Sergei’s Ambition and a Bottle of Water on the Front Line
For Ukrainian soldiers, fighting on the front lines is part of the burden of defending their country. That is why Sergei has joined the war.
By
HARRY SUSILO AND KRIS MADA FROM UKRAINE
·5 minutes read
ANATOLII STEPANOV
Ukrainian servicemen greet people as they ride in Donetsk region on June 14, 2022.
The Russian-Ukrainian war entered its fifth month on Friday (24/6/2022). Over the past 120 days, Ukrainian forces have been defending their country against the Russian invasion. Among these soldiers are some who are wishing for a short break to restore morale, while others are continuing to train as they wait to be deployed.
Russia’s continued aggression has made it impossible for Ukrainian troops to relax. “I don’t know when I will be called to the front line. I must always be ready,” Sergei Y., a sniper from a Ukrainian militia unit, said on Thursday (23/6).
He always carries a Sako TGR rifle, a rifle stand, binoculars and camouflage equipment in his car. Every day, he also checks the US$22,000 rifle to make sure it is ready. “I bought this [rifle] before the war, because I knew it was going to happen,” said Sergei, who previously taught high school physical education.
Always stored in the trunk of his car are a few bottles of water and some dry food and snacks, with enough food and water to last around two days. For Sergei and many other members of the Ukraine militia, carrying weapons and food shows they are always ready to be deployed. They know they can be sent to the front lines at any moment. They also know that frontline conditions are unpredictable.
At the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, Ukrainian troops endured months of siege without supplies. According to the relative of a Ukrainian soldier in Azovstal, the troops boiled a 65-gram bar of chocolate with 5 liters of water, and then shared the water between them.
Under siege
A militia member deployed in southern Ukraine said that some friends in Luhansk kept him informed of recent developments. Several towns and districts in Ukraine’s eastern provinces have been under siege for weeks.
“This morning, [my friend] reported nonstop [Russian strikes] for three days. He’s staying in a shelter that has yet to receive any new supplies,” the militiaman said on Thursday afternoon.
During a strike, it is impossible to be out in the open. Russian forces are using drones to monitor the positions of Ukrainian troops. Once a target is confirmed, an artillery strike is launched. When under siege, Ukrainian troops therefore choose to take cover for several days rather than risk losing their lives trying to obtain supplies.
We can’t give away our positions while sending the water.
One soldier has trained to endure several days without food. Some have trained to survive several days with only 1 liter of water.
“If we are outside, we can use a water purifier. We have one, so any kind of water, we can filter it and then drink it. If we are in a shelter, we must endure with as little as possible,” he said.
Safety remains a priority, especially when getting new supplies. If it happens that only one bottle of water is available, then it will be send to the front line. “We once delivered just one bottle of water, which was relayed from ditch to ditch over 7 kilometers,” he said.
Bottled water is passed between ditches and foxholes because they must be kept hidden. When the water is passed on must also take into account the presence of drones. “We can’t give away our positions while sending the water,” he said.
This situation is not a constant. When there are no intensive strikes, additional supplies can be sent from the rear forces.
AFP/ANATOLII STEPANOV
A Ukrainian serviceman walks along a trench on the frontline of the northern part of Kyiv region, on March 28, 2022.
Defending their country
For Ukrainian soldiers, fighting on the front lines is part of the burden of defending their country. That is why Sergei has joined the war. That is why he was willing to use his savings to buy a rifle and other necessary equipment.
He has spent nearly $25,000 on his rifles and other equipment. In Ukraine, the monthly minimum wage is the equivalent of $400. Sergei has therefore spent almost 5 years’ worth of the national minimum wage to equip himself.
He is now saving up to buy a second rifle. “I need one that can shoot farther. Now, I can only shoot from a maximum of 1.5 kilometers. That’s still not safe enough for me,” he said.
For him, spending his money on various weapons is nothing compared to the independence that could be lost, so he does not mind using up his savings.
Taking a break
Sergei N., an officer in the Ukrainian armed forces, said that there were many ways to defend a country that was at war like Ukraine was. Civilian support for soldiers was part of this. “Every person has their own way of playing a part in this situation,” he said.
As a military officer, Sergei N. is contributing by fighting. He had been on standby since the days before the war broke out. From mid-February to the third week of June, he has not taken a break even once. “I’ll just take a break once we win the war,” he said. “In 110 days of work, I only got a break of 5 hours. Only then was I able to leave the base.”
He took advantage of his time off to drive around Kyiv with his friends. Though he was off duty, he still brought a variety of equipment with him. Uniforms, bulletproof vests, bulletproof helmets and communication devices were stored in his trunk. “I only left the weapons at the base,” he said after showing the contents of his trunk.
He must take the military’s communication equipment with him in case he receives sudden and urgent orders. The military cannot communicate its orders given through public telecommunications services. “We don’t know who might be listening or monitoring,” he said.
The Russia-Ukraine war is full of tracking technology that use various methods to track the opponent’s position.
