From the defense of Bakhmut to the battles in the Kursk region: the story of a border guard with the call sign “Tankist”
Oleksandr, whose call sign is “Tankist,” is a soldier in the “Steel Border” Assault Guard Brigade of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine. A native of Kamianets-Podilskyi, he returned from abroad in 2022 specifically to defend his homeland.
One of the fiercest phases of his service was the fighting near Bakhmut against mercenaries from the Wagner Group. Oleksandr recalls that the enemy, under the influence of drugs, launched wave after wave of assaults despite suffering massive losses. During one such assault, the Ukrainian machine-gunner reported over the radio: “I’ve already piled them up here in stacks. What’s next?” To which he received a clear order to continue his work.
Later, “Tankist’s” unit took part in combat operations in the Kursk region, which the soldier describes as even more challenging than the Bakhmut defensive operation due to the total dominance of Russian drone groups. Due to constant drone strikes on logistics routes, the march to the front lines took several days, and assault operations lasted 36 hours with almost no rest. The defender recounted that on one particular day, the occupiers launched 11 strikes against American armored vehicles (so-called “Emkas”), significantly hindering their movement. Oleksandr considers the loss of his comrades the hardest part of the war, but he emphasizes that he continues to fight for a safe future for his children.
The story of the defender’s combat experience was published by the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.
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