Ruslan Sutkovyi, a veteran from Zaporizhstal, shared his story of military service and spoke about skills useful for both civilian and military purposes.
On the occasion of Defenders Day, students and young people of Zaporizhstal met with the worker of the enterprise, war veteran Ruslan Sutkovyi, at the hub of Zaporizhia Polytechnic Ruslan is an experienced production worker, a Ukrainian volunteer soldier who took part in fierce battles in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia areas, participated in assaults and performed many other tasks.
Ruslan joined the Zaporizhstal team 13 years ago as a packing worker at the Cold Rolling Shop. His plans for a peaceful life and the development of his career at the enterprise were messed up by the full-scale invasion The industrialist joined the army in the first days of the war. At first, he served in the 110th separate territorial defence brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Zaporizhzhia region, and later joined the 71st separate huntsman brigade as part of the Air Assault Forces.
After returning from the front line and rehabilitation, he resumed working side by side with his co-workers. He had no doubts about returning to the enterprise, as Ruslan had kept in touch with his co-workers during his service.
The hero says that co-workers and the enterprise helped him a lot to go through the difficult path of adaptation to civilian life. An important decision for Ruslan was his admission to Metinvest Polytechnic to get a higher education, which he did not complete in the past.
"War changes everyone – whether you are a soldier or not, it affects you in one way or another and teaches you something new. During my service, I strongly "rebooted" my world view. It was at the front line that I sharpened my teamwork skills and truly appreciated the importance of cohesion, gained new skills and experience that you cannot get in civilian life, although they will come in handy here," says Ruslan SUTKOVYI.
During the meeting, Ruslan not only communicated and answered questions from the youth, but also prepared an interactive game that revealed the basics of tactics on the battlefield. Based on the experience gained, the defender also provided relevant recommendations on tactical medicine and even demonstrated some practical methods that can save lives.
It was not the first time that young metallurgists of Zaporizhstal and students of Zaporizhia Polytechnic had attended a joint event. Students and young industrialists of the enterprise regularly organise charity events to support the soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and civilians. They also arrange meetings with veterans - defenders of Ukraine. Young people are convinced that unity and cooperation today are the basis for Ukraine's future victory.
"The story of every Ukrainian soldier is impressive. They go through superhuman trials, get wounded, and see all the horrors of war with their own eyes. But then they come back home and continue to live – because who knows the value of life if not they? We introduce our students to people who are personally defending our country so that they know how extraordinary Ukrainian soldiers are, that thanks to them we live, work and study. I want veterans to become a real example of courage, bravery and endurance for them," said Sofiia STEPANENKO, acting head of the student self-government of the Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic National University.
