“Zyma is a career officer whose military career began with a dream of becoming a doctor, but fate decided otherwise. Now his calling is to defend his homeland from the Russian horde. The commander of the “KRAKEN” special forces group told about the history of his own military experience and fighting with the enemy.
“Zyma is a career officer whose military career began with a dream of becoming a doctor, but fate decided otherwise. Now his calling is to defend his homeland from the Russian horde. The commander of the “KRAKEN” special forces group told about the history of his own military experience and fighting with the enemy.
Being a scout is a state of mind
Winter: I am from the Kharkiv region. Since childhood, he dreamed of becoming a doctor. I entered medical school, studied well, and got into KVN. I studied for exactly one year, and then I didn’t go on.
I’m from the region, but I studied in the city. It is clear that this is a child who has seen a big city… And then, even suddenly for me, I entered a military lyceum, and then a military institute, which I graduated from in 2007.
And since my father and grandfather are military men, we are a whole dynasty of military men, my family’s perception of my decision to change my profession was absolutely normal, as it should be.
War 2022. A stab in the back from a “brotherly” neighbor.
Russia’s open military intervention against Ukraine’s territorial integrity began in 2014, but the fact that a war in 2022 would be inevitable was not news to Zyma. He says that during the 8 years of war, our country had the opportunity and was preparing for a large-scale invasion.
Winter: I thought the war would start a little earlier, and then I thought it would start later. Well, the Russians did a tricky thing. But it was an obvious fact that there would be a war. It’s clear that they have a well-developed agency in our government… Very! We have a corrupt government. And the enemy took advantage of this, choosing a very convenient moment.
There were forces that made sure that this preparation was even stopped at some stage. Before the war started, you may remember that minefields were being cleared at the exit from the Crimean peninsula, and “friendship” buses were being launched, so there were various options.
There are many facts and witnesses among the military about how SBU officers worked for the enemy. All these factors led to suddenness and unpreparedness. But the bulk of the military knew and prepared for the invasion, for example, such as the 92nd Brigade [92-га окрема механізована бригада імені кошового отамана Івана Сірка ― ред.].
They knew there would be a war and were preparing for it. Without orders from the top, everything was done so quickly and clearly that the enemy did not expect it.
The enemy had a different plan, and it is clear from their tactics that they did not expect to meet such resistance.
Those who understood, understood, and those who serve the ideals of the “Russian world” will remain on their conscience. They will come for them anyway: if not now, then later, even in 10 years, but they will come for them anyway!
For me personally, February 24, 2022 began on February 23. Before that, if I still had doubts about something, by now the situation was clear.
Especially when “Mr. Putin” videotaped himself and his supporters’ speeches: the prime minister and some other people… Apparently, he is collecting a collection of videos for his court and the court of his associates.
At the beginning of the war in 2022, I did not participate because I had a company that I engaged in the construction of checkpoints: in the district, in the city, in the region… No one took up this work, but we took up this work. Do you remember a truck with a manipulator and a yellow cab that was running around Kharkiv? This is us.
I worked with guys who had combat experience, so they were not afraid to travel. We built and helped as much as we could. And then, when the situation was more or less stabilized, about a month later, we participated as military personnel.
I warned my family, gathered everything I needed, took my parents and children out… My wife stayed behind and helped civilians as a volunteer.
They used their own money to buy a lot of things: baby food, clothes, delivering bread, sewing yellow and blue ribbons for the military at night without light…
I did everything I could, everything I could do. When the density of shelling was too high, she left for a month, but later returned.
Service in the KRAKEN special forces unit of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine. Participation in combat operations
In April, after the start of the large-scale invasion, Officer Zyma joined the KRAKEN special forces and participated in its military operations.
Since its inception, this unit has repeatedly beaten the enemy and managed to prove itself as one of the most professional units in performing combat missions. The officer reveals the main secret of the soldiers’ success in the article below.
Winter: The most important thing is to create conditions where the enemy does not understand what you are doing. If he does not understand what you are doing, you lose control of the situation.
If the control is lost and we were able to destroy the communication system, then there is no enemy unit. To do this, we can use all available means: from psychological to artillery training, or even UAVs with speakers that simulate the flight of shells or “mopeds.”
It irritates the enemy. And if it irritates, it makes me angry. You have to look at the situation and be cunning. You can stretch their attention so that the enemy does not concentrate in a particular place.
The more professional the military, the faster they will retreat and change their tactics. And to do this, as they say, you need to “roll back”, get ready for re-planning and prepare for further actions. Everyone catches each other on this. Those who are mobilized are panicking.
As in the Balakliya area, when during operations they threw all their weapons at our troops because they did not understand what was happening. The enemy did not understand what to do. Run away? But where to?
Where there is a professional military, there is no panic. They can move in the same way as we do.
Professionals know that you can step back today and take ten steps forward tomorrow.
There are tasks where you need to use your head and mind – to plan, to be cunning. We never go head-to-head.
We will do everything to minimize losses, minimize the resources that need to be involved, to make it as simple and clear as possible, quickly and suddenly. And then the execution, so this is the result of many operations.
We also had joint tasks with the 92nd and 80th brigades [80-та окрема десантно-штурмова бригада — ред.].
For example, together with the 92nd Brigade, they performed a joint task during the liberation of settlements in the Kharkiv region. This team is very powerful, effective both technically and personally, and has a skilled leadership. She has a lot of experience.
There are a lot of units with whom we have performed tasks.
And this is our strength – we do everything together.
No one is measuring the stars and no one is pulling the blanket over themselves: who is faster, who is better. We agree on who can do what, and we assign tasks to each other. A task that is planned and developed together is 100% successful.
Interviewed by Eva Glickman, ONLINE.UA
