A soldier with the call sign Tisa returned to the front after a year in the Northwest Military District
Roman, a Ukrainian soldier with the call sign “Tisa,” returned to Ukraine and resumed his service after a year of deserting his unit. To do so, he illegally crossed the state border for the second time by swimming across the Tisa River. The soldier is currently serving in the “Charter” Brigade and urges other soldiers who are AWOL or abroad not to be afraid to return.
Soldier Roman, whose call sign is “Tisa,” returned to Ukraine and rejoined the ranks after a year of deserting his military unit. Today, he is serving in the “Charter” Brigade and says he does not regret his decision to return. Roman is originally from the Ivano-Frankivsk region. He joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine back in 2019. He initially served his mandatory military service and later signed a contract.
After Russia’s full-scale invasion began, he fought as part of the infantry on various fronts. He took part in battles in the Serebryansky Forest and carried out combat missions on the Kursk front, particularly in the Sudzha area. In early December, his unit was withdrawn from the combat zone. Upon returning to his unit, he had a conflict with the command. In addition, he admits that after six years of service, he felt severely demoralized.
In March 2025, Roman deserted his military unit. For the first two months, he worked in Bukovel, after which he illegally crossed the Ukrainian-Romanian border through a mountainous area and left the country. For the next few months, he lived in Poland, where his brother was staying. There, he worked as an industrial climber; however, according to him, life abroad did not live up to his expectations. “After about three weeks, I already regretted crossing the border. Everyone thinks it’s easy there, but it’s not. You’re not at home there—you’re just a guest,” the soldier said.
The idea of returning came to him after a phone call with a friend. It was then that Roman learned that his former commander had transferred to serve with the “Charter” Brigade. The soldier says that his trust in this officer was the main reason for his decision to return. “The commander is wonderful—we need more like him. To be honest, if it weren’t for him, I might not have come back. I just trust this commander,” Roman explained.
After that, he began looking for a way to legally reenlist in military service specifically with this unit. However, he returned to Ukraine illegally once again. On March 25, 2026, exactly one year after leaving his unit without permission, Roman swam across the Tisa River at the Ukrainian-Romanian border and thus returned to Ukraine. Afterward, he completed all the necessary procedures to be reinstated and joined the “Charter” Brigade.
Today, the soldier serves in an anti-aircraft missile division. He works as a Mavic drone operator and is tasked with detecting and destroying Russian reconnaissance drones. Roman also addressed military personnel who are currently on leave or have traveled abroad. He is convinced that there is no need to fear returning to Ukraine, but that it must be done legally. “There’s nothing to be afraid of when returning. My advice to everyone abroad is to return here through an official border crossing—not the way I did. And come to ‘Charter,’" the soldier urged.
The brigade emphasizes that Roman’s story shows that even after making difficult life decisions, a person can return to service if they are willing to act openly, go through all the procedures required by law, and once again stand up to defend the country. At the same time, the soldier himself acknowledges that crossing the border illegally was a mistake, and advises other soldiers not to follow in his footsteps, but to return to Ukraine exclusively through legal channels. The “Charter” Brigade’s press service reported on the soldier’s story.
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