Southeast European Times
July 29, 2014
Ukrainian soldiers support NATO mission in Afghanistan
By Rati Mujiri
Ukrainian soldiers, despite the unrest in the eastern part of the country, are contributing to global peace and security [?!} by serving in Afghanistan as a part of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).
“I believe that our mission here is much more important than someone can assume,” Lieutenant Colonel Pavlo Savchenko, 33, said in an exclusive interview with SETimes.
“Each of us is placing a small piece of puzzle to the common picture of regional security and prosperity. We have different specialists here. I would like to highlight the professionalism of our engineers, who make a tremendous job of clearing routes in the western part of Afghanistan, and our medics, who daily save lives of coalition partners and Afghans. Also, we are part of the team, I mean coalition forces. Thus, our mission is to contribute to the common success.”
Savchenko, who has been in Afghanistan for more than eight months, said for him and his friends, it is hard to hold emotions in check while observing ongoing conflict in their homeland from such a long distance.
“As every single citizen and patriot of his or her state, we feel anger and pain, looking on what is happening in our country — especially when we look at events from a distance,” he said.
“I came here in September 2013. Thus, I was here when revolutionary events started in Ukraine. We are proud of our people who appeared so strong to overthrow the previous regime, who have consolidated in the face of a new threat. I believe Ukrainian society has never been as consolidated as it is now. I’m proud of our military, which is performing like real heroes in the face of an overwhelming enemy. And I’m looking forward to redeployment and to be with my people in such tough hours,” Savchenko said.
Savchenko said it is very important that Ukraine’s new leadership supports international military missions. He said working with NATO soldiers is a great experience that helps him and other Ukrainian soldiers to grow professionally.
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