Evacuation of wounded Ukrainian soldiers from Bakhmut hell

Each wounded man behaves differently, some are silent and then the nurse, after providing assistance, starts to pester him with all sorts of questions so that he does not lose consciousness, because while he was being taken away in a pickup truck he was still on adrenaline, and when he was put on a gurney he started to pass out.

The lighter ones start to talk loudly and their mouths don’t close.) Once there were six of them, so it seems like I’m driving some trashy minibus, everyone is trying to tell their story, the contused are shouting at each other, some are joking, some are silent.

Once, a moderately wounded man asked a lightweight to take a selfie for him, laughed, and then “floated” and fell silent. This is such a difficult line, as if everything is fine right now, the person reacts as if nothing has happened and suddenly passes out.

The most difficult choice is when a person who is conscious starts begging me to drive slower because he is in pain

My heart was breaking in such cases, at first I listened and slowed down a little so that he would not be so swayed by the pits, but the nurse started shouting, drive, drive, we are going to lose him.

And I swored every pothole on the road while she begged the wounded man to be patient, because it would be soon

Later, in the stabilization center, almost everyone’s clothes are cut off for examination and assistance, because with multiple shrapnel wounds, blood flows everywhere.

That’s why they need T-shirts, pants, Velcro underpants, socks, because a person is literally naked, everything in their pockets is put in a “file”and taken with them to the hospital.

We asked our friends and they sent us clothes for stabilization medical center, a kind person gave us Velcro underpants to pass on. I also brought my own T-shirts from my backpack.

I had a gift from Army FM, a new one, but it was too small.)

It was difficult to transfer the wounded from the car: it is easier to do it from the back of a pickup truck than from the back seat, but I gained some skills. 

In case of force majeure on the road, I was afraid not of the arrival, but of the cars flying by.

And I didn’t care about the lights, I turned on the flashing lights for my jeeps on the “boxes”:)

For the entire time our unit was in Bakhmut, we brought all those who were taken to us alive. 

I am very grateful to the doctors of the 3^rd Assault Brigade stabilization medical center, you are really holy people and specialists.

May God give you health, patience and strength.

Take care of yourself.

Thank you.

This story was told by the project of volunteers that save lives of wounded Ukrainian soldiers all across the frontlines round the clock.

Ukraine Front Lines

Tags: Bakhmut donbas donetsk oblast russia ukraine war