Last winter officer from Vinnytsia oblast Sergey Sobko was going to study at a prestigious military College in Kansas, but in the end went at the head of the battalion at the front, first stormed Saur-the Grave, then ensured the exit of troops from the boiler near the border with Russia and finally broke through the encirclement in debaltseve.

Still get American military education of the young Lieutenant Colonel and now sacobia 30th mechanized brigade hopes after the war in the Donbass, and while running one of the official military Heroes of Ukraine - holders of the order of the Golden star.

Photo: Roman Nikolaev

"About the beginning of the war I learned in a bathhouse"

About the beginning of the war I learned in a bath on the last day of February. Vacationing there with his family and relatives, when I was notified about the need to arrive at the duty station. That evening we all arrived at the service and the week was on barracks mode, received materiel, ammunition, equipment repaired. 8 March at the head of a battalion tactical group, which was comprised of my first mechanized battalion, first tank company, howitzer battery, snipers and exploration, I moved out.

First we were sent for additional training in Rivne landfill. This two-week arrangement then is very useful to us in the East.

Immediately after this we were sent to Kherson region. The first day was rough - really waiting for. Then it became clear that active action has shifted to the East, and we focused on combat training, knowing that sooner or later we will get there.

All this time I could not believe in the reality of the situation. Before that we had only combat training alarm. Most of the excitement was from uncertainty.

At that time in the battalion we had about 80% of contractors are experienced professionals. So people had no problems, but there were with appliances - one battalion on combat exit collected with the whole team. No body armor we didn't have a steel helmet, webbing, mallophora shovel, flask and combined arms protective kit. Body armor and helmet were only intended to guard duty. All they came much later.

In ATO we first came on July 17 and was immediately in active hostilities. Our first task was to make it into town Peter, where we were supposed to meet with division 95 and the 51st brigade. Motorized infantry was to gain a foothold on Saur-the Grave after we with paratroopers through there. To the meeting point with 95 crew we got lossless. There we are together under the leadership of Colonel Zabrodsky under artillery fire waited 51 Brigada, scattered along the road on Saur-the Grave. There and suffered its first casualties - the soldier tore off limbs, and we are unable to take him to the hospital. Among the wounded in the first time were officers - platoon commander and Deputy chief of staff. Without waiting for the 51st, we departed for the night in the Petrovsky district. The next morning, July 27, we stormed Saur-Grave. But two of our mouth with tank companies and individual platoons was still a division of 95 teams. In total forces was for a battalion.

There were armored-mechanized units, and for us airmobile. The ice rink was demolished everything that was there. The battle lasted just about an hour, literally. One of our APC was blown up by a mine - the driver died on the spot, another car was hit, there was wounded.

First fire "Grad" deteriorated moral state of the third squadron, but the commander of the first company appealed in regard to their commander with a call not to abandon his, and at the height they came together.

As soon as the storm ended, we received the following task - to go to Stepanovka. There our two companies and tankers lucky to go with a good side - from the North-West, where the enemy was not prepared positions. Tankers worked amazingly. Headed their company commander captain winnick. Largely, it depends on them depended the success of the entire operation.

Literally an hour and a half we took the South-Western side of Stepanovka and shelling began immediately not only from Russia, but also Dmitrovka, Pickle. In General, prior to the week we spent on it, to clean up the Stepanovka. The enemy had to get away, and we pulled our third mechanized battalion. With him took Marinovka, but Dmitrovka are unable - artillery gave us to approach.

There we received a task to make a crossing of the river Mius and to ensure our units, which stood along the border with Russia. We were doing and 95-th, and our third battalion put up roadblocks to this crossing, for the purpose of protection of the route, the supply of ammunition and fuel, the evacuation of the wounded. It was difficult. During the exit of our troops all night did not stop artillery fire. But everything went well and the next day we went to Miusinsk that in the direction of the red Beam and Anthracite.

All this time we were in the enemy's rear and this was the difficulty for the fighters - only forward, back.

