• Vitaliy Chervonenko
• Role,BBC Ukraine
• December 31, 2024, 08:33 GMT

“It turns out that “Santa” saved “Jesus” on Christmas Eve and gave his mother a Christmas present,” a fighter of the 24th King Danylo Brigade tells BBC Ukraine. Don’t be surprised, this is not a fairy tale or the plot of a new cartoon, just on Christmas 2024 in the city of Chasiv Yar in Donbas, where the Armed Forces of Ukraine have been defending themselves from the Russian offensive for many months, a story happened that ended relatively happily for its participants.

Although behind it are many months of suffering and endurance of the military, and behind its relatively happy ending are hundreds of others like it, which could have ended tragically.

The Ukrainian infantryman with the call sign “Jesus” joined the army this summer, underwent training abroad, and in September found himself in the very heart of war. He spent 94 days at ground zero, and thanks to a combination of circumstances and a guide with the call sign “Santa,” he managed to find safety on Christmas Eve and finally communicate with his family and friends.

We spoke with “Jesus” a few days after his release – he had just had his IV removed from the hospital. His voice may seem cheerful and cheerful at first glance, although the things he talks about may terrify many. This is a Ukrainian Christmas tale during a full-scale war.

The article contains descriptions of events and images that may upset you.

Why he is Jesus and how he got into the army

“The call sign ‘Jesus’ came from civilian life,” says the 35-year-old man, who asked not to give his first name. He took it before going on his first deployment.

If anyone has seen him in person, they will never be surprised, because he really does look like Jesus. And the first to notice this was the repairman in the university dormitory, who said so when he came to fix the outlet.

“‘You look like Jesus,’ said the electrician, ‘that’s how it came about, my friends still call me that,'” the man recalls with a laugh in his voice. He has two higher educations.

He was mobilized into the army in Lviv on July 29, 2024, and very quickly found himself at the training ground. While he was waiting for a free place to undergo basic military training, a group was being recruited for training abroad – he quickly left.

“And from there – in just one day from the local air force airport, I ended up in Donbas,” “Jesus” jokes.

Position in Chasovy Yar

The man was sent to an observation post (OP) in the urban development of Chasovy Yar, where the Russian offensive has been ongoing since the spring of 2024.

“I spent a total of 94 days at the position. We were sent back on September 21 – as I remember now – it was a Saturday, it took us two days to get there, and we were evacuated in the evening of December 24.”

He remembers that it was still quite warm – 25 degrees Celsius.

“I went to the position in a T-shirt, I still needed a tunic to put on the body armor. I threw an anorak with a hood in my backpack, because it could be cold at night,” “Jesus” recalls.

When they went into position, the soldier recalls, they planned to stay there for about a month.

“When the guide was starting us, he joked – “Oh, guys, you’ll come out overgrown.” It was clear that it wouldn’t be for two days, but I didn’t think it would be for 94,” the man says with a smile.

The joint venture was located at ground zero – in the basement of the building. The main task was to observe and prevent the Russians from passing.

“You watch, you follow, you shoot – in a word, you don’t let the Russians go any further,” explains “Jesus.”

He says that almost every day the Russians tried to crawl through or enter the position, enemy drones were constantly flying and mines were falling.

“You wake up to mortar fire – you realize it’s already 4 in the morning. You can check your watch by that,” he recalls.

Delivery only by drones

All supplies to the position were delivered only by air, using drones. Although it was not surrounded, the military explains, this is the first line of combat operations. And nothing will or will not reach there, delivering something by land is very dangerous and threatens death for those who are transporting or carrying.

Drones, in addition to food and ammunition, also dropped warm clothing: thermal underwear, a warm fleece jacket, and only then, closer to winter, they dropped a warm balaclava and hat.

“Cool and pleasant to the touch,” “Jesus” recalls with warmth in his voice.

He said he took some warm things, like a sleeping bag, from the Russians. Such were the conditions of war, because not everything could be delivered by drone and he had to get something himself.

“Sometimes you choose what they throw at you, you either want a sleeping bag or food.”

And he explains – the large helicopters not only delivered food or ammunition, but also performed combat missions – constantly dropping mines into basements where the Russians climbed in and tried to accumulate. And there could also be delays due to bad weather.

When there were no force majeure events, the drones flew in and dropped off supplies on schedule. “And if relatives were sending something, then these packages could be delivered in addition to the schedule.”

Although there was food and we weren’t starving, there was a product that we constantly wanted.

“All this time, I wanted chocolate the most. It’s not included in the rations. When I was sitting in the position, I realized that I really love chocolate. My relatives mostly passed it on,” says “Jesus.”

Of course, in addition to chocolate, I really wanted cigarettes. This is another constant shortage at the front, the soldier recalls.

Why are there such problems with rotations?

Rotation may not occur for a long time for many reasons, and not necessarily just because there is no one to replace him, explains “Jesus”.

Many factors must coincide – the situation, the weather, and much more. The place from which they can be safely picked up is located several kilometers from the position, so you have to prepare very carefully before leaving.

“Jesus” says that he will be very lucky if there is rain or heavy fog during the exit – the Russian drones will not work.

“There are important factors – the command says that the situation does not allow for a replacement, because now there is a greater danger of dying during the rotation. If you go yourself, you will die, and when conditions allow, then it is done,” the military man explains.

He says that after the first few weeks he was still asking if they would change him or not, but then he got used to it and just waited for the right moment.

