Although politicians and generals usually come out on top, war is primarily about ordinary people. Ukrainian engineer Vladyslav Yesenko and his wife Valeria, seriously injured in Bakhmut, tell HotNews.ro how they plan to continue enjoying life despite the tragedy they are going through.

He was in the hottest place of the war in Ukraine, the city of Bakhmut, where he lost both eyes and partially heard after blowing up several mines. However, he decided to continue to contribute to the victory of his country and try to live as it is.

This is what the engineer of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Vladyslav Yeshchenko, says. After ten days in a coma in August 2023, having undergone several operations, the man recently founded a charitable organization with the symbolic name “Let’s See Victory”, through which he collects funds to help wounded Ukrainian soldiers. army

Throughout this period, his girlfriend Valeria, who became his wife on August 21, stayed with Vladyslav. The money from the wedding, which was organized modestly in Kyiv, but which was broadcast on the Internet on their accounts in social networks, the two went to charity.

In an interview exclusively for HotNews.ro, Vladyslav and Valeria talked about their plans for the future in a country that is involved in an unconscionable war started by Russia, and explained why they believe that Ukraine will win this war.

How was Vladyslav Yeschenko injured?

Vladyslav Yeshenko, before being wounded in Bakhmut. PHOTO: Personal archive

The military officer says that on August 9, 2022, he was on demining in the town of Bohdanivtsi, which is near Bakhmut.

“After isolating 84 mines, one of them activated the self-destruct mechanism. The explosion of one detonated all the others, and the consequences are known: he was in a coma for ten days, more than 30 shrapnel (there are no mines), his eyes were taken out, left at first. , completely deaf. Now, thank God, it has been slightly restored,” says Vladyslav Yeschenko.

The military man adds that he tries to live fully with his wife, despite his blindness:

“No one, never, no bad neighbor will prevent me and Lyera (note – Valery) from living this life happily.”

What exactly gives you this strength (no – to continue living)?

Vladyslav Yeschenko: It is clear that there are people who stay close to me. They are 90% of the reason I am so strong. With me since the first day after everything happened, my girlfriend, my dad, my close friends. They act as if nothing happened, as if I am the same.

As for “inside me”, I go further and the answer to your question is very simple: if you sit at home on the sofa, cry into your pillow and talk about how bad things are, you will attract this bad yourself, you are basically programming yourself to it.

You have to find a job, find your next goal in life, it seems hard, but it’s not. Like any other human being, you must reject all bad thoughts. There is simply no time to think about various nonsense.

VALERIE: I believe that I was programmed from day one to be there for him in any situation, under any circumstances. When what happened to him happened, I had no choice whether to stay or not. There was only one option – to be his moral support.

About the behavior of the Russian military, what could you observe from a distance?

Vladyslav Yeschenko: The best description for those we fight: They are not human. We are not fighting against any people.

What they are doing is against all the norms and limitations of war, against all the norms and standards of morality. I do not understand at all how it is possible to live and sleep peacefully after all that has been done in our country.

I am not talking about the front line now. When everything happens in the field, when you went out, shot, captured some territory, it’s one thing. But it’s quite another when civilians are constantly suffering, when peaceful areas are hit and it’s still so chaotic. Or train stations, central squares, museums, theaters, etc. Or corpses are mined.

The dead man turned into a trap – what is it called? I don’t think I have enough vocabulary to explain it calmly. 80% of cases of landmines occurred where civilians lived.

They hit with cluster munitions – the entire field was covered with PFM-1 mines (numbers of Soviet and Russian production), where civilians were harvesting. They hit the city center with a Uragan missile. Family homes were hit from “Iskanders”. It wasn’t even a nine-story building. I don’t even know what to call it.

From everything I encountered, I was left with only one impression: we are not at war against humans, for sure.

Last month, the wedding of military man Vladyslav Yesenko and Valeria took place. PHOTO: Personal archive

How do you see the future of Ukraine and your future in Ukraine?

VALERIE: We live today. We are making plans for tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, but I think it is too early to plan something for five years. But we have plans to develop our charity and help people.

Please tell us more about your organization?

Together with Artem Pakhomov, we created the charity organization “Pochachymo Peremogu” (“We will see victory” – no). I am the executive director.

For example, we want to pay people to buy prostheses like the ones I have now. When removing the eyes, it is necessary to put prostheses in their place. And it costs money. Not everything may be covered by other funds or organizations. Need help.

To get a cane – help is needed. Referral to rehabilitation, not medical, but social – help is needed.

Legal and psychological assistance is also needed for people immediately after an injury.

I want to radically change the fact that in our country, unfortunately, when you face a problem, you have to look for information yourself: who can help you, how you should act, what methods you have. what will happen, what documents need to be collected, etc.

I want us to become an organization that does not wait for people who need it to contact us, but is a source of information that only seeks those who need it.

We organize streams, live broadcasts, where we collect money, collect donations for the armed forces. We bought vests, now we are closing the donation for the car. From the wedding stream, we collected 35,000 hryvnias (no – about 886 euros).

People gave us money for the wedding, congratulated us. We also transferred this money to charitable purposes.

Still, stay with the armed forces and help them with this fund.

Some say that there is no such thing as “ex-military”. I agree more and more with this statement, because yes, I cannot defend my country with a gun in my hand, I cannot provide peace and tranquility for my beloved, for my relatives who are fighting at the front.

Our victory will come, but if we sit and wait, the war will drag on. But if we all work together to make it happen faster, then we will succeed.

When and why will Ukraine win this war?

VALERIE: I really hope that it will happen in the shortest possible time, because everyone is very tired, especially the military.

When people (non-civilians) say they are tired of war, I think they are looking at the military. Aren’t they tired? They all want to be with their relatives and loved ones. Most likely, that is why we will win, because we are an invincible nation that will do everything for its victory.

Vladyslav: I will answer a little differently: the question is divided into “when?” and why?”.

About “why” it is better to start with this: because we are on the side of good. As you know from any fairy tale or legend, good always wins over evil. We are only for the truth. And the truth will prevail. This is 200%.

As for “when”, unfortunately, only God knows. The longer the war goes on, the more it resembles a chessboard where we are all pawns.

On the chessboard, someone plays a very large game, someone is comfortable, someone can pursue goals that we do not know about. You can think endlessly, you just have to wait, be strong and do everything for our victory.

But when that happens, I don’t think anyone will answer that question.

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