The story of the mother of a Ukrainian soldier: loss of home, capture and detonation of her son with a mine (video)
Russia’s war with Ukraine left a deep and painful mark on the life of every person, but those who found themselves under occupation felt it especially acutely. These people experienced terrible moments, lost their loved ones, their home and the peaceful sky above their heads. For them, every day was a struggle for survival, and every night was a hope for liberation.
Such stories are always filled with sadness and pain, each of these people is a witness and participant in the events that were written with blood and tears. Journalists of IA “FACT” together with other mass media managed to talk with 64-year-old Tetyana, who lives in the village of Snigurivka in Mykolaiv Oblast, which was occupied.
Tatyana lived most of her life (more than 50 years) in the quiet and picturesque village of Snigurivka, but the peaceful existence of this woman was destroyed not only by the sudden invasion of Russian troops in February 2022, but also by military operations in Donbas in 2019, when her only son went to the front, and her husband got cancer and died quickly. Tatyana’s son, Andriy, voluntarily served there for more than two years, defending his native land, he was a brave and loyal soldier, always at the front and with faith in victory, but the war did not pass without a trace and once he received a serious wound and a severe contusion, after which he was demobilized
Tatyana was happy for her son’s return, although their life together was not easy, because she helped him go through a difficult period of rehabilitation for a long time. Also, they were both united by a common loss – the death of Tatyana’s husband and Andrii’s father, which left a deep wound in their hearts. However, fate prepared even more tests for this strong woman, because less than a year after Andrei’s return, a full-scale war and the occupation of Snow Maiden began. The war took not only peace from Tetyana, but also her native home: first, Russian soldiers kicked her and Andrii out of their apartment and took away all their documents and car, and then the house in which they lived since 1993 was destroyed by rockets.
Tatyana lost what she had built for years, but the most painful blow for her was the capture of her son because he was a former soldier. Together with him, the policemen, security guards, captured military personnel and people from the administration were in the torture chamber, and the cruelty they all experienced in the prison in Nova Kakhovka is difficult to describe in words.
The woman says that the prisoners were subjected to inhuman abuse: they were constantly severely beaten, left without food and water, destroyed morally, kept in terrible conditions, forced to sign fabricated confessions.
With tears in her eyes, Tatiana remembered the moments when she received fragments of information about her son. Every day was a struggle for him to return alive, and later Andrei, unlike many others, was released from captivity. According to the explanation of the Chechen and Russian military, Andrii was released because of the merits of his ancestors, who once showed great courage during military operations. On his mother’s side, his grandfather served in Afghanistan. At a time when the Soviet Union was struggling for influence in the region, his actions were repeatedly recognized by the command, and he gained a reputation as a brave and capable warrior. Andrei’s second grandfather, on his father’s side, died during the Second World War in the forces of the Soviet Union. His heroism was also immortalized in numerous awards and memorials.
After his return from captivity, Andriy told how he had to live every day, not knowing whether he would live to see the next one, but even his return was not the end of his suffering, because he received deep psychological injuries and serious injuries. Tatyana, despite her own pain and fatigue, supported her son, giving him all her love and care, which helped the two of them survive until the deoccupation of Snigurivka. It would seem that the time has come for recovery and peace, but for Tatiana it was only the beginning of new challenges.
Her son, active and brave, after the liberation of the city took on an important mission – clearing the territory of mines and shells. One day, during demining, a tragedy happened: Andriy stepped on a petal mine and from the first detonation, immediately fell on another mine. Two explosions took away both limbs of the left side of his body, and his mother Tatyana witnessed how her son “left half.” After the explosion, the boy, maddened by the pain, ran down the street until an ambulance arrived.
From the moment Andrei suffered such a great loss, Tatyana had to fight again for his life, as well as for the future survival of the two of them. In the hospital, she was in the ward with him, she was allowed to stay there on the condition that other injured servicemen were taken care of. There were so many injuries and blood that the psyche of a 63-year-old woman could barely stand it. Many of the wounded are no longer alive…
For Andrii, the loss of both limbs and the left side of his body questioned his ability to return to a normal and functional life, but his spirit did not break – he decided to fight, trying to find new ways of recovery, finding support from Tatiana.
After four complex operations and six months of rehabilitation, Andriy and Tetiana finally returned to their rented home in their hometown of Snigurivka. Today, Andriy already knows how to use a prosthetic leg and has adapted to life with one arm. For many, this may seem like an insurmountable obstacle, but for him it became a new reality that he was able to come to terms with and learn to live with.
Tatiana says that even after all these trials, life goes on. And although such a past is hard to forget, they both look for joy and meaning in every day, because they are convinced that the worst has already happened, and now they are ready to live a full life, despite all the difficulties.
This story is an important reminder that even after great adversity and the most difficult trials, life does not end. Tatyana’s story reminds us of the importance of optimism and faith in the future even in the darkest times. She and Andrew are an example of how the human spirit can overcome any obstacle and find joy in life, no matter what.
