Heroes of Ukraine. Artilleryman Yuriy Solyhan: "During liberation of Kharkiv region, we came into village, and saw Russians having lunch there"

Espreso tells about Yuriy Solyhan.

Yuriy Solyhan has been serving in the army since 2014. Then man was mobilized into the 80th Airborne Assault Division, a mortar battery. At first he was a driver, and later he performed various tasks.

"I had and still have a very cool commander,'' says Yuriy Solyhan. - Despite the fact that I had never served in the army, during the month of training in 2014, I was fluent in all types of weapons that Lviv paratroopers had. I had great training. I want to thank my commander Mykola Pohrebnyi, who devoted a lot of time to ensure that we went to the front in 2014 as professional soldiers."

A week before February 24, commander called and told him the day when full-scale invasion would begin

A year later, Yuriy Solyhan was demobilized and entered the operational reserve of the division. But the man needed ATO (anti-terrorist operation) experience to fight during a full-scale invasion. After all, on February 26, the gunner was already in the military unit.

"A week before February 24, the commander called me and told me the day when a full-scale invasion would begin", Yuriy Solyhan recalls. So I asked to call back everyone he was in touch with, and said they would be waiting for us 24 hours after mobilization was officially announced. After February 24, I really needed experience of the first year of war. I came already an experienced gunner and could perform more difficult combat tasks".

On the front, Yuriy Solyhan began working with a self-propelled artillery installation "Gvozdika". According to the soldier, this is a Soviet model of equipment, which they considered very effective, until modern equipment of NATO countries entered the front. But the concentration of hostilities is completely different from what it was in 2014.

"There is a very high concentration of military operations and artillery fire", Yuriy Solyhan says. "There is a very high concentration of artillery fire from the Ukrainian side and from the Russian side. I think that even the Second World War did not see such intense and serious fighting that is currently ongoing on Ukrainian territory. I remember the first months of the confrontation in the Mykolaiv region. We started from Voznesensk. For me, battles are more vivid when I see the result for the infantry battalion we are covering. I am more pleased with their results."

Yuriy says that the result of each combat sortie is unequivocally destroyed Russian equipment. There are tanks, BMP or APC. Or cars that pick up infantry.

"We received a target - we left and worked on it. If it turned out very well, we were praised, if it was bad - we made remarks," says the gunner. Our chatting after the destruction of Russian troops brings so much joy. Our fighters even ask commanders to clarify what exactly was destroyed. It encourages and raises the mood. This is the result we expect from our work."

There was so much destroyed equipment that small country in Europe could envy

Yuriy Solyhan participated in the liberation of the Kharkiv region. He admits: when the commander talked about counteroffensive, the soldier was 60 percent sure that the operation would fail. Then very intense shelling and intense fighting continued. However, the Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff planned all actions so well that the liberation of the Kharkiv region went perfectly.

"I was pleasantly surprised by this operation," Yuriy says. "Russians had no heavy equipment, and no communication, as it turned out. I don't know if they didn't have it, or if they didn't want to look for it. But this operation was very strange from the point of view of Russian coherence. What were they hoping for? For example, in one village a man, a local, overtook us. And he pointed to the tanks we passed. He said: "Russians are having lunch there in the basement." When we went there, they were amazed to see us. They did not expect and did not understand how we could be there. No one warned them."

In addition, the man was impressed by the large amount of destroyed Russian equipment.

"They ran away in a hurry,'' the warrior says.  - There were many captured and dead Russians. All the roads were strewn with them. And a large amount of burned equipment. I think small countries in Europe could envy this amount of destroyed Russian equipment. It is not 40, not 50, not 70 and not even 100 cars. And this is the work of Ukrainian artillery. During the counteroffensive in the Kharkiv region, all ovations went to Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff and our infantrymen. For me, infantry are heroes. It's a little easier for artillerymen, because we have combat vehicles in which you can hide from the rain, which you can heat up and warm up there, and infantry are actually heroes."

It is surprising that 140 million cannot shut the mouth of one old man who decided to bury them by thousands

Yuriy Solyhan is convinced: technological war is going on now. Modern examples of weapons in war are impressive, and the work of artillery is very important.

"I can say with confidence that aviation today is not as effective as artillery. What can be done in this war with modern weapons is impressive", Yuriy Solyhan emphasizes. "I would like to try to work with these weapons. But now there are many newly created divisions that are fighting with NATO weapons. And what we have been with since the end of February, that is what we have remained with. Although our weapons also hit targets well".

The warrior says he cannot understand the purpose of Russians in this war.

"Some dictatorial whims of an old man. It is surprising to me that 140 million cannot shut the mouth of one old man who decided to bury them by the thousands. We have a goal, we have our borders and our state.

Espreso continues the series of stories about Heroes of Ukraine who defended and are defending the country from Russian invading forces. Read more stories in our column of the same name "Heroes of Ukraine".