“I had four injuries, a concussion, and almost no strength left. I was ready to die. So I asked to speak to my family and told my friend to evacuate without me,” recalls Ivan.

Originally from Pervomaisk, Mykolaiv region, Ivan participated in the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) in 2014. At the beginning of the full-scale war, he did not hesitate to join a volunteer territorial defense battalion to defend Ukraine. Ivan and his comrades were tasked with defending the strait near Nestyryha Island.

“It was a small observation post, with fighting occurring 600-700 meters from us. When they started shelling our post, we constantly maneuvered. I was wounded in the abdomen and arm, breaking a bone. From that day on, my arm was useless. We were promised evacuation, but unfortunately, the boats could not reach us as they were being shelled,” Ivan recounts.

He and his team waited for evacuation for three days, but no one could get to them. During that time, he sustained two more injuries and a concussion. One day, they were ordered to evacuate on foot, throwing all their equipment into the water.

“It was tough; we evacuated in pairs, and at one point, my comrade was carrying my rifle because I had no strength. When we reached the water in a clearing, I realized I couldn’t go any further. I asked my comrade to call my family and let me speak to them. Then I yelled at him to leave me there. I already knew I was going to die. But I woke up alive the next morning,” Ivan says.

The veteran recalls that he immediately hid in the bushes, but he was spotted and came under fire.

“I think they decided I was dead because they started sending scouts, and I lay motionless for two days, in a broken position, so they gave up. I then crawled to get some water and was noticed by our drone. They sent water, some medicine, and then managed to get me out,” Ivan recalls.

Immediately upon evacuation, Ivan was taken to Kherson, then to Odesa, to one of the city’s medical facilities, where he underwent surgery. It turned out that due to constant shelling and pain, he had suffered a heart attack, and a stent had to be placed in his coronary artery. Now Ivan is on path to recovery as he undergoes rehabilitation far from the frontline. He will soon return to the hospital for recovery of his injured arm.

We are sincerely grateful to our reliable partner, Patients of Ukraine, for covering the critical needs of medical facilities throughout the country, enabling doctors to save the lives of patients affected by the russian invasion. For Ivan’s surgery specifically, the doctors used a coronary artery stent, coronary guides, and guide catheters provided to the facility with the financial assistance of Nova Ukraine.

We thank our defenders, who daily fight for our independence, sacrificing the most valuable thing: their lives.