Really hard for us was at the time when this territory has introduced a subdivision of the Russian Federation. We immediately felt. Their large trucks were from Dyakova for Hryhorivka, Shakhtarsk and Torez. Division third battalion failed to keep the posts, they were compelled to depart. Part of the third battalion departed in Stepanovka, a part of me - in Miusinsk. 95 brigade by that time came. After the departure of the third bat, we were in complete isolation. Before that somehow it was possible to carry out the evacuation and transporting ammunition. In this situation, we spent five days. Through the local inhabitants got warning from the militants to surrender and lay down their arms. The mood was depressed, no messages, the constant fire. Then I turned to the head of sector and head of the General staff with a proposal to occupy the Northern part of Miusinsk. For that my strength was not enough and I asked the company from the second mechanized battalion. I went to meet him, but at the time of nomination for reinforcements the shell got into my command-observation post and completely disappeared link. Instead, it has begun offensive operations of the enemy on the South side, the active use of artillery, tanks, anti-tank guided missiles, not such, as at us, and modern. The same situation was brewing to the North. In short, everything got worse. The company, which came to our rescue, no longer was able to occupy the Northern part of the settlement. Then sacobia my crew Zabolotny, who commanded a battalion tactical group of the second battalion, decided to withdraw to his North. She released the company had secured passage, and we all went. If not, for sure, the consequences would have been severe. So we from sector D was subordinated to the head of sector A.

At the new place, we immediately took the towns near which is located the second battalion, and received a new task - the storming of the village of Malaya Nikolayevka and occupation of Illyria. Then the situation began to deteriorate again in the East, and the decision was made to break us in Uspenka to Lutugino. After all, we are brought to Wide LAN, and the first time we were able to two and a half weeks to go home.

From 17 July to mid-September in my battalion was 19 "two-hundredth" and 126 "three-hundredth". Plus 6 missing and prisoners. In Miusinsk we captured the group consisting of reconnaissance, and during the environment of Stepanovka in the film got my Deputy to work with the staff of major - General Roy. And that's not all.

"According to Mike, this "batch" as in Line,he had the war not seen"

In January we were prepared for replacement in the Donetsk airport. We even arrived at the Sands and stormed part of the settlement Abace. But due to the deterioration on the Debaltsevsky direction it was decided to withdraw my battalion tactical group in Luhansk. There we first acted as a reserve - our units out on any direction of where to aggravate the situation. For example, we acted during the storming of Uglegorsk. Forces to the number of combined company derived from the environment of more than 100 people 128th brigade in the area of Redcode. Also twice we stormed Ukrainian military. There we failed.

At that time there were two companies of my battalion - the second and third division 79th brigade under the leadership of Mike and company of the 24th brigade. The operation of the two storms we had planned with the brigade commander. But not everyone went out and did what we were supposed to. 24th brigade does not come out - there was no communication. Why is it we can only guess. Or know, but don't want to throw words to the wind. 79-th brigade of the good work done, but also not what I had planned. As a result, in the settlement came only our second company Grinyuk and reconnaissance brigade. She suffered great losses and are unable to gain a foothold there. As soon as we entered the village, artillery was not allowed to raise their heads and crush her we couldn't - it was that visually we not seen, only heard. Complexes, which could detect and calculate the coordinates, we didn't have. Well, and the defense of the enemy is well prepared. Plus, as I said, we had planned to go with three sides, but it turned out otherwise. So a number of factors played a role. According to Mike this batch in Line, he had the war not seen.

The battalion at this time was not so ready as the first, because in connection with combat losses have been mobilized instead of experienced contractors. If officers we were able to quickly prepare, soldiers and sergeants of the problem remained - not with the exercise of orders and ethos, skills and training are not enough.

In the beginning of the war we had the best tank company in all the Armed forces. Our tankers almost all were professional soldiers, well trained, past teachings. They went first during the assault on Saur-the Grave, they covered the storming of Stepanovka. Everywhere it was our shield, our armour. Without the tank there was nowhere.

For a second time, it did not happen. The company commander went on increasing, in units scored mobilized, the personnel were assigned to other companies. And the separatists already had a more modern anti-tank weapons. It happened that only with the release of the machine on the horizon she was burned. So losses among tank crews in the area Debaltsevo we had a lot in Uglegorsk burned a tank with crew, during the first storming of the Ukrainian military set fire to two tanks, while Redcode lost another.

