Australian with Ukrainian Roots – Combat Medic with the 92nd Brigade. Pt.2

This is the second part of Max’s story — an Australian of Ukrainian descent who came to Ukraine with his family for a holiday in 2021 and, after the full-scale Russian invasion began, chose to stay and defend the land where he was born.

A former nurse, Max is now a combat medic and the head of a medical evacuation group with the 92nd Separate Assault Brigade named after Koshovyi Otaman Ivan Sirko. Over the years of his service, he has been deployed across much of the eastern front.

In this part, Max talks about how the war has changed since he joined the Armed Forces — from rapid manoeuvres and mass mechanised assaults to a battlefield increasingly shaped by drones, which now influence how soldiers move, fight, and survive. He also explains why Ukraine has become home to him once again, what he would tell foreigners considering military service, and why he believes the experience of this war could shape the future of warfare.

How the War Evolved

Max joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine at the beginning of the full-scale invasion, when the character of the war was very different from what he sees today:

“There were a lot of mobile units, quick manoeuvres, and flanking manoeuvres. There was a lot of movement, not much of the kind of taking ground and reinforcing positions that we see now.”

Eventually, however, the war changed. This was especially evident around Bakhmut, where, according to Max, the war turned into a real bloodbath:

“We had static positions, and there wasn’t a lot of movement back and forth. Most of the time, the Russians had an advantage in manpower and artillery, and we were doing the best we could to repel their assaults.

They would move toward our positions, our machine gunners would open fire, and they would be hit straight away.

There weren’t many drones back then. We did have Mavic drones, with simple mechanisms for dropping grenades and things like that. They worked quite well.”

Then, around 2024, and especially in 2025, the character of the war changed again. Today, Max says, drones have become one of its defining elements:

“You’re not going to see many mechanised assaults or mass infantry attacks anymore. It would probably be suicide. Instead, people now move in smaller, separate groups, trying to reach their positions.

There’s a lot of walking and a lot of waiting for drones to pass by. There are so many drones now.

So the war has changed from a mobile war to something probably closer to the First World War.

And now this is the future.”

Ukraine Has Become Home

For Max, the years of service have changed not only his understanding of war, but also his relationship with Ukraine:

“I do see a future here.

I’ve been here long enough to put down roots. I’ve got a home now.”

For the foreseeable future, Max plans to remain in Ukraine even after the war ends:

“Could I return to Australia? Yeah, I could probably go back for a holiday or something like that. But I think I’ll be staying here.

I’ve come to like it very much here.”

What You Need to Know Before Joining

Max also speaks about what awaits foreigners considering military service in Ukraine. In his experience, previous military service is not necessarily essential. New recruits receive training before being assigned to their roles:

“The process begins with basic training, followed by assignment to a unit. New servicemembers then spend some time getting familiar with their unit before moving on to specialized training for their chosen position.”

He also notes that financial considerations can play a role in the decisions of some foreign volunteers. According to Max, many of the foreign servicemembers he has met compare the pay they receive in Ukraine with military salaries in their home countries. However, in his view, financial motivation alone should not be the only reason to decide to join the military:

“They get paid really well compared with the militaries in the countries they come from. But I would give it a lot of thought before coming here.

If you’re really set on it, if you’re young, or maybe you want to get away from your past life, this could be a great experience for you.”

For Max himself, the war has already changed the way he sees his own future:

“I have a different character now.

I think that after the war, this background is going to clear up a lot of my priorities — where I’m going to go and what I’m going to do afterwards.”

The War of the Future

Max believes that the current war has no real precedent, particularly when it comes to the scale and speed of the development of drone warfare. So, the expertise gained on the battlefield today could shape the way future wars are fought:

“With drone warfare, everything is evolving very quickly. So you’re going to become the premier fighting force afterwards.

If you’re set on joining, as I said, it’s going to be a great experience.

What else is there to say?

Follow the path of the warriors!”

Learn more about the 92nd Separate Assault Brigade named after Koshovyi Otaman Ivan Sirko and join on its official website: https://recruiting-92.army/

Text: Dmytro Tolkachov

Video, Photos: Dmytro Tolkachov, Oleksandr Bekker

Editing: Oleksandr Bekker