Father and son fight together against Russia in ranger brigade

The brigade shared the information on its Facebook page, Espreso TV informed. 

"Father and son are fighting shoulder to shoulder. Both are named Vitaliy, both have just come from Bakhmut, both are Heroes," the statement reads. 

The law does not allow relatives in the army to be subordinate to each other. Therefore, son who is the officer commands the group, and the father is in charge of communications. However, sometimes it happened so that the father was in the battle alongside his son for reinforcement.

How to fight as a family, and how it happened that they went together to the military registration and enlistment office on the second day of the large-scale Russian invasion, the fighters tell in the video.

Video transcript translation

“I will bring the parcel today, mother sent it for the two of us. We would argue about who should stay with our girls. We're still arguing to this day.

It means to be near, to see, to help. For example, we were together in battle. In battle there is no father and son, in battle, there is a commander, who orders, and a soldier, who executes orders. 

It is scary to go out there because you do not know what to expect. And when in battle, you get adrenaline, you understand that you either kill or get killed. It is even better than comradery. Who knows my father better than me, and who knows me better than him. We understand each other very well. 

What kept you two together?

Motherland. 

Family.

So the motherland land or family?

Both. Because for whom do we defend the motherland? We are here for them.

We are from Kyiv. If we do not stop the Russian invasion in Bakhmut now, they will come to Kyiv tomorrow. And there will be war in our home.”

For reference. The 71st Separate Ranger Brigade was created immediately after Russia launched its large-scale invasion. Since then, the brigade's combat units have been hunting Russian troops in the hottest spots of the frontline.

The soldiers of the 71st separate ranger brigade of the Air Assault Troops of the Ukrainian Armed Forces stormed the Russian positions near Bakhmut.