"Medical teams are prime targets for the enemy." Discover how the medevac crew of the 68th OEBR saves lives near Pokrovsk.

Assistance is often provided at breakneck speed during medical evacuations, sometimes literally holding onto the railings to stay on their feet. And behind every evacuation vehicle, the enemy is watching; for them, medics are a tempting target, as crew members of the medical evacuation unit 68 OEBR near Pokrovsk told RBC-Ukraine.

The Crew "Two from the Asylum"

Alexander and Stas – medics from the evacuation crew of 68 OEBR met long before their service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Both hail from Khmelnytskyi and both have – medical education. Their professional paths once crossed for a time in a psychiatric hospital. When the full-scale war began, the men were called up to the same battalion. Now they evacuate the wounded together in one of the most challenging areas of the front.

– When we saw each other, it was like that well-known meme: "You here? Me too! We're both here," recalls medic Alexander.

Video: How the medics of the evacuation crew 68 OEBR save the lives of defenders (youtube.com/РБК-Украина)

Colleagues sometimes work in different crews, but they try to respond together to severe injuries for more effective work. They understand each other better and are confident that this way they will surely save a soldier. While one places a catheter, the other holds the hand and connects the IV drip.

– If we are working with severely wounded together, I don’t even need to say anything. We glance at each other silently and understand. Once, a soldier had a low pulse, and we were debating whether to use adrenaline or not. But we thought, discussed with our eyes for a second, and decided that we didn’t need brain swelling, – adds Alexander.

The medics near Pokrovsk constantly deal with wounded individuals of varying severity. These can be injuries to limbs, head, or abdominal cavity. The latter are particularly severe.

– There were times when the entire "internal world" of the wounded became his external world. And during the time we were transporting him, I felt like the holder of his "internal world." We used an abdominal bandage and sprinkled him with regular water, – recalls Alexander.

1Photo: The medics met long before serving in the Armed Forces and now often work together

If necessary, the medics perform artificial ventilation and resuscitation. Their main task is to do everything possible to transport the wounded alive to the stabilization point. This is not easy, considering the damaged roads of Donbas and the constant shelling, which even targets medics. According to the Geneva Conventions, firing on medical vehicles and the crew itself is prohibited, but the Russians disregard all laws and rules of warfare.

As we drive to the evacuation point, smoke columns and fields still smolder in the background. The guys explain that these are the consequences of KAB explosions. Our medical vehicle shakes from the bumps on the asphalt.

The functionality of the "iron carriage" determines the lives of people; however, unfortunately, they constantly break down and need repairs. Weather conditions also significantly affect road conditions. It is especially difficult to drive in heavy rain, and time is always short; they need to get to the site quickly to save lives.

– In the time we’ve been here, we’ve never had a situation where we couldn’t transport someone. We bring everyone back in any condition, but alive, – admits doctor Stanislav.

– Are you magical medics? – I ask the guys.

– No. Just "Two from the Asylum." So there are no other options, – they reply jokingly.

2Photo: The functionality of the "iron carriage" determines the lives of people. However, vehicles often break down and require repairs

Besides providing first aid, it is necessary to maintain constant contact with the wounded and psychologically ease their condition. The medics share that the guys, after being injured, can be in a comatose state and worry about their health. They need to be constantly distracted.

– Honestly, dark humor helps a lot. There was one guy who blew himself up on a mine. And he ended up in such a state that he barely communicated, his consciousness was muddled. But when we were transporting him to the stabilization point, he was already saying not to make him laugh because he couldn’t laugh, – recalls medic Alexander.

Ukrainian medics also have to provide assistance to captured Russians. Unlike the occupiers, who torture our soldiers, the Russians here are treated according to humanitarian laws. They always receive medical assistance, are not beaten, and are treated normally. Still, the guys note that they see a difference.

– Once we brought in a Russian. And I started providing him with first aid; he had an injury to his arm. It was such foul-smelling blood; I had never seen blood like that before. I worked with drug addicts, but I had never encountered such foul-smelling blood, – recalls Stanislav.

3Photo: The main task of the medics is to do everything possible to transport the wounded alive to the stabilization point

Point "Kaban"

Along with the evacuation crew, we travel the evacuation route that has to be covered daily and arrive at the point "Kaban." This is where wounded soldiers are brought from the positions. The place is quite eerie. On the ground lie children's drawings for the soldiers, which they took with them on combat missions. There are many pieces of clothing stained with blood, military boots, helmets from armored vehicles, and black bags used to carry the deceased.

– We take everything off, leave it here, and their commanders come to collect it. Sometimes several guys from different units are brought in, and the commanders come to check where their weapons are, – explains Stanislav.

When treating injuries, medics must cut off all the clothing from the soldiers to find the injury site and examine the entire body. However, often even torn clothing is kept as a memory.

– Women, girls give T-shirts. And the guys take them with them, covered in blood and shrapnel. It’s like a talisman for them.

45Photo: On the ground lie children's drawings for soldiers, which they took with them on combat missions

The medics themselves also have talismans. On Alexander's hat, a pink women's hairpin is attached, which his daughter accidentally left in his things during his vacation. Since then, he has attached it to himself to always remember for whom he serves.

Stanislav also has a one-year-old son waiting for him at home; he is still small and does not understand that his father is at war. This, the man says, motivates him to ensure his son grows up not knowing what war is.

The work locations of the medics are soaked in blood and hope for life. Every day, two medics snatch guys from the hands of death and promise them life, devotedly doing everything to fulfill that promise. This work is far from easy, and as the guys say themselves – "we're not on vacation here." But they stand guard 24/7 to ensure that every soldier can return home alive to their loved ones.