TOPIC:

Oksana, Nazar's (gazzz's) business partner has registered on the site but is having problems logging on. I've tried to help her. Perhaps she will be here soon.
The only message I have from her so far is:"He calls me when he can, so to update info about his life in army (he was called on 8th of April 2022), I tried to register on your site on the 8th of April. Unfortunately, it does not work. Please help ) Kind regards, Oksana"

Bill

…Nazar was called to arms early morning on 8th of April in Kyv. He with other Kyivits was promptly sent to Western Ukraine by bus, where they slept for one night before they were designated to military training centre of their destination. Overall atmosphere was great, a lot of jokes and laugh during the trip.

The fact that Nazar is high-grade IT engineer + very skilled mechanic changed nothing in his new military career. It seems at the moment Ukraine needs more mere manpower than ever. (IMHO, taking people like Nazar to active combat is like bombing the museum, which is civic treasure, belongs to all of us).

 Another coincidence – the lack of certain paper was the decisive moment: he did not graduate military course while studying at Polytechnic University (as majority of students did, even though it used to be just a “paper” in peaceful time). So Nazar could not be an officer from the start, nor has the proof of high-skill military occupation.The training centre is located in the wild, far from L*** city, even for nearest village is long way to go.  

Nazar tries to call me every day. The last time we talked by phone, he called on my German number (for quite a rate) using his ancient Nokia device, as his Android gradually becoming the Brick, and he could not use WatsAp. Surely, Nazar is organising some local guy to buy and bring a power bank & cell phone for him into the centre plus to deliver oil (VD), gasoline for the centre. This trade-in is the way for the guy to have permission to come to the centre. Our friends are again at some fund-rising).

 Internet connection is poor, and there is luck of basic staff: power (power bank is needed), greasing oil* and tool-kits for rifles and guns, vitamins, etc.
…
(* My Ukrainian friend – biker and lawyer, as me, had a joke about it “Our military unit has a lubricant problem”, and added: ‘’I dream with envy about my garage storage of motorbike VD’’. He serves as an officer in W.Ukraine as well as Nazar at the moment, but at different location, yet the same high humidity.

)While plentiful healthy physical activity is guaranteed – to dig a drench, to do dig more – to expand it, so as to be able to sit there comfortably during the air raid, etc.  From the very first day in the centre, after organizing more clever and sophisticated approach to drench digging, Nazar was appointed micro manager of his group.

The next day at the training centre he was given the choice between becoming a track driver, tank / armed personnel carrier/ infantry fighting machine crew, machine-gunner, or machine-gun crew.

Thank you for the update. 
All of you are in our thoughts and prayers.

Dave and the staff here at KZRider

Good to here he is in good form and that he stays safe for the time he is away.

