Leva

A National Guard soldier with the call sign “Leva” — commander of the anti-tank missile platoon of the 1st operational battalion of the Spartan brigade — was a conscript and machine gunner with the rank of senior soldier at the start of the full-scale invasion.

He recalls February 24, 2022, as follows: "That day, we quickly got equipped, received ammunition, prepared armored vehicles, and moved out to the ring road to ‘meet’ the enemy. We worked cohesively: the commanders set clear tasks, and we carried them out. Together with the 92nd Separate Mechanized Brigade, we destroyed enemy columns moving towards Kharkiv. Then we recaptured a school in the city that had been occupied by the enemy, and after that we headed towards Derhachi. The brigade played an important role in the defense of Kharkiv — we put up a worthy resistance to the enemy.”

I joined the brigade at the age of 18, and it has given me a lot in terms of development and growth. Together with Spartan, I went through all the hottest sections of the front line, and now, as part of a fire support company, I am destroying the enemy in the Pokrovsk direction. We are showing good results, although it has become more difficult to fight, because the enemy is also developing and actively using UAVs.

As in 2022, we understand now that we must defend our country so that it remains free and the enemy does not come into our homes. My dream is for all my brothers-in-arms to return home unharmed, to be able to rebuild the country, improve our army, and make it even stronger," said Lev.