It is not the first time that we have mentioned Viktor Ozhohin, a heroic colleague from Dnipro City and the Dnipro Battalion, on our electronic pages. We wrote about the frontline everyday life of the former TV commentator (viewers watched more than 400 matches of the Dnipro club with him!), about his injury, which left him alive by some miracle of God...
We met Viktor in autumn. In the company and at the home of Oleksiy Semenenko, the vice-president of Dynamo Kyiv, who is connected to Ozhogin not only through football and male friendship. During the war, all feelings and bonds became deeper and stronger - to the point of trembling, to the point of tears. Sometimes to the point of teeth-gnashing: when there are no messages from the frontline for too long; or when you read something like "Alive, mate! Still at the positions. Every day there are battles. And losses are inevitable in this meat grinder. Sometimes I want to howl with heartache because of the loss of the guys with whom I have travelled this way..."; or when he sends a photo of a mangled bloody "armoured car" that, unfortunately, did not save his comrade.
Our October dinner was held in the flicker of candlelight - the racists were testing their brutal tactics of massive missile attacks on civilian infrastructure, seeking to plunge Ukraine first into darkness and then into cold. But next to Ozhohin, we had both light and warmth. Despite the fact that sometimes he would wince from the pain of a fresh wound (doctors let him go for the evening, and in the morning he was waiting for the procedures again). Despite the horrific first-person military details. Despite the expectation of another air raid.
As he had planned, he did not stay on sick leave: his men were waiting for the commander in Donbas, for whom Ivanych was a friend, father, and benefactor. There are many problems there - from tactical to basic everyday issues - that only he can solve. Because he is stubborn. Because he is experienced. Because he is devoted to his native unit, his forced second profession and Ukraine.
And new days of anticipation and anxiety followed, among which, however, there were also joyful moments. On the occasion of his 65th birthday, Ozhohin was awarded the medal "For Military Service to Ukraine" by a decree of Volodymyr Zelenskyi. He was also promoted to captain. "Probably no one has ever been promoted to another rank in the Armed Forces of Ukraine so quickly," Viktor sneered in response to my congratulations, "35 years have passed since I became a petty officer!"
But after other short messages sent to me by Oleksiy Semenenko, there was no more irony. "We made it out! The main thing is that everyone is alive! Incredible feelings! Thanks to the guys and God!!!" "We've been in the fields for two days on the exercise. Wet, dirty, up to our ears - shit. We are leaving on the 28th for Kr..."
And from there - from the very hell where the metal could not withstand, and our soldiers held the line, exhausting the Russians. "Oh, Druhan, I had the hardest night of my life: seven people (6 of mine) were killed while replacing people at the positions, and 10 more were killed by the 300th... Shit, I want to scream!"
...Oleksiy Semenenko answered my next question - what news from Ozhogin - briefly: "I am looking for a car for his unit. If you have any ideas, let me call you later!"
As it turned out, it was Viktor himself who asked his friend for the pickup. And he is not one of those who are used to asking for help, even from those closest to him. His daughter Anna, his wife Oleksandra, and his friends are well aware of this. And when Oleksiy last time initiated the purchase of a car for the frontline, and when we circulated a request through our colleagues to take a financial part in Ozhogin's recovery from his injury, we heard the Hero's gratitude with a slight "taste" of reproach.
But then the situation really became critical. Firstly, we needed a vehicle that would be useful in a counter-offensive. Secondly, they needed it "for yesterday"!
"After searching for a previous SUV, I roughly studied the prices on this market," said Semenenko, "but since then the numbers have changed, and not in the direction of cheaper prices. When I looked through the ads for cars for sale, I sometimes felt desperate. But the Almighty helped - I found the car and the deal was completed quickly. And for the financial participation, I am grateful to all those who care!"
Alexey Mikhailovich and his family took on the lion's share of the costs. And it was not only Semenenko's colleagues and friends who joined the fundraising. We are talking about Maksym Rozenko and Dmytro Kopiy (representatives of the Champion project), Serhiy Dryga (editor-in-chief of the Sportarena portal), and loyal sports fans Serhiy Kupenko and Serhiy Skrylov. The contributions of RBC-Ukraine CEO Yosyp Pintus, 77-year-old Dynamo Kyiv fan Yosyp Tartakovsky and football philanthropist Volodymyr Lyashchenko were also significant.
"Each of them contributed to a noble cause," says Oleksiy Mykhailovych. "Mr Tartakovsky responded from New York, where he has lived for three decades. It did not matter to Josi Pintus that he did not know Ozhohin personally, nor did it matter to several of the other people who helped with money. There were also several transfers from anonymous recipients. People sent 100 hryvnias, and more, and much more. We would like to thank them all and bow to them.
But, unfortunately, there were some personal disappointments. I had to radically reconsider my attitude to some of my "friends". Some of them were no less closely associated with Viktor in civilian life than I was. Some of them, as they say, are "really sitting on the money". For example, I considered one of the "veterans of the currency front" to be a close friend of mine and Ozhogin's since we were students. I was wrong... It was disgusting to listen to the babbling of excuses and see Sanya look away. However, God is the judge of such people..."
Anyway, after a quick "tune-up" (for example, Hanna Ozhohina and her friend Viacheslav bought muddy tyres), the combat Land Rover Freelander was redeployed to the front line.
"From all of us, please convey our sincere greetings and soldierly 'thank you' to everyone who helped you to realise this idea!" was the first text message from Viktor and his Warriors of Light, our defenders.
With people like them, Ukraine is doomed to win.
Yuriy KORZACHENKO