Russo-Ukrainian war in 2014 met Ihor Chepurniak in one of the most combat-capable for that time unit – in a reconnaissance company of the 95th separate airmobile brigade at that time. By the way, the military unit was the first that moved repulsing the Russian aggression.

In 2009, Ihor served as a conscript in that 95th brigade, and in 2012 he signed his first contract. Today, Sergeant Chepurniak, a commander of a section of the security company of the 199th training center of the Air-Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, recalls reluctantly the events of the beginning of war and his combat sworn brothers with a sad heart.

After fighting for Karachun, while being on patrol in June 2014 during the assault of the height near Kryva Luka, his reconnaissance platoon сought in an enemy ambush. The terrorists hit APC from RPG; as a result paratroopers fell off the APC.

– There were killed and a lot of wounded servicemen. At the same time, several reconnaissance platoons of the 95th separate air-assault brigade rushed to rescue. The wounded paratroopers were evacuated from the battlefield, and then – by a helicopter, – Ihor said.

He himself refused to be hospitalized in order to take part in glorious raid of the units of the 95th brigade, and later in withdrawing the units of the 72nd separate mechanized infantry brigade and 79th separate air-assault brigade from encirclement.

Already after the raid, contused wound, knee and back injuries that he suffered near Kryva Luka, made he himself felt.

However, in 2015 he was appointed to the 199th training center of the Air-Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine at the position of an instructor of training company and shared his experience with future reconnaissance men. Later he was appointed to the security company where he has been serving up to now.

Mykola Fedorkiv