Commanders have always been honest with us
“Commanders have always been honest with us” - A Brazilian from 2nd International Legion for Defense of Ukraine tells how legionnaires are trained to participate in the most difficult missions and fierce battles
Yeshua has been fighting in the ranks of the International Legions of Defense of Ukraine for almost two years. He served for more than a year in a mechanized brigade of the Brazilian Armed Forces and does not hide the fact that one of the components of his motivation to come to Ukraine was the desire to gain real combat experience. But the main thing that prompted the legionnaire to put on the Ukrainian uniform was the numerous videos of the Russian occupiers killing women and children. The warrior could not accept the fact that this is still happening in the modern world. Now, having gone through the hell of Bakhmut and the fierce clashes of the Serebryany forestry, being wounded and losing his comrades, and emerging victorious from incredibly difficult battles, the legionnaire is back in the ranks, confidently looking to the future and valuing honesty above all else. The honesty of his comrades and his commanders.
The journalists managed to get to the awarding of the medal “For Wounds” to the defender.
- The legionnaire proved himself incredibly worthy. “He received the award for his wounds, for the blood he shed for the freedom of Ukraine”, - the unit commander emphasized Yeshua. He is back in the ranks and will continue his heroic journey. “I am proud of you, my friend, thank you for your service”, - the commander says, shaking Yeshua's hand. ”These are the guys we have from all over the world who are defending our independence, our freedom, and not only ours, but the entire world. We look up to them and are proud of them.
Yeshua got his first combat experience in Bakhmut. The hardest thing for him was to see his comrades die:
- “At that location, the Russians used a lot of artillery and drones. During the first mission I went on, the enemy blew up our armored combat vehicle. There were a lot of wounded. We could not provide proper assistance because of the open terrain”, - the legionnaire recalls. Although it was not the hottest battle and did not pose the greatest danger to Yeshua's life, this episode is most etched in his memory and brought him the most suffering - knowing that his comrades were in trouble and not being able to help them.
Soldiers of the International Legions successfully performed combat missions of incredible complexity and danger:
“Coming back from there was already a victory for us”, - Yeshua recalls of some missions. In such circumstances, along with weapons, equipment and previous training, awareness of the situation and the details of the upcoming task are of the utmost importance. Yeshua speaks very warmly of the Legion Command, which tried its best to equip its soldiers and commanders with the necessary information:
- “In general, I had enough information before my first operation in Bakhmut. Our commander provided all the necessary data and warned us that it would be difficult to get to the position. Before going to the position, we were shown images from our reconnaissance drones. So we realized that there was a lot of artillery and drones there and that it would be difficult. The commanders gave us all the information and also told us that it would not always be possible to provide us with proper support or assistance. They have always been honest with us on this issue.
Despite the fact that in the hell of a modern battlefield with the numerical superiority of enemy firepower, it is not always real to properly support a person on the ground, the Legionnaires try to help their own whenever it possible:
- “When it was possible, we received significant support”, Yeshua recalls. “Being stationed in the forest, we often asked for help and had artillery support, support from grenade launchers. So we had tangible help there.
In the course of performing combat missions, the legionnaire was wounded twice. The first one was in Bakhmut during the evacuation:
- “It was nothing serious”, Yeshua comments, “I got a very small piece of shrapnel in my face.
A much more serious episode was an artillery attack near Kreminna.
- The artillery hit a dugout and it collapsed on us”, the warrior recalls. ”Then we lost one comrade and another was wounded. It was difficult. Later I received a medal, and since then it has served me as a memory of my fallen comrades.
Yeshua underwent treatment and rehabilitation for several months. Now he has returned to his unit, because he feels that Ukraine and his fellow soldiers need him:
- I think I'm ready to come back now. This is what I want to do. This is what I like to do. Although the war is a complicated and difficult thing, I feel a desire to be there and help. I feel useful in Ukraine. I believe that the most important thing is my family - my brothers in the battalion. Since we have gone through many difficult moments together, we feel a mental connection.
After the hardships and glorious victories that came at a high price, the combat family of the Second International Defense Legion of Ukraine is more than ever ready for new challenges. After all, they are the very “caballeros” - knights of the twenty-first century, legionnaires of the free world who do not tolerate unjust violence and are ready to cross half the planet to stop it with their weapons and courage. And among themselves, they respect honesty the most, speak directly about unpleasant things and subtly feel the shoulder of a fellow soldier. Yeshua, a Brazilian, has become one of the best among them and continues to hold the line because he feels needed by Ukraine and his comrades in arms.
Citizens of more than 35 countries serve in the 2nd International Legion of Defense of Ukraine. In total, there are more than 75 countries in the International Legions.
Recently, the procedure for joining the service has been simplified, after which Ukrainian and foreign volunteers can join a specific one of the International Legions of Defense of Ukraine directly and without the risk of being assigned to other military units.
