A trio of 20 somethings from the 28th Mech Brigade show Ukraine Army's potent present and bright future

Unfazed, optimistic, even joyful. Amid more than a decade of war, descriptions such as these seem out of place, according to pundits and analysts who farm clicks by providing scenarios of doom for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. 

However, on a pastoral day composed of the bluest sky and whitest clouds, a trek to the eastern front for a meeting with the Armed Forces of Ukraine’s decorated and battle-hardened 28th Mechanized Brigade revealed those adjectives to be apt and abundant. Three warriors, all young volunteers, personified those words as they hustled in the shadows of tanks prepped for battle, their dedication and bravery shining through despite the challenging circumstances swirling around them.

None of these heroes is older than 24, with the youngest a mere 20 and the most decorated of the trio squeezed in between at 22. Two are named Victor, and the oldest is Yevhenii. Each is making his mark in the war against Russian aggression. The 22-year-old Victor helms a modernized T-64 and is, according to sources inside of the 28th, the youngest tank commander in Ukraine, while the 20-year-old Victor is the lead gunner on a different T-64. While accepted among the brotherhood of tankers, Yevhenii is an information whizz focused on the factors comprising the brigade’s successful hybrid warfare operations.

As we spoke, the sounds of exploding ordinances and bursts of small arms fire punctuated the air. Amid this, they discussed their motivations for joining the Armed Forces of Ukraine, their personal growth since joining, and their unique perspectives on life in the Army. Despite their youth, or perhaps because of it, each answer was a testament to their overall resilience and direct knowledge of what war is.

Coming from a family of tankers, with his older brother and inspiration also serving with the 28th, Victor, the commander, simply replied, “Of course,” when asked if he had ever been in combat. Later in our conversation, he offered a sly smile and revealed how “proud” he was when he took his first shot against enemy forces. Victor, the gunner, shared that before he goes into battle, he gets “a little bit nervous,” but when the tank starts rolling, “everything becomes solid.” The now-experienced crewman also mentioned how, before enlisting in the AFU, he was a civilian, “down to the bones,” and had questions about what being in the military entailed, but that in less than a year, he understood his calling and duties. As the onsite press official, Yevhenii focused on the broader view of Ukraine’s fight for survival. He began his comments by stating that “those who controlled information controlled the war” and then made clear that his duty was to tell the “truth” to the public while also breaking through the noise and chaos of Kremlin disinformation by looking at engaging, inventive and “memorable,” ways to present Ukraine’s messaging while specifically mentioning the use of “memes and games,” as effective methods in doing so.

Speaking with the two Victors and Yevhenii revealed an ignored side of Ukraine’s national conversation. Across the media sphere, conventional wisdom wrongly suggests that the Ukrainian Defense Forces consists solely of conscripted middle-aged males. In addition to the tens of thousands of women serving Ukraine’s fight for liberty and liberation, vast numbers of men in their teens and twenties also answered their nation’s call to service. As we exchanged goodbyes with the guys of the 28th Mechanized Brigade, it became clear that just like with many narratives surrounding Ukraine since the outbreak of full-scale war, the idea of who was serving and how they ended up in the Ukrainian Armed Forces wasn’t as straightforward as what many across the world believed.

Sergeant Sarah Ashton-Cirillo, Armed Forces of Ukraine

The author's opinions do not necessarily reflect those of Ukrinform's editorial board.