"Colleagues warned: you'll be destroyed in three days." "Moses" has returned from Sweden to serve in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The Chief Sergeant of the Infantry Battalion in the 110th OMBr, "Moses," – is 51 years old. On the first day of the Russian invasion, he decided to return from Sweden to defend Ukraine as part of the Armed Forces. In the material below from RBK-Ukraine, he shares his experiences regarding the evacuation of civilians from occupation, battles near Bakhmut and Lyman, and his strong family within the brigade.

Why He Decided to Return to Ukraine from Sweden

At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the man was in Stockholm. The first feeling he experienced was disbelief that such an invasion by the Russians could even begin.

"My colleagues at work told me: you're finished, you're done for. The Russians have missiles, the Russians have nuclear weapons, and you (Ukraine – ed.) have nothing. They will destroy you in three days", – recalls "Moses" as he remembers their words.

It was certainly very unpleasant for him to hear this. However, he immediately made the decision to return to Ukraine and help defend it. The head of his company immediately paid him his entire salary, and his colleagues pooled their money together, saying, "You will definitely need it."

From Stockholm, he flew to Warsaw and then took a bus towards Kyiv. While passing through Zhytomyr, the man came under his first shelling. At that moment, he felt for the first time what war really was.

"We arrived in Kyiv, and I was in shock. Why did I go to the capital, even though I'm from Odesa? Because if they took the capital, there would be nothing left to take. This is the heart of our country. I went down to the metro and saw the horror in people's eyes. In the metro, in the cars – dogs, cats, tears, children's cries. I understood that something had to be done," he says.

At the military enlistment office, they were not eager to take him at first. However, he pleaded to join the army. Recognizing the seriousness of his intentions, they promised to call him back in a few days. Eventually, that call came, and "Moses" ended up in the 401st Infantry Battalion.

1Photo: In the early days of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, "Moses" decided to join the ranks of the Armed Forces, and he currently serves in the infantry battalion of the 110th OMBr (provided by RBK-Ukraine)

How He Evacuated People from Kherson

Since the man was unable to take up arms to defend his homeland from the very first days, he decided to help in any way he could. Coordinating with his comrades, he aimed to assist civilians with evacuation.

"We bought cars, these 'fours,' ordinary red 'Zhigulis.' And with those four cars, we evacuated people. We rushed into Chernihiv under shelling, took people to 'Bohdany,' and they took them further to Kyiv. Later, volunteers asked us to go beyond Kryvyi Rih, to Vysokopillia, in the Kherson region. The Russians advanced very quickly, and we were not fully prepared to resist them in every direction", – the man recounts.

One time, after arriving in the needed village, the men hurried to pick up women and children, having received information that the Russians would soon occupy the settlement. However, they could not escape before the invaders arrived. From the windows of the houses, they saw enemy equipment, armored personnel carriers, and infantry fighting vehicles.

According to him, the occupiers immediately went to a large house where a local farmer lived and dragged him and his wife outside. The group of Russians consisted of 7-8 Buryats, who began to assault the farmer's wife before his eyes. It was a horrifying sight. However, neither "Moses" nor his comrades could intervene – they were unarmed and had to wait it out in another house.

In the four cars, they managed to fit four children and four women, and they planned to head towards Kryvyi Rih. There was only one road out of the village, and the occupiers had already blocked it. They set up an improvised checkpoint and brought in equipment. "Moses" and his comrades decided to take the risk and drive straight through it.

Fortunately, by that time, the occupiers had already been drinking and were in such a state that when men drove past them in cars, they didn't even have the strength to say anything. Thus, they managed to evacuate over 30 people from the occupied village.

2Photo: The warriors of the battalion destroy the enemy in hot spots on the front (facebook.com/110separatebrigade)

"We arrived in Kryvyi Rih. I ran and bought a whole pallet of bread, it was still warm. The children and women finished that pallet of bread in about 20 minutes. Looking at this, of course, what can I say? I had only one desire – to destroy them (the Russians – ed.), and destroy, and destroy, and destroy. Here, motivation was not even needed; it was enough to see all this with my own eyes," recalls the defender.

"If you've been to 'zero' once, you're already a hero. If you've been there twice, then you're a warrior."

"Moses" does not hide his joy at being in the 401st battalion, and thanks to his effective service, he has already become the chief sergeant. Later, the battalion was merged with the 110th Separate Mechanized Brigade, and at present, the formation has become a full-fledged 2nd Infantry Battalion within the 110th.

"I remember those first outings at Bakhmut. Words can't describe it. It's a kind of family, a 'man's strong family.' It may be surprising for you to hear this, perhaps no one has ever said it before, but this family is so dear, it’s a tightly-knit core,” – shares his impressions the soldier.

According to him, some of his fellow soldiers – are already of mature age, many have strong characters, but the war unites everyone. This was especially evident in the battles near Bakhmut, Terny, and Pokrovsk.

"Moses" also noted his leadership and commanders for their military work.

"They do not live like ordinary people. They live at command posts round the clock, for months. They wash once every 10 days, and sometimes even once every two weeks. They know every situation, every movement. That's why we would even feel ashamed, looking at them, if we don't work. We take example from them, that's why we have such a strong sergeant and officer corps. Well, the best," says the soldier.

There have been many combat sorties, and the officers went into battle alongside their comrades, being in the trenches nearby. According to "Moses," every company commander, every platoon commander has been in combat.

3Photo: Officers fought alongside all other defenders on the front (facebook.com/110separatebrigade)

"Even the staff and the State Emergency Service went to 'zero.' Because until a person has been there, as our commander said, and he really speaks the truth, if you've been to 'zero' once, you're already a hero. If you've been there twice, then you're a warrior. Because going there the second time is certainly more difficult than the first time.", – he adds.

By the way, "Moses" thought for a long time about his call sign, but after a day he came to a "common denominator." He mentioned that few would understand the true meaning and reference to Ivan Franko's poem titled "Moses." Its main idea was the unwillingness to live in slavery, love for one's people, and the desire to live as a free person.

Fighting near Bakhmut and Terny

The 401st battalion initially participated in battles in the Andriivka area, located south of Bakhmut. The fighting was intense, but the company commander then made a rather unconventional decision that shocked the enemy.

To avoid going through the thicket and hitting landmines, he dashed out of the thicket and went on the assault down the open road. The enemy units simply did not expect this. According to "Moses," it was the most significant advance of the battalion at that moment into enemy territory. If the support from adjacent units had been more effective, Andriivka could have been liberated at that very moment.

Later, the battalion was pulled back for recovery and eventually