Our pain and pride

Even though a truce with militants was declared, unfortunately, our defenders continue dying from wounds they received earlier. According to Volodymyr Poliovy, representative of Information and Analytical Center at the Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, 864 Ukrainian military died since the start of the anti-terrorist operation in the east of Ukraine. We continue publishing stories of our heroes who now rest in peace: border guard Yevhen Pikus and pilot Andrii Bielkin. Read previous stories on The Day’s website in section “They Died for Us.”

“He always met trouble with a smile”

Border guard Yevhen Pikus died on August 25 during a fight with Russian saboteurs

He never complained about life, because life loved him: his dreams came true one after another. He wanted to become a border guard, and he became one, he wanted to have his own home and a car  – he bought them, a title – he had a rank of lieutenant colonel, awards – on the eve of this year’s Independence Day he received a medal “For Military Service to Ukraine” from the president. His friends called him a lucky man. It seemed nothing could overshadow Yevhen Pikus’s sincere smile. Nothing, except for intense fire, exploding shells and a deadly bullet.

On August 25, Ukrainian border guards had a two-hour-long battle with a sabotage and intelligence group which had crossed the border with Russia at Krasna Talivka section in Luhansk oblast. The saboteurs were supported from the Russian side with mortar fire, two armored personnel carriers, and two infantry fighting vehicles. Besides, the Ukrainian border guards were shelled with uncontrolled missiles by two Mi-24 combat helicopters of the Armed Forces of Russia. Thanks to the heroes’ actions, the enemy did not break through the border. But there were losses: three injured and four dead, including Lieutenant Colonel Yevhen Pikus from Vinnytsia. He received a mortal head wound.

During the funeral, his comrades remembered the pride with which Yevhen wore a simple blue and yellow bracelet that was delivered with the latest humanitarian aid. He loved Ukraine and strongly believed in victory. That is why when a question arose who was going to the “hot spot” to defend Ukrainian border, Yevhen was one of the first to go.

“My brother always wanted to be the first,” Yevhen’s twin brother Mykhailo remembers. “He was the closest person to me. Even though we were of the same age, with only several minutes of difference, he always protected me. He was always the one who would get a dressdown for all the tricks and pranks we played at home or outside. But he never complained. He sailed through life and always faced hardships with a smile on his face because he had a hope that everything would be all right in the end.”

Lieutenant Colonel Yevhen Pikus would have turned 35 on September 14. He was born in a family of military servicemen in Vinnytsia. He graduated from School No. 30 in 1996 and entered the Bohdan Khmelnytsky Border Security Force Academy. He served at the headquarters of the Eastern Regional Department of the State Border Service of Ukraine in Kharkiv. He was a head of a border service department. He defended the border in Luhansk oblast during the past month and a half.

“We knew he was in a hot spot, but we had no idea this mission could be his last,” Yevhen’s friend and classmate Yulia Monchak admits with grief in her voice. “He was always a lucky man, everything in his life was great, at least he convinced us of this. Yevhen also had a rare gift of discreetly helping others. Often during our annual class meetings it turned out he did something for our former teacher, or settled a friend’s problem. But Pikus did not like to point that out, he used to joke about it. Also, he was a creative person. He played Santa Claus during school years, visiting teachers and retirees after the New Year and wishing them happy holidays. He had a lot of talents: at one of the class meetings we went to a karaoke bar. Yevhen sang a song by Grigory Leps, his voice sounded better than the original. Now he will sing his favorite songs in heaven, defending the borders of our country.”

The border guard was buried in Vinnytsia in the Alley of Heroes at the Central Cemetery. Yevhen Pikus did not start a family of his own, but his parents, brother, and elder sister mourn for him deeply. May the hero rest in peace!

By Olesia SHUTKEVYCH, Vinnytsia

Aviators do not die, they stay in the sky

Lieutenant Colonel, first class pilot Andrii Bielkin died in the sky above Sloviansk on June 24

I met Bielkin back in 2012 in Brody, before a trip to Equatorial Africa, to Liberia, where we both participated in an international peacekeeping operation under the aegis of the UN as a part of the 56th helicopter detachment of the 16th rotation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. At that time he was a major, second class pilot (a thousand hours in the air, often in complicated weather conditions). He was a very even-tempered and compassionate person and a true professional. Frankly, it is hard to write about a person you crossed your paths with, especially if they are not with us anymore.

The anti-terrorist operation forces’ checkpoints were shelled almost on a daily bases. This happened during the ceasefire declared by the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko. The ceasefire turned out to be unilateral. Only in one week, from June 20 to 27, tens of Ukrainian military and civilians died during the ceasefire. The most soldiers died on Tuesday, June 24, when militants shot down our helicopter.

HE WAS IN LOVE WITH THE SKY SINCE CHILDHOOD

As a child, he used to spend hours watching planes that cut the endless blue space with white stripes one by one. A child’s dream to become a pilot settled in Andrii’s soul. Since then, all his further life, actions, deeds were subordinated to it. This dream became a sort of a life program for the future pilot, it was his guiding star. The young man started eagerly absorbing all information about aviation. Books, magazines, films, stories of experienced pilots, visiting museums and air shows – all this had a very beneficial effect on his moral and psychological preparation for the future profession.

Andrii Bielkin entered Kharkiv Air Force Institute. And soon his parents received a telegram from their son: “My beloved ones, I am a cadet already. My major is flight operation and combat use of aircraft.”

After putting on a cadet uniform, Andrii eagerly set about mastering the future profession, paying special attention to theoretical subjects. He realized that there was nothing to do in the sky without knowledge. The study process turned out to be so intense that cadets joked: “There’s no time to even look up in the sky.”

