Hospitalier Battalion #14

    When the war started and our group fled to Western Ukraine, they stopped in a small town for about 10 days to figure out their plan … and just to see what would happen.  Would Ukraine fall, or would it stand?  That small town in Western Ukraine started preparing to be invaded as well.  The young people in our group joined in the work, making camouflage nets, digging defensive trench locations, filling sandbags to protect buildings and windows, as well as for building checkpoints.  Later when the group showed up in the Czech Republic, the two teen guys in our group talked about that time with longing.  They worked hard, and all of the work was physically exhausting, but they were helping prepare Ukraine to fight back.  They were a part of something bigger than themselves.  

This kind of thing was happening all over the country.  Most towns formed their own civilian battalions and did what they could in case the Russian forces were just a few days away.  

The same thing was happening in our team's hometown.  They left, but more than half of the people stayed behind.  Many of the men in the suburb of Kyiv where Safe Haven is located formed a local militia unit.  The guy with the most military experience became their leader.  This was Oleg, a friend of ours.  When house Dad of Safe Haven, Bogdon, went back home after his wife and kids left for Czechia, he served in this group as well.  

 

Many of these civilian battalions were called up into action once the battle lines became more stationary.  Oleg’s group was called into action north of Kyiv not long before the Russian forces retreated from that area.  I don’t know that they saw any direct conflict, but Bogdon had loaned them his truck that was damaged when a mine went off right beside it. When getting it fixed, the auto shop also threw in a camouflage paint job, because that is what all these vehicles are getting at moment.  Later, Oleg’s unit had found a house to sleep in, but got notice that their location was compromised. They got out of the house right before it was shelled.  I actually got to see a video of the house burning, before Bogdon deleted it from our conversation so that no hackers would be able to find it.  

From the north of Ukraine, this unit was then sent to Eastern Ukraine.  This was a phase in the war where well-trained army units were interspersed with militia units of various discipline levels.  It was an operational headache that has had negative consequences in places.  But it was a necessary step in the face of the much larger and better armed Russian army.  The Ukrainian military is adjusting as more and more troops are being trained and equipped and those militia units have and are being reassigned and properly brought into the military.  

During their deployment, I don’t know that they were involved in direct combat, however one day, three of their number were hit by a mine. Bogdon was called in to carry them all to medical facilities.  Oleg was seriously wounded in his arm and he still has a 12 inch scar.  The other two guys who were hit didn’t make it.  These were their neighbors and after training and serving together, they had grown even closer together. It was a horrible day.

Oleg’s unit was eventually dissolved and dispersed.  

Some of Oleg’s unit were trained in special ops to help  check villages near the front lines or in recently liberated territories.  Bogdon simply went home, but still worked on supplying Oleg and many other friends across the country with everything they needed. We were able to help with this.  

Oleg and four other members of this unit decided to join the Hospitaliers, a volunteer group of medics.  They spent a month going though an intensive training, and Oleg was certified as the official medic and the rest of the unit was designated as his support team.  

They originally had to commit to spending one month serving near the front and then their roles would be assessed after a mandatory recovery time.  Oleg’s group was given a British ambulance that was apparently big and not particularly well suited to bombed out roads.  It was also red, which made it a great target for any Russian forces that saw it.  

The ambulance could only carry 2 wounded at a time, unless they squeezed more in on the floor.  That first month, the group was constantly driving back and forth from the front.  They drove 9300 kilometers and carried over 289 wounded soldiers and civilians. 

At one point, they found a two year old girl who was alone and had been hit by shrapnel. Her parents were also wounded, and taken somewhere, but for some reason this girl couldn't go with them. They took her back to a hospital while treating her.  By the time they left her at the hospital her condition was stable, but they never learned where her parents or any family was.  They didn’t know if they were even still alive, or if they are out there somewhere trying to find their daughter.  I can’t imagine how many stories like this are playing out all over Ukraine, especially on the front lines.  

Anya showed me a video of one of the team sitting and playing with the little girl.  This giant man in camo was so warm and gentle with this little girl.   The video incredibly heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time.   

