Soldato ucraino, Andrii: “Se sai che la persona in piedi accanto a te ha le spalle, ti copri sempre – la tua resilienza cresce esponenzialmente.”

Andrii has been serving in the 100th Brigade since February 2023. He volunteered and earned the rank of Senior Soldier. Later, he became a Junior Sergeant after his squad commander was killed during a combat mission, and he had to step up and take his place.

Andrii’s callsign, “Footballer,” comes from his passion for football in civilian life—he played professionally even. He says that, just like on the football field, he applies his own tactical approach on the battlefield.

“You have to constantly communicate with the guys, understand their problems, and work together to find solutions,” says Andrii. “During free time, we sometimes go to the training ground to shoot at targets—it helps relieve internal tension.”

He believes the most important part of service is having a reliable person by your side.

“If you know that the person standing next to you has your back, always cover you, and if necessary, even carry you off the battlefield—your resilience grows exponentially,” he says.

Back home in Volyn, his wife and five-year-old son are waiting for him.

[https://suspilne.media/lutsk/941479-stav-molodsim-serzantom-koli-zaginuv-komandir-istoria-bijca-z-volinskoi-100-ombr/](https://suspilne.media/lutsk/941479-stav-molodsim-serzantom-koli-zaginuv-komandir-istoria-bijca-z-volinskoi-100-ombr/)

Know that a big part of America has your back, we just have to deal with a bit of our own infection for a minute.