“It’s always lottery on the river”: combat medic of National Guard speaks about evacuation of wounded soldiers
Pravda Ukraine
The soldier who goes by the alias of Pekar (“Baker”) and is the combat medic of the 34th Kherson-based Regiment of the National Guard comes from Mykolaiv.
In his civilian life, Pekar worked in web design. He now serves as a combat medic with a special operations reconnaissance unit.
Source: National Guard of Ukraine on Facebook
Details: The National Guard has recollected about Pekar’s work in Kherson Oblast, the difficulties of his tasks, humour in critical situations and motivation.
Quote: “It is important to understand that war is not always about taking lives. Sometimes it’s about bringing them back.”
More details: Even before he joined the army, Pekar took a first aid course, so it was no accident that he chose combat medicine. Now he serves in Ukraine’s south together with his brothers-in-arms and participates in complex operations.
“Reconnaissance, search, raids, mining… Whatever the task, I am always part of a group that is directly involved in operations on the left bank of the Dnipro River,” Pekar says.
Read also: “Anyone can be taught this”: Combat medic Tsyba describes his work in evacuation team
On the front where Pekar performs combat missions, his brothers-in-arms cannot be evacuated in armoured vehicles or even in a regular car.
Therefore, the soldiers use a boat, which makes evacuation efforts quite difficult.
“Compared to other evacuation vehicles, a boat is almost impossible to protect from debris or drones. So when you go out on the river, it’s always a lottery,” Pekar says.
He said that preparations for a combat mission usually take almost a day. The unit prepares thoroughly and takes into account all possible scenarios during the operation.
He has repeatedly provided medical assistance to his brothers-in-arms and soldiers from other units when they come under Russian fire together on the positions.
The National Guard said that Pekar’s main motivation is to preserve peace in Ukraine’s rear cities. He is also inspired by people waiting for Ukrainian defenders in the temporarily occupied territories.
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