“The bullet hit me in the stomach. It twisted, struck the edge of my body armour, and exited near my lung. My kidney was torn,” recalls Senior Soldier Arthur Ladchenko from the 32nd Separate Mechanised Brigade, reflecting on his injury near Kupiansk. At 28, Arthur joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine in January 2023. Back home in Obukhiv, Kyiv region, his mother, sister, niece, wife, and two daughters await him. The President awarded him the Order “For Courage.” Despite having the option for long-term rehabilitation after being wounded, Arthur chose to return to duty as soon as possible. “In the hospital, I thought, ‘That’s it, I’ve fought my war already.’ The treatment was tough; my intestines were severely damaged, and I had to have a spleen removed,” Arthur continues. “I still feel deeply ashamed for those moments I hesitated. The truth is, I couldn’t bear not returning to my brothers-in-arms.”
Before the full-scale invasion, Arthur worked at a plastic manufacturing plant. In February 2022, due to a massive influx of volunteers, he couldn’t make it to the front lines. “When the Military Recruitment Office representatives came to the plant, chaos ensued,” he chuckles. “Many guys suddenly developed chronic illnesses I’d never heard them mention before. I won’t lie. I was terrified to go to war, even though I had consciously prepared for it. But what scared me even more was the thought of seeing Bucha-like scenes [during the occupation of the Kyiv region in February-April 2022, the Russian army committed numerous war crimes and brutal massacres on civilians in several places the Kyiv region, including the towns of Bucha and Irpin – ed.] in my own town, with my girls. For their sake, I overcame my fear.”
At the training ground of the 32nd Brigade, Arthur was actively engaged in learning. He acquired first aid skills, refreshed his firearm handling abilities, and revisited lessons from his conscription days.
“The words of one instructor stuck with me forever: ‘Who if not us?'” he recalls, still feeling their profound impact.
In his nomination for a state award, Arthur’s commander detailed his heroic actions: “Near the village of Synkivka in Kupiansk district of Kharkiv region, following a heavy mortar bombardment, the enemy initiated an attack on one of our positions. The wounded servicemen there required immediate evacuation. At that moment, Senior Soldier Arthur Ladchenko was at a nearby firing position. Quickly assessing the situation, he formed and led an assault group that moved to aid our injured comrades. He engaged the enemy in battle. The Russian forces suffered significant losses and retreated under our fighters’ pressure.”
When asked if receiving the “For Courage” award from Volodymyr Zelensky was a greater motivation for him, Arthur modestly replied, “No.”
“Everyone in the military is already a hero, especially to their families. Defending Ukraine is our greatest reward. Meeting the President was an honour, and hearing him say, ‘Ukraine will prevail!’ deeply touched me. I believe in those words wholeheartedly.
“Our unit is a testament to our strength and unity. We stand shoulder to shoulder: former farmers, IT specialists, business professionals, and those who joined the army simply because their crops grew well in their gardens. Some have large families waiting at home, while others dream of starting a family after victory. We all fight for the future. The bond we share is incredible. Knowing you can trust your comrade with your life because they will always have your back is a powerful feeling. My words may not fully resonate with those who haven’t experienced it, but it’s a truth we live every day.
“And you know what truly motivates me?” adds Arthur. “It’s the certainty that I am in the right place at the right time. Let me illustrate with an example.”
“In the forest near Synkivka, our guide lost radio contact. We searched for him with a drone but found nothing. Someone might have already written him off as ‘missing.’ This guy didn’t want to be a guide, but we needed someone who knew the way to lead reinforcements to our position. I convinced him to do it again. I grabbed his shoulders and told him straight: he was the best, and we couldn’t manage without him. He did an incredible job, made a few trips, and was already returning from the task. But the enemy is cunning – they uncovered our routes and started shooting RPGs. He got wounded in the arm and leg, bleeding heavily. After some time, he finally got back on the radio – I could tell he was losing consciousness.
I called the guys from neighbouring positions, asking someone to look for the soldier. I started forming a rescue team from my reserves. Most refused, thinking the chances of finding anyone in a night forest full of enemies were slim, and we’d just risk more people’s lives. Those two hours of the search operation felt like a week to me. I felt an incredible responsibility for my comrade’s life. He managed to reach his weapon with his remaining hand and fired a shot into the air. We spotted him thanks to that sound beacon.”
“We sometimes call each other, and every time, with tears in his eyes, he says, ‘If it weren’t for you, it could have ended differently…’. Now imagine where the enemy would be and what would happen to our cities, relatives, and loved ones if thousands of Ukrainians hadn’t found themselves in the right place at the right time, taking responsibility for their homeland.”
Today, the 32nd Separate Mechanised Brigade, where Arthur Ladchenko serves, is fighting on the Toretsk front.