"For getting rewards all the time feeling guilty"

About the recommendation for award I learned during my stay in the village Lugansk - call from the chief of the General staff. I apologized and said to come get it can't, because you don't deserve. He asked who I recommend, and I called Grinyuk (Vladimir, commander of the second company of the first battalion. - Ed.). In the end, we got Gold stars in both Kiev (http://slavaukraine.net/en/news/latest-news/2581-poroshenko-the-hero-of-ukraine-to-four-officers-gave-the-rank-vasily-zubanich-sergey-sobko-alexander-porkhun-vladimir-grinyuk-photos.html). But Volodya got it not because of my words, but because they deserve it like no other, his personal qualities. His experience was the least among the commanders, but from the first rotation in the ATO he brought it with minimal loss of personnel and loss of equipment. If it was necessary, he performed the task ahead of his soldiers, and so he believed.

Another Redcode we have wounded the platoon commander, and then the Sergeant nikitiuk took over the command. Forces 40 people he brought from the environment over 100.

There was a heroic act of our senior soldier - driver-mechanic Peter dubowik, who is in his car was taken from Redcode about a hundred people. He is now recovering after being wounded.

There was another act of Kiev mobilized soldier ganitcheva that on Saur-the Grave received a serious concussion. All the time prior to our entering debaltseve he was nursed back to health and helped us as a volunteer. And before Redcode came back in the second company and the first minutes of the battle he received a second concussion, but the shock pulled the platoon commander personally, and still managed to put a group of separatists.

In short, today we filed from the battalion of more than 100 references to awards and, unfortunately, very few soldiers received them. Even those who have already been in the presidential decree on awarding, waited a very long receipt in hand. I don't know why. This situation with the promotion of personnel almost everywhere. That's why I didn't want to get their. Feel from the moment guilt and shame.

We filed on the order of the Golden star Lieutenant Mikityuk (posthumously) who died on the reference point near debaltseve. Also filed two scouts that had hit a mine, performing a fighting task. None of them got. In order for the courage we filed our doctor, my deputies, commanders of platoons, soldiers. In the end, our new brigade commander decided to establish an award and promote it staff of their own.

About our doctors would like to tell apart. When in Miusinsk we were heavy wounded, the chief of the medical service - senior Lieutenant Alexander Krot, not having a proper education, assisted them. Next to us was 409 mobile hospital, but he wasn't able to get to us, and that the Mole was served out, and partially the third battalion. Later women doctors from the 409th hospital under fire in Stepanivka village assisted us and # 95 team by setting an example of courage even to men. And they even can't pay 1000 per day for participation in hostilities. Just because they are doctors, no matter what are in as much danger as the rest of the participants in the battle.

Additional cash incentives, that, after winning, the second is a sore subject. For example, just now we received the promised money for the successful execution of combat missions in Redcode. But participation in the fighting in debaltseve is still there - because all the documents were burned and combat orders are not preserved. This whole process is actually complicated documents from the brigade sent to the sector, and in rotation - one person used to do, then came a new and just lost them or forgot about them. So prepare again sent, the sector sends them to the headquarters of the ATO, etc. And fighters calling me and asking when will be the payment for February and March.

In this monetary theme do a lot of problems. Incorrectly, for example, that soldiers on the first line of defense get the same salary as those in the third, and the status of combatants, except those who have been to the attacks by "Grads" and get those who stood at the checkpoints.

Our battalion remained on the Debaltsevsky direction and following the departure of the 128th brigade. Words that all units involved in the transaction, will be released at the restoration, was not confirmed, and we're in the battalion are there still. Since January. I guess there are some reasons.

All this time I have the support of my family. Know that the family pray for us all. There were moments when only their prayers and saved us. Parents, I tried to protect you from unnecessary information and tell them that all is well. Wife all this time one has a son. And in July we got a daughter. Wife very worried about exactly when this will all end, but I can not give. This uncertainty is probably the hardest.

Anastasia Bereza, Censor.NET

Source: http://censor.net.ua/