After their first assignment, the guys came back to Kyiv to rest, but they also had some work.  Some of the bigger equipment was provided by the Hospitalier organization, but they didn't have the budget to cover all the little things, especially the items that they go through quickly, such as bandages. It was up to the team to raise money or collect the items. Bogdon talked to Oleg and passed along a pretty serious list to us.  They needed tourniquets and Israeli bandages, regular bandages, over the counter painkillers and disinfectant.  We got Clorox wipes so that they could easily sterilize things. They needed ready to eat meals, and so Janna spent some time finding options here for the Safe Haven crew in Czechia to taste test and figure out what was good. 

        The first time I bought bandages and tourniquets, I bought 160 Israeli bandages.  I thought that that should last the guys for a few months.  When I handed the box over to Bogdon, he gushed in gratitude, and then made a comment about how this was a decent start.  I made a note, these things are really needed.  After checking in with Oleg, Janna learned that their unit goes through all of their bandages incredibly fast.  When they pick up a wounded soldier or civilian at the front, they often don't have one wound.  Each individual wound has to be cleaned and bandaged. The Israeli bandages are more expensive, but they also do a better job of stanching the wounds.  If they transported 289 people during their first month, they could easily be going through 1000 bandages a month.  Being far away from the front, we simply had no idea.  After learning that, I started ordering more bandages.  The place I order them from in the Czech Republic is almost always close to sold out, so I've learned that I need to place my order well in advance.  

    

During their first leave, they started searching for another vehicle.  They found an older midsized Ukrainian cargo truck, that they were able to retro-fit with more cot racks which would allow them to pull more people off the front.  We were able to provide some of the funds for that truck, which was, naturally, repainted during the refitting.  

During their second leave, they also searched for and purchased a third vehicle.  

At this point, Anya started to get a little dubious.  How many vehicles did they need?  

Turns out that the first vehicle needed some serious repairs, and in very short order so would the second.  If they had three vehicles, two of them could be in the shop at the same time and they would still be able to keep working.  As a unit they could only ever handle two vehicles at the same time, but that third one ensured that they would be able to keep serving and wouldn't be sitting around waiting for a vehicle to get fixed while people were wounded and needed transport. 

The second and third deployment were to the Red Zone of the war, the very front lines.  We have learned that there is Red, Yellow and Green. Oleg’s unit served in the Yellow zone during their first deployment, and they spent a month there.  They are only allowed to spend two weeks when serving in the Red Zone because of the intensity.  

There are a lot more fatalities in the Red Zone.  A lot more.  Bogdon showed me a few videos where the guys are taking a little time to eat before going out again.  Just a few feet away from where they were eating was a pile of dead bodies of soldiers. When Oleg’s team or some other group could, they would transport them out, but it didn't always happen right away. They didn’t react to the presence of the bodies; they were completely used to the presence of death already. 

There was one night when they were called in to retrieve two soldiers.  One of them was delirious and had gotten up and wandered away from the collection point before Oleg’s team arrived.  Oleg started off in the direction that they thought the soldier had gone, but after searching for a while, he realized that he had mistakenly wandered into the outskirts of the Russian camp.  Trying to not make a sound, Oleg moved back carefully, terrified that he may be caught at any moment.  They never found the delirious soldier.  

As they continue to be deployed, Janna has been communicating with Oleg directly about what medical supplies they need. Their stockpiles continually ebb and flow, and she wanted to stay up to date with the list. They requested a night vision unit for driver so he can see at night when driving with his lights off.  We were able to find the one they needed in Poland for $5000, but because it is considered military equipment, we don’t have the proper documents to be able to purchase it and transport it across borders.  We haven’t been able to find one in Ukraine at all.  

We have, however, been able to get them burn bandages, breathing tubes, and specialty tourniquets, and a few other technical things that I’m not really sure how to describe without showing my ignorance.  We were also able to find a few boxes of headlamps that turn red first instead of white which do a better job of letting them work at night without giving away their location.  

These guys keep heading back into the fray to save lives. We keep asking what they need.