"For a moment, I thought I was dead." Medic Klaus reflects on the assaults, injuries, and the 'perfect' evacuation.

We met the combat medic "Klaus" in a small café in the city center. Outside, a light snowfall is falling, and "Merry Christmas" plays in the speakers. But this meeting is not about the holidays. The soldier recently returned from the front after being injured. His story reflects the harsh realities of war, where every second can determine a person's fate.

In this article by RBC-Ukraine, we discuss the challenges that medics face daily on the front lines, the weight of responsibility, and how to keep working when you yourself need help.

– What motivated you to become a combat medic? Was it a conscious decision, or were you driven by circumstances?

– It was a completely conscious decision. It was even a childhood dream. Since I was little, I wanted to be a medic. I have an old post on Instagram from 2014, where I wrote under a photo: "In 7 years, I will be a medic, check it out."

In 2015, there was a powerful military parade. I was still a teenager, but the medics there left a strong impression on me. One was carrying a Soviet medical bag, and another had a modern one. This scene struck me so deeply that I realized: I want that. It became my goal.

Later, I learned about the military medical faculty and started preparing for admission. I skipped classes and focused on the external independent evaluation (VNO). This was my "number one" goal.

– How did your service begin?

– I went to the recruitment office as a medical student and explained that I wanted to serve. A rather young major was sitting there. He looked at me and said, "You’re too young; you still have everything ahead of you. If you’re drafted, it will only be because you have some education." He wrote "disagree" on my application and told me to go home.

But I decided otherwise. I contacted a volunteer battalion. When they found out I was a medic, the interview ended immediately. They took me without any further questions.

– What was your first experience at the front like?

– I started in a volunteer formation of the territorial community (DFTG). It was a completely different reality. No salary, no documents, no supplies. We were volunteers in the truest sense of the word.

At that time, I didn’t realize how dangerous it was. We went to fight as "pirates," as people sometimes joke now. Just guys with guns, with no guarantees. If I had been killed then, there wouldn’t have even been a grave for me.

Later, "Svoboda," the unit I was in, was legalized as part of the "Rubizh" brigade.

– What does a typical day look like for you at the front?

– It all depends on the circumstances. If nothing is happening, it’s digging trenches and supporting positions. But when something happens, everything changes. A message comes through the radio: "300th, coordinates such and such." You grab your bag, drop everything, and run to the scene.

There, everything depends on the situation: if it’s possible, you work directly on site; if not, you evacuate the wounded to a collection point. From there, they are handed over to the evacuation transport crew. They have more equipment and capabilities.

Photo: "Klaus" dreamed of becoming a medic since childhood

– Do you always adhere to the rule "a medic must be safe"?

– At first, no. I rushed into places I shouldn’t have. I was only thinking about completing my task. Over time, I became more cautious. My comrades also started to take better care of me. If we go on an operation, they tell me: "You’ll be last in the column because if you get injured, it will be much harder for all of us."

– Knowing that you are in a group probably helps you feel more secure. What is the most challenging part of your job?

– Responsibility. It’s an incredibly heavy burden. There are moments when people look at you and expect action, and sometimes you don’t know what to do, as was the case at the beginning of my service. It’s terrifying. Plus, there are moments when you realize that your mistake could cost lives. That’s a weight that’s hard to carry.

– Do you have any significant stories that became a new "birthday" for you?

– There were several moments that I remember well. One of them happened in the Serebryansky forest when we were taking positions. We were sent to reinforce the infantry. We sat there, being shelled by artillery all day, but it seemed bearable at the time. We were supposed to dig in, but there was little space in the gap, so I was sent to a neighboring one. I went there, and an old man from the guard platoon was sitting. We lit up a cigarette and started talking.

At that moment, something started whistling above our heads. I instinctively put on my helmet, but he didn’t. He wanted to peek over the parapet to see what was happening because he thought the Russians were approaching us. And then there was an explosion. Hot air hit my face. Everything went dark, as if the light was turned off.

For a second, I thought I was dead. I opened my eyes and realized I was alive. The old man lay nearby, his head covered in blood. I pulled out a grenade because I thought the enemy was close. But then I realized it was a VOG that had hit the parapet. I was lucky; the helmet saved me. The old man had a head injury, but he survived and started showing signs of life.

The hot air hit me so hard that I initially thought my face was burned. It was very frightening. But this incident taught me a lesson. After that, I never take off my helmet.

– Did you manage to undergo treatment after the concussion from the VOG?

– Yes, I received treatment, but later, for a surgical issue.

– This means it was an injury after which you were sent here for rehabilitation. Did it occur while performing your duties as a medic?

– I was injured while performing regular combat tasks. You know, a combat medic is not just a medic who performs only medical functions. He’s a fighter like everyone else. The only difference is that he carries additional medical equipment and supplies for assistance. A medic also has a higher level of training and qualifications.

Just like there is a specialist grenade launcher who skillfully works with grenade launchers, or a sapper who can mine or defuse, a medic is a narrow-profile specialist.

Photo: Specialists of all kinds are important in the unit (Getty Images)

– So your role is significantly broader than just medical?

– In our unit, all specialists are important because the team must be versatile. We complement each other.

– How exactly did you get injured?

– Everything happened unexpectedly and, as always, very trivially. I replaced a comrade who had serious back problems – hernias and protrusions that almost everyone has. He was sent to the medical unit with a recommendation to rest for five days.

At that time, I had a sense that the shift would be difficult. Even crossing the river turned into an adventure for me – I stepped on a branch that almost pierced my leg.

The first two days went more or less normally. But on the third day, I had a premonition: I saw gas cans and thought it was dangerous. So I dug a small hole in the trench to hide them. Literally an hour later, it started. The radio crackled with screams that we were being stormed.

– What happened next?

– Everyone quickly gathered; I took a machine gun and began working from a covered position, trying to psychologically affect the enemy. This helped keep them at a distance. They didn’t like it. First, they aimed an AGS at me, then, it seems, a mortar or a "boot." I still don’t know exactly what it was.

Suddenly, I felt a blast of hot air. At first, it seemed everything was fine, but my comrades said, "Get into the dugout." They looked at me and asked, "Are you okay?" I said, "Yes," but then I saw that my pant leg was red, and I realized something was wrong. Blood was gushing out, but before that, I felt nothing – no pain, no discomfort.

I immediately applied a tourniquet. I applied the first turns myself, but the last one was tightened by my comrades because I was already losing consciousness