"Since the beginning of the war, I have been in Kyiv region for about 2 months - it's Bucha, Moshchun, Goryanka. That is, the beginning of this new wave caught me there. Then we went to Azovstal. It was the first flight when people specifically flew in support," he explained.

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"We were told that something could be planned to save our boys. Then, volunteers were selected, including people with good combat experience. We were offered on a voluntary basis who wanted to go to Mariupol. Many people volunteered, more than they got there. That a certain number of people could fly to Azovstal," remembered a fighter.

We were warned how this could end. There was no one who did not know what could happen. Everyone knew everything, he added.

Why did he fly?

Mykhailo said:

  • First, I promised my family that if there was an escalation or a new conflict, I would return. But I did not succeed – the stars were so formed that in the first days I did not get to Mariupol.
  • Secondly, all my brothers and sisters were there. It's not just brothers, it's more like a family. I don't know how to convey it – there were all my

"I was wounded in the morning when we were to evacuate the "cargo 200" and "cargo 300". Then the shelling started and wounded 4 more soldiers. And wounded me - flew somewhere 3 meters from me. I felt like I was thrown and thrown into the basement. This It was so bad that I fell and saw my legs, holes in my pants, and I immediately thought, "Where can I get new pants?", he laughed.

"I didn't want to fly back at all"

He understood that with such an injury, the situation would only get worse.

"As for the danger of evacuation, I think it is less dangerous than lying somewhere in the bunker and just waiting for you to either come or the guys will have to pull you out, take care of you. It's an extra burden," he explained.

Video in Ukrainian:

He remembered: "The first thing I told the doctor from the ambulance was to go to the casino. Because I think that for me to fly there to Mariupol and get out of there is a very big luck. The guys from the blocked Azovstal even managed to call me at the hospital for my birthday and congratulate me. It was very cool. It was the evening of April 27, and everyone greeted me all day. And here are my calls, I think, "Wow." I take the phone, and they also greeted me on video. They also said that I was lucky."