“Once, when I was in position, I was supposed to be taken away. But the Russians broke through the front. So I had to stay longer until they stabilized the situation and built a new line of defense,” he recalls the reason why a long-planned rotation once fell through.

How to survive three months in a basement with nothing

There were two people on the “Jesus” joint venture. The distance between the Ukrainian positions was quite large – up to 150 meters, so I almost didn’t see other soldiers. “Mostly, you listen to the radio to see who is reporting and who is where. Then you understand who is nearby.”

All the power for the devices and flashlights came from batteries and power banks that were being discharged. The main thing was to charge the radios, because everything depended on them. Communication was only through them, no internet or Starlink.

“To send something to family or friends, just ask someone on the walkie-talkie. Also, under certain conditions, you can record an audio message on the walkie-talkie and send it. That’s how I sent my voice to my mother sometimes. The walkie-talkie is the main thing there – no walkie-talkie, you’re gone.”

In addition to combat work, “Jesus” sometimes read books he found in basements.

“I found Gone with the Wind in the basement and read it. That was when flashlights were already available that allowed me to read,” he recalls. But he says he didn’t spend much time reading because he constantly had to sit and listen carefully to everything so that the Russians wouldn’t sneak in.

“It’s important not to miss a moment, so as not to get into a position, because this is your life. So it wasn’t easy to relax and read like that.”

A separate issue is hygiene, which was not easy for three months.

“All hygiene is wet wipes. They wiped their bodies and feet with them. Closer to winter, they started to drop sanitizers. But this is all conditional, because you are in a basement, where dust is everywhere, it lives with you, you wipe your hands, and immediately you are covered in dust again.”

Although towards the end of his stay, disposable souls were dropped several times.

“In the box there is a washcloth with soap, 30-40 grams of water. You can somehow wash your head with it, if you have a short haircut. I don’t have short hair, so it was difficult for me. With this shower you could wash your whole body and then dry yourself with a towel. “Taking” such a shower is more pleasant than wet wipes,” “Jesus” recalls with warmth in his voice.

Injuries, “Santa” and the Miracle of Christmas Evacuation

Two weeks before Christmas, “Jesus” and two other fighters were taken to another position in Chasovy Yar, closer to the rear, from where they were to be evacuated for rest – “as soon as the situation allowed.”

“When we were leaving there, we still had to carry the wounded man for four hours – through ravines and beams under mines – to an intermediate evacuation point. The guy will forgive us, but we had to drag him a bit, because it was very difficult to carry him,” recalls “Jesus.”

We were mentally preparing for the rotation to be very soon, and on the afternoon of December 24, we came up with a kind of Christmas table – we had rice porridge, found cans of corn, and canned fish.

“In the basement, they made a lamp out of oil and cotton wool, I sat down to read a book – “The Last Supper” by Javier Sierra – and at that moment a mine flew.”

He remembers those moments with difficulty – he was overwhelmed, wounded and shell-shocked, the guys helped him get up and get out, he could feel his arms and legs, but he couldn’t get up anymore, his breath was suffocating.

“I thought I was going to get a haircut, but no.”

All three managed to move to a neighboring position in the neighboring entrance – it was just the right time of day that made it relatively safe.

And it was there that they met “Santa” – a guide who took the wounded to the rear. Taking the wounded out is a very complicated process, says “Jesus.”

“It’s not like you’re wounded and they take you out, no. The front line, there are battles, when the leadership sees the moment and the opportunity, then they give the order to take the wounded out, the situation allows it. If it doesn’t allow it, then you wait. Because if you come out at the wrong moment, the mines will cover or kill the FPV.”

The meeting with “Santa” was decisive for “Jesus”.

He was waiting for the two wounded men he was supposed to take out that day. “Santa” reported on the radio that a third wounded man had appeared and that he too needed to be taken out, as his condition could be serious. “Santa” insisted that they should be taken out, although according to the plan, only two were to go.

At first, they did not give permission to remove the third, fearing that the operation would be disrupted. But after “Santa” insisted, they gave the go-ahead if “Jesus”, despite his condition, could walk two kilometers with the group on his own. “If they hadn’t evacuated, I would probably still be lying there in the basement of Chasovy Yar. It’s a miracle that I got to Santa,” recalls “Jesus.”

“Santa is constantly bringing out the three hundredths. We heard on the radio that recently, as he was bringing out, he himself got into a “hard mix” and they barely got out. Thank you very much to him.”

Immediately after leaving the position, a shootout began near the position, but eventually we got to the car and drove to the stabilization point.

“At the health center, they patched me up, gave me painkillers, and I ended up at the paramedics’ festive table on Christmas Eve. There wasn’t porridge and stew, but potatoes and normal food. It was an unexpected miracle,” Jesus recalls with joy.

A little later, he was taken further to the hospital and given a phone there – for the first time in many months, he called his family.

“He appeared to my mother very late in the evening on December 24. It turns out that “Santa” saved “Jesus” on Christmas Eve and gave my mother a Christmas present,” the soldier jokes.

And on December 25th, on Christmas, a “full manifestation” occurred – he had already gotten online and written to all his friends who hadn’t heard anything about him for several months.

“Jesus” is currently being treated in a rear hospital and is waiting for his possible first vacation.

According to him, 94 days in the position is not yet a record for the brigade, but the guys he was supposed to go out with had already been there for 104 days. And he still doesn’t know if they were actually taken out.

When asked how Chasiv Yar has managed to hold on for so long, he replies that it’s all thanks to the dedication of the people.

“It’s scary for everyone, but the guys are doing the work.”

https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/articles/c8ew83gxp9jo