Only Two Remain: A Soldier's Account of Wounds and Loss in His Original Platoon

A Soldier's Perspective on Injury and Casualties

According to Главком: In an interview with Junior Sergeant Ananiy Kovalchuk of the 81st Separate Signal Battalion, a soldier who has served since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, he details his journey in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He discusses his injuries, observations from the eastern front, and notes a decline in civilian support alongside internal army challenges. This account provides a ground-level view of the war's human cost, now stretching into its third year.

Ananiy Kovalchuk joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine two weeks after the invasion began on February 24, 2022. He initially served with the 100th Separate Mechanized Brigade of Territorial Defense, later reformed into the 100th Mechanized Brigade. For nearly all of 2022, his unit was stationed on the Belarusian border. In April 2023, the battalion deployed east to the Serebryansky Forestry area, and in 2024, it moved toward Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region.

Injury and Continued Service

In 2024, while on duty in Ocheretyne, Junior Sergeant Kovalchuk sustained a severe facial wound. A fragment that struck near his eye shattered his frontal bone, sheared off three teeth, and exited through his lip. His treatment and rehabilitation lasted six months, after which a military medical commission deemed him fit for limited service in support units. Following his recovery, Ananiy joined the 81st Separate Signal Battalion.

He revealed that from the company he started serving with at the beginning of the full-scale invasion, only two soldiers remain. Kovalchuk also shared his view of Ukrainians, dividing them into two categories: those for Ukraine and those against it. These remarks underscore his perspective on the national situation and the army's role in defending the state.

"From the company I started with, only two of us are left."

Ananiy Kovalchuk

This interview illustrates not only one serviceman's personal experience but also the broader situation within the army during the protracted conflict. Kovalchuk's comments on waning civilian support and his observations of military losses highlight the profound challenges Ukraine faces. The continued fight of Ukrainian soldiers, despite such heavy casualties, reflects the nation's resilience and determination to defend its territory.

The interview was conducted by Mykhailo Glukhovsky for the publication 'Glavcom'.