The courage and professionalism of Zaporizhstal employee Andrii Dmytrenko helped unblock an important route.

Before the full-scale war, Andrii, a native of Zaporizhzhia, had tried his hand at many jobs – working as a fitter, driver, steelworker, and more. Like most Ukrainians, he lived his life, worked, and raised his children. Andrii never dreamed of heroic deeds or glory on the battlefield, and nothing in his life hinted at the fact that this humble worker would one day become a warrior. Today, he serves as a tank mechanic-driver in the 15th “Kara-Dag” National Guard Brigade under the call sign "Dog".

It took perseverance and ingenuity to go to the frontline

Andrii Dmytrenko tried his hand at various jobs – working as a bus driver and, since 2017, as an employee of the mold train preparation shop at Zaporizhstal. His life was completely changed when Russia invaded Ukraine.

"It is ordinary Ukrainians like Andrii who have become the real heroes of this war, proving that one does not need to be a professional soldier to defend the homeland – having a courageous heart and love for Ukraine is enough", says a post on the Facebook page of the 15th Operational Brigade named after Hero of Ukraine Lieutenant Bohdan Zavada, which shared Andrii Dmytrenko’s story.

In February 2022, Andrii Dmytrenko visited a conscription office but was initially rejected – he had been declared unfit for military service in his youth. But Andrii showed perseverance and even ingenuity – in April 2022, he said he had lost his military service record book, which noted his unfit status.

"I was working at Zaporizhstal when I went to war. My job was to assemble mold trains for steel casting (worked as an assembler of mold trains for steel casting in the mold train preparation shop. – Ed.).

I was living a civilian life just like everyone else. I went to war so that orcs wouldn’t come and destroy my home," shares Andrii Dmytrenko with Zaporizhzhia journalists.

At first, he served in the 23rd Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine, defending the lands of Donbas alongside his comrades. He then held the line near the village of Komyshuvakha in the Zaporizhzhia region.

In 2023, Andrii Dmytrenko was transferred to the 15th Brigade of the National Guard. His first combat mission was to defend a position near the village of Mala Tokmachka, near Orikhiv in the Zaporizhzhia region. In the summer of that year, "Dog" took an active part in the Ukrainian counter-offensive and was wounded. However, after a month of treatment, he returned to his comrades.

It was during this time that the Guardsmen repelled the occupiers' attacks near the village of Verbove in the Orikhiv sector. The russians, determined to regain the positions they had lost in the counter-offensive, created a real hell for our soldiers.

"We were in shelters for ten days, unable to even go out for supplies. However, we held our ground," Andrii recalls.

In November 2023, "Dog" was severely wounded. When he recovered, he requested a transfer to a tank crew and was given the green light.

In the summer of 2024, russian troops significantly increased their pressure in the Pokrovsk sector. To stop the enemy, one of the most experienced Ukrainian units, the 15th "Kara Dag" Operational Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine, was deployed there in August.

The Guardsmen immediately began eliminating the occupiers in large numbers. The tank company in which Andrii Dmytrenko served played an important role in the success of the 15th Brigade.

"I dreamed of capturing a russian tank as a trophy"

Andrii Dmytrenko had a dream: to capture enemy equipment so it could serve the Ukrainian army. And he succeeded.

The brigade's defence line stretched between Selidovo and Mykhailivka. The logistics of the Guardsmen were complicated, as the only access to their positions was through a narrow tunnel under the railway line. The occupiers constantly shelled this road and tried to block it in every possible way.

The most notorious attempt took place on 5 September 2024, when the russians drove a tank to the entrance of the tunnel and abandoned it there, blocking the only supply route for Ukrainian defenders.

Realising the critical nature of the situation, the brigade command gave the order to clear the route. A tank under the command of Junior Sergeant Serhii Fioklin headed for the tunnel to carry out the mission.

Ten minutes later, under intense enemy fire, the tank crew realised that moving the russian tank wouldn't be easy. That’s when Andrii "Dog" Dmytrenko volunteered to climb inside the enemy tank and try to get it out of the way.

"In the morning, we were out beyond Selydove, hitting orc positions. We completed the task and headed back to reload when the company commander approached us and said, "The orcs left a tank under the bridge – can you hijack it?” I said, "I can."

Ten minutes later we were at the bridge. The guys were covering us with smoke. I climbed in, made sure there was nothing underneath, that it wasn’t mined by the orcs, checked the mechanic’s seat too – then I got in, released the handbrake, and drove it away," says Andrii Dmytrenko.

It was a very risky venture. Besides the threat of being hit by enemy shell or drone strikes, there was no way to be sure the tank wasn’t rigged by the russians with booby traps. But the Guardsmen had no other option if they wanted to restore the brigade’s logistics.

Andrii says it was just a job for him. Only later did he realise what had happened:

"They told me something like this had never happened before – taking an enemy tank without a fight or casualties. Only then did I realise how dangerous it had been.

Fortunately, everything worked out." Both tanks – Ukrainian and the trophy one – headed back toward Ukrainian positions under enemy artillery fire.

"I had dreamed of capturing a russian tank, and I did it. I had never driven a tank like that one before – it was my first time," admits Andrii Dmytrenko.

He also noted:

"It's rare to come across a situation like this – a tank that hadn’t been hit or even disabled, just abandoned with the handbrake on, and that was it."

Thanks to the exceptional bravery of the tankers and the personal courage and professionalism of Junior Sergeant Andrii Dmytrenko, a critical route was cleared. The captured tank was added to the arsenal of the 15th Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine and has since joined the fight – now turned against its former owners.

The driver-mechanic has already seen the 2022 trophy T-72B3 combat vehicle in action. He says combat vehicles are always in demand on the front line.

Currently, the tank is undergoing repairs after being hit by the russians in the Donetsk sector, but it’s expected to return to service soon.