian life turned out to be different. The world was perceived in a new way, it was difficult to perceive modern reality, as if it were two different worlds: war and civilian life.
“I wanted silence. It took time to realize that you were not there and you had to adapt to civilian life, so the best place for this, where I felt calm, was the dacha where my sister took me. There I had time to rest, think, and gather my thoughts.”
Despite everything, he maintains restraint and inner strength, states the facts, and draws conclusions that only someone who has gone through real hell can make.
A special part of his story is his relationship with his comrades. They left training together, ended up in the same platoon together — a rare case. But getting attached at the front is dangerous. “They told us: don’t get too close. Today you have lunch together, tomorrow — one of you may not return.” This truth is painful, but real.
The deepest thoughts about life and freedom came to Oleksandr during the evacuation. In the crowded carriage, he saw different people: those who had lost limbs, but had not lost their smiles, and those who, even though they had more, already seemed broken.
“A man was traveling, he had no left arm and two legs... And he was traveling and the whole way he was calling someone, laughing, telling stories. You look at him and somehow you wanted to live. It also depends on how a man sets himself up, how he approaches it.”
Today, Oleksandr continues his recovery. His story is a story about the choice to live, survive and not break. It is a story about Ukrainian resilience, which is based not on loud headlines, but on people like Oleksandr.