The War Through the Eyes of Meduza’s Readers. Today We Are Publishing a Letter From Igor in Ukraine

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The War Through the Eyes of Meduza’s Readers. Today We Are Publishing a Letter From Igor in Ukraine

I serve in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. I’ll share a story that happened a few weeks ago. I can’t forget it, but I can’t tell my fellow soldiers about it either.

We were carrying out a combat mission in the gray zone. I entered one house, went deeper inside, and there was a young kid with red tape on his arm, sitting in a corner and hugging a cat. He looked at me with tears in his eyes, shaking all over, mouth open, but unable to say anything. I’m usually not the kind of person this would rattle, but here I faltered. I asked a couple of questions. His name was Igor too, he was only 20 years old (my eldest son is only a year younger), he had been in the war for four months. He was from an orphanage, only two paths for him: war or prison. His unit was retreating from its positions, and in the rush they abandoned him. He had sat there for two days, eating scraps of rations and whatever he found in the house. I felt sorry for him, just on a human level. According to the mission, I was supposed to eliminate or capture him, but I left him there. I gave him cigarettes, took the cat, and left, telling him not to stick his head out. As I was leaving, he said to me: “Take care of yourself.”

A lot of time has passed since that meeting, and I still can’t forget it. It was the first time I saw a human being among the enemy. There’s fighting there again now, and I can’t imagine how he got out, if he did; maybe he’s already been killed. I hope this story shows that there are still human beings left in war, on both sides.

P.S. The cat is fine now, with our unit, like a regiment’s son.

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