Nazar decided to become machine gunner. He explained the choice: “Out of machine, on my own feet”.In addition to AK47, his arms will be soviet-era machine guns (RPK , PK  ==“Пулеметы Калашникова РПК” and “ПКМ”). By sheer luck Nazar received well-preserved AK47 gun, his peer (1981); yet its barrel is in good condition. Thus, adding Nazar’s shooting skills, it resulted in quite good shooting results… and there were envy attempts to negotiate with Nazar his gun. Some army life features:-       Signing all items of clothes. Recruits are very different, aged between 21 and 50. Some came here for soldier’ renumeration. Some are entirely uncapable of being the part of the team, as was one thinking about ongoing plot to steal his shoe insoles.
 -       3 things are always with soldier.Gun, rounds, body armor go everywhere wherever soldier goes (the loo is not exception). Alarms are part of the life here. There were cases when brothers on arms put a helmet and a body armor on the dead body of soldier, because without it there is no state help to family of killed soldier. -       Limited spaceAs couple of dozens of machine-gunners’ recruits volunteered in the centre, they all were located in one tent, where space is very limited. There is only space for AK47 between beds in the tent. So any possessions are to be placed on top of the duffle bag (might look as a small tower), which serves as a pillow. From 10 to 45 min is available to get to bomb shelter from a bed (alarm, get up, fully dressed, equipped) and timing depends where from missile is launched – Belorussia, or Sevastopil (Crimea), respectively.Air alarm could continue for hours. After losing its “Moskva“ flagship, RF started to launch missile attacks on L*** and Kyiv every day, often at  night and early morning hours. -       TirednessDue to extensive physical trainings (polygon& test site to shoot, carrying weapons, running with respirators, learning paramedic chores, etc.) . First in his life Nazar had fallen asleep while standing in the bomb shelter during the air alarm. He awoke literally while falling. In addition, learning loads of new information. So recruits are extremely tired and in need of sweets.
 -      Performing logistic miracles.How does it work. Some soldier with help of his friends – volunteers got power generator to the centre. Nazar managed to get 10 litres of gasoline for this generator. While they are in a centre for more 7 days, they will use it.  And when they leave – the local officers shall inherit the generator. And everyone is quite happy, because offices’ generator beforehand went to their line commanders (was inherited too). Returning to Nazar. Now he enjoys the right to be the first in line of charging the phone. Here are some photos.

I couldnt even begin to imagine what it would be like to be ripped from my normal life to the reality of war. Nazar is man made from strong  stuff to be doing all of this and still find time for a smile.

No words... I've only logged on once or twice in the past few years but somehow stumbled on this today. 

I spent 15 months in Iraq but still can't imagine fighting from home the way you are. Give them hell, man.Turn their lights out and send them home. 

Sakharova, thank you for the updates. Hope to hear more as you can. 

Thank you Sakharova for the updates.  Sorry to read that Nazar has been called up.  Yet good to know he is doing his part and applying his skill set to help others as well as to defend your country.  My best wishes to all of you.    

Hi all! Thank you for good words and support!

So I was called to the army. To my (and other kyivits) surprise, we all were sent not to the closest training site, but far-far westward. Those in charge in army learned lessons from missile strikes aimed at army quarters, so personel was distributed in the woods. Price is a lack of comfort, since we had to live in tent (30 persons fit tight in limited space). I and 29 other future machine gunners lived there for around two weeks, having training every day. We were issued with shabby AK74 as a personal weapons to teach us eat, sleep and shit with weapons at hand. We were told we will leave training camp with them so we did our best to service them. For some guns it took gas torch and rod from tent enterance to remove muzzle brake. My AK was made in 1981, same year as I was born.

And even as life in woods was pretty raw, trainings were orginized well and I liked them, even as weather was cold and rainy. Esspecially shooting machineguns.

We managed our camp life as best as we could.

However, it turned out that it was not true about guns. Once we finished basic training camp, we gave our guns back.

Then we were assigned to brigade that still is in process of forming. It turned out that our basic training camp prepared us well, since we moved to another tents in camp that wasn't orginized well. All machine gunners were distributed among freshly formed platoons. It's a lot of different people, so I believe I was lucky to and up in platoon where all men are voluntiers and willing to work and fight. Initially we had a moron for leitenant, but it was replaced with guy who has real combat expirience.  Hope he will be our constant platoon leader.

It's raw life in tents again. Especially in rainy days. Morning in Hell is not a wall of fire but wall of rain and lakes of mud. Just like those during Great War. Also, supply lines are mess. But after basic camp we were ready. Thank you guys for donating some money to me again. I already spending them to equip our squad with tools (like axes, hammers), expendables like nails, ropes, higiene products  and many other usufull things.

Also I am buying another set of uniform and boots for me because factories that produced them for Ukranian army are desyroyed as well as many of warehouses. Local market of these things is empty, so I have to find these things abroad. It seems same will be with protective gear.

It's hard to write long texts having only phone at hand, however, I'll try to find time to write more while we are still here.

Good the hear you are ok and your spirits seam high 

He's got The Gun !