Another one of our heroes – Pavlo
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Since his teenage years, he has been called Lucky/Happy and their variations.
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His story began in 2018 when he signed a contract with the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.
The full-scale invasion found him under occupation. He actively participated in protests and resistance movements in his hometown, Nova Kakhovka. He recalls how their crowd was dispersed by armed Russian troops.
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He managed to escape the occupation with the goal of joining the Armed Forces of Ukraine, where he proved to be hardworking, persistent, and always ready to help.
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After training and a few weeks in Zaporizhzhia region, he was sent to the front line.
On July 19, 2023:
"There were three of us (the company commander, me, and a combat medic).
After passing through enemy positions, we advanced. For several hours, we were under fire as Russian troops attacked us from different sides. Radio communication was poor – we could hear others, but they couldn’t hear us. By sheer luck, we established contact with a mortar crew and artillery. The enemy assault was repelled. At that moment, the medic evacuated the company commander (wounded). The medic was also wounded. At the same time, the Russians began shelling us with everything they had – mortars of various calibers, grenade launchers, SPGs, and even a tank. It was a direct hit from the tank that wounded me."
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Pavlo applied a tourniquet to himself and crawled about 250-300 meters under fire, across open terrain, seeking help. He had already said goodbye to life... But luck was on his side – "Lucky" indeed.
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He suffered a severe injury – a partial amputation of the lower third of his right leg and acoustic trauma with bilateral eardrum rupture.
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He underwent treatment in hospitals in Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro, Khmelnytskyi, and Nemyriv. He then rehabilitated and received a prosthesis at the Vinnytsia "Orthopedic Service Center."
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He was awarded the state distinction "Golden Cross" by General Zaluzhnyi
Additionally, he received two awards from his battalion.
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On February 10, 2024, he returned to duty with a prosthetic leg, dreaming of building a military career.
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A true hero!