“Russians learn from our mistakes”: Story of Ukraine's National Guard officer bearing alias “Owl” – video

Ukraine's National Guard officer, who goes by the alias "Sova" (Owl), has been defending Ukraine from Russian invaders for two years and has suffered shrapnel wounds over that time.  Owl's combat career started with the infantry. The officer initially served as a rifleman and a medic and fought in heavy battles against the Russian invaders in Donetsk Oblast, the National Guard says.

At that time, his main tasks were to repel Russian assaults and evacuate the wounded. Owl recalls that the Russians sought to outnumber the Ukrainian army and used armoured and lightly armoured vehicles.

"We gave them (the Russians - ed.) a decent response. All the borders and positions we had are still ours.

But they are now under the control of neighbouring brigades," the soldier pointed out. Later, the soldier was deployed to the Zaporizhzhia front to serve as a UAV operator. Owl was tasked with detecting Russian military personnel and equipment and tracking the movement of vehicles.

The officer explains that Russian electronic warfare (EW) and weather conditions pose the main challenges for aerial reconnaissance troops. "We are fighting here with the regular [Russian] army, which is showing decent performance. We should not underestimate the enemy.

The enemy is learning, and this is a fact. They learn from our mistakes. This is also a reality," says Owl.

The Ukrainian defender believes there is a job for everyone in the army, while the necessary skills can be acquired during training and through education.

"If you have the desire, you can be anyone you want. The main thing is desire," he emphasises. The soldier also told a story about how he was providing pre-medical assistance and received shrapnel wounds of his right shoulder himself, which is why he could not feel his arm.

Quote: "While at work I heard a report on the radio that there were people injured. I was closer to them than others so I went to provide pre-medical assistance since their conditions were of different degrees of severity. I managed to stabilise them and hand them over for evacuation but as I was helping them I got injured myself.

I could not feel my arm, it just hung loose. Thanks to a rehabilitologist I am back in the ranks and performing my missions." When on the front, "Owl" tries to "switch" to something different from time to time and relax morally.

He admits that watching the sunset or spending time with domestic animals helps him.   "I am trying to find something beautiful," he adds. He says he thinks about the future constantly.

"I think about the future of our country, about the future of my family, which I want to have. But the war took this opportunity away from me. Now I only want one thing - the victory," - the soldier reveals.

He thinks that the victory will be achieved if Ukrainians are united and have the understanding that the war is ongoing throughout Ukraine. "The war is not only here, not only in these oblasts - Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk. The war is throughout Ukraine.

We should not be divided," he says. Background: Earlier, UP revealed the story of a cadet of the National Guard of Ukraine who went through partial encirclement, was injured but re-engaged the enemy.

Anna Shtopenko, Ukrainska Pravda.

Zhyttia

Support UP or become our patron!