A daughter was born during the siege of Mariupol: the story of a national guard whose photo from “Azovstal” went around the world
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27-year-old Volodymyr is a defender of Mariupol, whose photo at “Azovstal” became famous all over the world. He got into the lens of Dmytro Kozatskyi, the press officer of the “Azov” OZSP, and his photo was exhibited at various European countries. The story of the soldier was told in the National Guard. Volodymyr is the father of two children, the younger of whom was born on March 9, 2022, when the Guardsman was on another rotation in Donetsk region. Photo: Dmytro Kozatsky At that time, Mariupol was already surrounded by Russian troops, and there was almost no mobile communication. “I remember how I was sleeping before the shift, and the guys woke me up and started to greet me. I didn’t understand anything at first, and then I went to look for a connection to call my wife and see the baby. Then I promised myself that I would definitely I will return home, because my family is waiting for me there,” Volodymyr recalls. The fighter also recalled how the legendary photo was taken. “Once in the bunker, a fighter from “Azov” saw me and said that I had become famous, because my photo spread all over the Internet and was at various exhibitions abroad. It was done spontaneously. I wanted to look neat (a military habit), so I asked a few minutes to wash and dress,” says the National Guardsman. Volodymyr says that even in those conditions, the fighters tried to protect their relatives and did not talk about the severity of their injuries. That rotation was the first for many soldiers. For several weeks, a group of National Guardsmen was on duty at the fish cannery and had to conduct surveillance and transmit the operational situation. At the end of March 2022, the group had to relocate to another position in the seaport area, because the Russian occupiers began charging more and more equipment and engaged in intense fire from heavy artillery. “It is difficult to fight against tanks with small arms. Combat is not a Counter-Strike game, so couch strategies are not suitable here. The situation changed every minute and you had to adapt to everything,” Volodymyr recalls. Read also: Lost an arm, lost weight by 30 kg: the story of a border guard from “Azovstal”, who was released from captivity Photo: NGU After the convoy broke through to “Azovstal” in mid-April, the National Guardsman together with his comrades went to the position again. As a result of the artillery shelling, the soldier received a shrapnel wound on his face – he was evacuated to a field hospital on the territory of the metal complex. After many months of captivity, in February 2023, Volodymyr returned home as part of an exchange. “Today, the Guardsman continues treatment and rehabilitation after the injury and spends time with his family,” NSU added. It will be recalled that the defenders of Mariupol defended the city from the Russian invaders for 3 months, and the last fortress was the Azovstal steel mill. Azov soldiers, marines, patrol policemen, border guards and other fighters held the plant in conditions of shortage of medicine, water and food, under constant enemy fire. Dmytro “Orest” Kozatskyi filmed the life and conditions of the dungeon where the wounded soldiers were kept. Also, the former press officer of “Azov” created a short film about the last day at “Azovstal” before leaving the territory of the plant. Read also: “Now I will live for two.” The love story of Valeria and Andriy, who got married in a bunker on “Azovstal”
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