From volunteering to protecting the homeland

war story

Kharkiv, Ukraine - Jul 28, 2023

From volunteering
to protecting the homeland

By Pavlo Kushtym

Kharkiv, Ukraine,
Jul 28, 2023

aiOn the second week of the full-scale invasion, I received a call from an old friend, theater actor and musician Volodymyr. The first thing he said: "How are you and where? There is a car, I can help you"

aiWe arrange a meeting, we come to my shelter in the basement of the Kharkiv`s school, and it turns out that Volodymyr studied at this very school, it was an emotional moment ... but there is no time for emotions, we immediately got down to business.

aiThere were many requests from those 600 people who were with us in the shelter and their acquaintances. This is mainly: checking the addresses of elderly people, whether they are alive, bringing them food, water and medicine. That's how our cooperation with Volodymyr began.

aiVerification of addresses with people, delivery of food and medicine, evacuation of people and animals from Northern Saltivka. In total, we evacuated more than a hundred people and their pets: cats, dogs, birds and even reptiles.

aiWe also caught looters and handed them over to the police, checked high-rise buildings looking for those who needed help: elderly people or abandoned animals.

aiLet me remind you that the invasion of Kharkiv started from our area of the city. Our trips to the addresses were under fire from enemy artillery, sometimes we had to jump out of the car and hide somewhere under fences or buildings.

Kharkiv was semi-surrounded, street battles continued, every exit was dangerous. I don't know how, but we managed and, most importantly, survived!

aiAt the same time, Kharkiv was semi-surrounded, street battles continued, the situation was tense, every exit was dangerous. I don't know how, but we managed and, most importantly, survived!

aiAfter the Ukrainian army drove the enemy away from the outskirts of the city, I handed over the keys of our shelter in school and removed to the center of city.

aiBut our work with Volodymyr did not end there. We used his car to transport humanitarian workers around the city and region. We also went to the positions of the soldiers to at least somehow lift their spirits with guitar songs.

aiIn the fall Volodymyr received a summons, and without thinking twice, he went to defend his homeland! The medical commission and three months of study are over.
aiNow he serves in the marines, and they are setting up new positions in the Donetsk direction.

aiWe have already found a lot of what our soldiers need, namely: all the tools for arranging trenches and dugouts, such as shovels, axes, hacksaws for wood, special staples for strengthening dugouts, hammers, nails of various sizes and a large bark. We also got gasoline generator so that the fighters have electricity.
aihttps://www.facebook.com/100006243063083/videos/679286994094080/

aiI believe - together we will be able to help our marines in the fight for freedom and a peaceful life!