On the day of receiving a permit for an independent flight, Andrii felt in the seventh heaven, since he was about to lift an aircraft in the air himself for the first time!

Andrii’s first flight was a serious test for him. And he passed it with dignity. He flew quite good. Later he thanked his commanders and teachers for the training and help. And they looked at the future pilot and believed he would turn out to be a first class aviator who would join the golden fund of Ukrainian air force. And they were right.

“HEAVENLY” HELP

In the meantime, the officer’s professional experience grew from pilot to helicopter squadron commander of the 16th detached air force brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Brody, Lviv oblast. At the time, Andrii Bielkin had over a thousand flight hours, including 30 blind flights and 50 hours of night flights. As a pilot with a thousand flight hours, he could participate in the UN peacekeeping missions.

And so it happened. Starting with 2007, Andrii took part in a peacekeeping mission under the UN’s aegis in Liberia. The airport was busy with activity round the clock: surveillance flights, air support of peacekeeping units, medical transportation, and evacuation of the sick.

The hard times came at home. Not somewhere in Africa, in third-world countries, but here, a few hundred kilometers from his home. Andrii Bielkin continued flying, performing orders at the airfield, when suddenly an order arrived: “Your whole crew is directed to the east.” Who could possibly think about such a turn a year ago?

Bielkin remembered his first experience in a peacekeeping operation. However, he faced an entirely different enemy in the east of Ukraine: well-armed and professionally trained. An enemy who was very close in mentality and traditions but very far in terms of morality, insidious and cynical. An enemy who hides behind women and children.

The second flight, the twentieth flight... If not for flight book entries, he would have lost count of how many times he rose in the sky with his crew to help the infantry, the National Guard, the border guards at a remote checkpoint, to transport wounded or deliver cargo. Every day they were ready to fly because they understood: troops will face great difficulties without their help. It was no wonder fighters called their help “heavenly,” whether it was a joke or not.

Andrii Bielkin and his crew consisting of navigator pilot Capitan Dmytro Shynhur and on-board aviation technician Major Ruslan Mazunov, by the way, just mobilized, performed their difficult work with dignity, until...

“THIS IS 63rd, MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! TAKING OFF NOW!”

Just half a year ago, Mount Karachun, located between Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, was one of the most popular tourist attractions for residents of these two towns. Locals brought guests here just as often as to the famous salt lakes in Slavkurort. However, it became clear in the first days of the confrontation that the mountain is the most important strategic object for the military. It is a dominant height of 167 meters, which presents views of both Sloviansk and Kramatorsk. Roads leading to and from both cities were within its view. Traffic on the highway H20 Sloviansk – Donetsk – Mariupol, one of the main roads of the oblast, could be controlled from it. Besides, there is a TV and radio transmission center on the top, which means all territory around it is exposed to fire. From the beginning of the anti-terrorist operation, the mountain was taken by Ukrainian troops. But if terrorists, who were located near the foot of the mountain, had an opportunity for maneuvering and advantages of hiding in vegetation, regular troops were basically blocked at the mountain. The only way to provide reinforcements and food there was by using helicopters. Terrorists understood that as well, constantly shooting at aircraft.

One day Andrii told his wife Nadia: “Don’t worry, everything will be fine. I will fly to Karachun one last time.”

He jinxed it. Aviators avoid calling a future flight the last one, as well as paratroopers will never say “the last jump” or drivers, “the last run.”

They were summoned at the alarm. The commander set a routine task: to deliver special equipment and troops to the location and return quickly. Then went systems check, engine start, report, takeoff. The helicopter lands on a familiar spot. Without wasting a single moment, the men start unloading the special cargo. Again a systems check, and the engines start. The regular report: “This is 63rd, mission accomplished! Taking off now!” But the wheels had barely came off the ground when barrage fire covered over the helicopter. The aircraft was in air when the enemy’s missile, launched by hirelings’ MANPADS, caught it and split it in two. An explosion, smoke, and fire...

FROM A LETTER OF THE DIVISION’S COMMAND

“During an operation in the designated area near Mount Karachun on June 24, 2014, around 17:00, one MANPADS missile shot down a 8MT helicopter of the 16th brigade of the Army Aviation of Ukraine (military unit 2595 Brody), which executed a flight to the army checkpoint near Mount Karachun. The helicopter was hit immediately after the takeoff, it exploded in the air and fell to the ground, burning. Three crew members and six passengers who were on board died.

Crew members:

helicopter commander – Lieutenant Colonel Andrii Bielkin;

navigator pilot – Captain Dmytro Shynhur;

on-board technician – Major Ruslan Mazunov.

Also, soldier Oleksii Volokha and senior soldier Oleksandr Kondakov died. Another four casualties are SBU officers.”

For personal courage and heroism displayed during the defense of the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, President of Ukraine, commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko signed Decree No. 599/2014 “On Awarding State Decorations of Ukraine” to servicemen:

The Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky of the Third Degree:

Andrii Bielkin (posthumously) – Lieutenant Colonel;

Ruslan Mazunov (posthumously) – Major;

Dmytro Shynhur (posthumously) – Captain...”

Commander of a helicopter unit, Lieutenant Colonel Andrii Bielkin was buried with military honors on July 5 in Radyvyliv, Rivne oblast, where his family lives: his wife Nadia and three children. The son turned 14 years old, one of the daughters is 12, the other is 3. It was to her that the mother could not tell that her beloved daddy passed away. In order to explain his absence to the little one, she managed to make up a story that her father turned into an angel and will watch them from heaven. This year Andrii Bielkin would have turned 37. The officer was born in Crimea. His mother came from there to say last farewell to her son. Grief-stricken, she took a handful of earth from her child’s grave, as if wanting to bring a part of his soul to Alushta.

By Viacheslav PETROVSKY