A confident gait, a composed demeanor, and clear, concise speech, as he says only what truly matters. The man who has seen and understands what it means to be on the "zero line". Despite all he has gone through, the light in his heart still shines brightly, even in the darkest moments. And the unbreakable strength and composure in his eyes inspire hope for a better future. Your hero, Serhii Yurko, is an electrician of Kamet Steel's coke shop, who, when the war broke out, went to the front line without hesitation. After being discharged from service for health reasons, he returned to his peaceful job.
On that fateful day, when the country was in danger, Serhii could not stand aside. He was willing to risk his life to protect his family, friends, and country. Naturally, his wife, children and parents were worried about him, but they respected Serhii's choice. And they waited for him to come back home from the front line for more than a year.
"We were based in our region during the first days of the war", said Serhii, "before going to the Kharkiv sector. Afterwards, when our combat unit was set up, we went to the Donbas. On the way to the east, my fellow soldiers and I knew we would encounter fierce fighting there. It seemed to me that I was morally and psychologically ready for this, but you can truly understand what the "zero line" is like only when you are there, on the "zero line". I did not tell my closest ones where I was for quite a while. And the parents found out that I had been on the "zero line" only when I was discharged from service for health reasons. I kept it a secret from my wife for quite some time as well. I couldn't do it any other way; I didn't want my family to carry the heavy burden of constant worries and expectations. Then our routine on the front line in the Donbas began. Wearing a helmet and body armour 24/7, going on combat missions, hoping each time that I that I would make it back alive to my children and wife. All of us had similar thoughts. In our unit, I became friends with a fellow countryman from Kamianske, and he was also a Kamet Steel employee. Another combat mission: he, his commander and two other soldiers went to the neighbouring position. And just a few hours later, we were informed that all four of them had become 200s. This happened on the 6th of October 2022; that lad from Kamet Steel's name was Oleksandr Kuzminchuk. May you rest in peace, my friend..."
Serhii sustained severe injuries from a blast wave during one of combat missions. He was already losing consciousness when his fellow soldiers managed to evacuate him to a safe place just in time. Afterwards, hospitalisation, a length rehabilitation process and doctors declaring him unfit for military service for health reasons.
"Since the day I came back home, I have never lost contact with my former fellow soldiers. After my demobilisation, our battalion was disbanded, and the guys were reassigned to different military units. Many of them sustained severe injuries and underwent surgery; some have already been demobilised, while others are still serving. Thank God, all are alive. Only one of my fellow soldiers went missing in Bakhmut. But we hope he is alive… maybe taken captive by the enemy."
The entire time Serhii was on the front line, his team and management did their best to support him and his family. Our hero is very grateful for his colleagues for their support and to Metinvest for providing gear. Because of this, he always had a spare bulletproof vest and helmet, as there is no such thing as having too much gear on the front line.
After returning home, it took him a while to adjust to civilian life, let alone return to work right away. Psychological rehabilitation was needed. Understanding this, the management of the coke shop granted the demobilised soldier a leave. According to the veteran, the best therapy for him was his family - his wife Svitlana and two daughters, Vlada and Lada. They were the ones for whom he went to war and fought for a brighter future in Ukraine.
