"Fit, Fit, and Fit!" – Infantryman with Eleven Years of Service on the Hottest Points of the War

When Kostiantyn Chykachkov received a draft notice in the summer of 2015, he started dancing. He had wanted to be a soldier since childhood, inspired by a video of the Russian-Chechen war. In 2006, when he was first summoned to the enlistment office at age 15, he firmly stated he wanted to serve in the infantry. However, he was initially not accepted as a volunteer because he already had three children. He received his draft notice nearly a year later.

After February 24, 2022, his unit was on the Luhansk direction. His most memorable battles were in Bakhmut and Synkivka near Kupiansk. In Bakhmut in November 2022, he faced Wagner mercenaries who attacked in waves. At one point, they surrounded his group that had barricaded itself in a house. To avoid capture, they called artillery fire on their own position. They escaped through a hole in the wall after a tank hit.

In Synkivka, they encountered "Storm Z" units. Drones dropping grenades were heavily used there. The enemy was well-equipped, including machine gunners, snipers, and RPG operators. The forest, where positions were only 20-25 meters apart, was dubbed the Black Forest. Mysterious disappearances occurred there – soldiers vanished without a trace.

In Vovchansk, he fought at the Aggregate Plant. Combat was at close quarters, and the enemy included international fighters from China, Korea, Afghanistan, and others. They captured a Russian soldier who thought he had reached his own lines. Chykachkov has three serious wounds and numerous concussions. His first serious injury was in 2022 from a "Nona" mortar.