The hero of the new story is Oleksandr, a volunteer who joined the military on February 24 without any military experience. Prior to the war, he was growing strawberries and had his farm near Kharkiv.

About home
Oleksandr’s house is located in the village of R. Lozova near the border, which was under occupation for two months. After de-occupation, the village suffered from attacks for another 2-3 months. Every day they were bombarded with all kinds of weapons. A rocket from a S-300 missile system landed near his house, causing half of it to collapse. Oleksandr found flange needles, which are prohibited from use, on his balcony. They were used to target civilian areas. Currently, only a few dozen people live in the village.

Volunteers
Oleksandr believes that volunteers are making no less of a contribution to the war effort than the military. Without their support, there would be no means of transportation, communication, and other necessities.

What’s the main need for now?
The main need now is for vehicles, as they get destroyed quickly. Drones are also necessary for reconnaissance, along with thermal sights and night vision devices.

How he stays positive?
Maintaining a positive attitude is a challenge in such a situation. Oleksandr believes that looking at the situation from a different perspective may cause morale and fighting spirit to decline. He maintains active social media pages on Telegram and YouTube to show the realities of the war and to bring attention to the needs of the soldiers.