Vladyslav Vashchuk: "I didn't sign a contract, I was mobilised. I went to the military enlistment office. There were no calls"

Former Dynamo defender Vladyslav Vashchuk commented on his decision to take up arms and defend the country.

- So. In order not to create unnecessary rumours and idle talk, I am answering questions that, as it turned out, are of interest to quite a few people.

1. I did not think that the most frequent question would be about my personal motivation, but I will answer it because I want to help my country in difficult times. I thought it was clear to anyone. Yes, I volunteered a lot and helped the military, but at some point I felt that charity events, donations to the Armed Forces, etc. were not enough. Yes, I'm just a small cog in a big machine, but I do what I think is right.

The version put forward by one of the Russian shit resources that "a fascination with Nazi ideology led this strange character to the ranks of the armed forces of the Kyiv regime" (c), although shocking in its creativity, boldness of assumptions and conclusions, also deserves attention, of course. So be it, if it makes it easier to perceive this information.)

2. My decision was influenced by my personal acquaintance with Bureviy. One of the advantages of joining this particular brigade was the opportunity to get adequate experienced commanders and an environment without antisocial elements that are eliminated at the selection stage - the brigade does not accept alcoholics, drug addicts, etc. People without sufficient motivation are also not accepted.

3. I did not sign a contract, I was mobilised. I went to the military enlistment office and received all the necessary documents. I did not receive any calls.

4. When I posted a photo of a chevron with a white staff of Asklepios and a snake, I thought that everyone understood that it was about medicine. I serve as a medic in the wounded collection and evacuation unit. Medical evacuation is a system of measures to evacuate the wounded and sick from the battlefield or from a mass casualty area and deliver them to medical stations and institutions that provide them with medical care and treatment.

To put it in simple terms, our task is to transport the wounded to a hospital or other facility using the most gentle means possible, sometimes making quick decisions that can sometimes save their lives. In peacetime, our work can be compared to that of emergency medical services, or ambulances. Except for certain nuances, of course, because evacuation may well take place from the first line of fire. In modern warfare, medical evacuation is a chance to survive and receive qualified medical care.

5. At present, the brigade is based in the Kyiv area, but part of the brigade performs combat missions in the areas of active hostilities, and it is from there that the wounded are evacuated. If the brigade moves to another location, the medical team moves with it.

6. Personally, it happened to me that the training takes place in parallel with the execution of tasks and evacuation trips, but no one leaves unprepared fighters at zero, there is no such thing. In my opinion, every citizen of Ukraine should take a course in tactical medicine during the war, at least in terms of first aid, and the sports background comes in handy - you have to get up to speed quickly.

At its core, it is a hard, boring, responsible job with no standardised time and nothing else. You have to deal with many issues - from the fact that a wounded person can get sick during evacuation and someone, sorry, has to clean it all up, to how to ensure the uninterrupted operation of the ventilator, monitors, infusion machines and other equipment in the ambulance that takes the wounded to the hospital. How to turn and lift a stretcher in a train that is not sanitary, how to find out where to transport the wounded, how to receive them from a helicopter or other transport, how to interview them if they can talk - it all matters. And yes, my personal big request is to please clear the road for ambulances. Minutes are sometimes crucial.

7. If I am anywhere other than my place of service, my immediate commander has allowed me to stay there. He believes that my stay there will benefit the common cause. There is no other option. Yes, I have the opportunity to raise additional funds for the needs of the Armed Forces and the National Guard using my own name, so if you see me at a charity match, it shows that sometimes I can do even more for our victory than others. And this does not mean that we were not away at night somewhere in the neighbouring or not so neighbouring region. And that after the match we won't go on another mission again.

8. Now I have to coordinate the interview with the management. Since there are certain rules, it's understandable. And yes, a soldier must uphold the authority of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the National Guard of Ukraine, etc. Just like any citizen of Ukraine, by the way.

9. We will be very happy if our unit is joined by adequate people, preferably with medical education - general practitioners, nurses, etc.

10. All wars in the world end sooner or later. I know and believe that this one will end with our Victory. In the meantime, I will do what I can where I am. And one more thing. If I paid attention to the idiots who have their own point of view on how, where and what I should do, I would not have achieved anything in life. This is not a case where I need to prove something to someone. As the saying goes, "we have to do our own thing...", Vashchuk wrote on his Facebook page.