Berättelse 7
Radyslav
- Veteran of the Azov Brigade
- Now mentoring future officers at the National Academy of Internal Affairs
Radyslav was nineteen when Russia’s full-scale invasion began. He volunteered in the first days of the war, and despite his age and lack of combat experience, made it into the Azov Brigade — one of Ukraine’s most demanding units. His father was already serving at the front.
In October 2023, during a combat task, a mortar shell exploded beside him. At twenty-one, Radyslav lost both legs.
After the injury, Radyslav began doing the things he had put off before the war. He has thrown himself into sports, including diving, and dreams of climbing Hoverla, Ukraine’s highest peak, on his own.
Every day, he says, is another chance to prove to himself that he is still strong — and perhaps to remind someone else that life does not end with injury. It continues.
Radyslav joined the Hug for Heroes program as part of his recovery journey. After Hugs for Heroes, he found a way to keep serving — this time off the battlefield.
He joined the National Academy of Internal Affairs, where he works in patriotic education for cadets and students and helps develop veteran sport.
