Chern and Lutyy are brothers from Bukovyna. Before the war, they worked in the police and thought that they would not have to wear a military uniform. However, February 2022 changed their life plans.
In an interview with Online.ua, the fighters of the KRAKEN special unit talked about their entry into military service, their combat missions, motivation and losses.
Service in the KRAKEN special unit
Was it obvious to you that the war in 2022 would take on a full-scale format?
Chern: I will remember the story for the rest of my life, how two days before the full-scale, on February 22, I was sitting with my best friend (who, by the way, is currently serving in Artan) and we were talking about this very thing. I said that there will be no war, that this is a banal "muscle game", a way to force us to do something. And on February 24, I realised that I was wrong.
In your opinion, what is the weight of the imposed sanctions against Russia?
Chern: This largely affects the aggressor country. Everything works, but the enemy finds ways to circumvent the imposed sanctions: they buy components for the defence industry, plus there are countries that follow the course "both yours and ours".
We have the same potential. As far as I know, we have UAV manufacturers. At the beginning of the war, there were about 30 manufacturers. Now there are more than 200. However, for some reason it is not funded and people are forced to look for sponsors on their own.
In this case, what awaits Ukraine in the future? Is it an Israeli script?
Chern: It will be patched up, overgrown with human resources... and the enemy will test us in the future. Now the understanding has come that a professionally combat-ready army is something that should have been and it should not have been dismantled since independence. Having such a resource then, now ask for help from the whole world? I don't think it's logical. We are now like a "buffer zone".
But despite all this, we have to endure. But what to say? We have already endured. You should not give up in the future.
We need to "knock out the teeth" of the Russians so that they no longer want to come to us.
How did your military service begin? And why did you decide to combine life with this business?
Lutyy: Before the war, I worked in the police. But despite the fact that the report on dismissal was written, according to the internal order, I had to work for another 3 months. I was planning to visit a friend in Denmark. But I just couldn't watch how the guys fight, and we "sit out". Therefore, I decided to go to serve. By the way, a friend is now with us in the unit, finalised the contract and immediately came to us.
Under what circumstances did you start serving in the KRAKEN unit?
Lutyy: On February 24, 2022, I was at home. They called from work and said to come to the general meeting in 10-15 minutes. Then, when the information came, everyone began to understand what was happening. After some time, I resigned from the police force and spent some time at home. Then I passed recruitment for basic training, signed the contract and thus began to serve.
Chern: In my case, it is rather not me who got in KRAKEN, but on the contrary, it is to me. I didn't get into this unit right away.
Initially, there was 3449 International Legion, i think, in the Zaporizhzhia direction. Only after the creation of 0458, I was taken to the stormtroopers, and already when I moved to Kharkiv, i was taken in intelligence. That is, we were connected with 0336.
Will you continue to serve after the war?
Chern: As my friends say: while they are offering, go.
How did the family perceive your intention to go to defend the state?
Chern: The family didn't know where I was for the first six months. I managed to get out of the way by saying that I was going to Kyiv to organise roadblocks and so on.
But mom always feels. She always had suspicions. Grandma still thinks we are in Kyiv. That's better. Because she always tells me: "Don't go anywhere first."
Was it obvious to you that the war, which began in 2014 and lasted for 9 years, could change its scale so much?
Lutyy: There were thoughts, but there was also hope that everything would work out. But it did not happen as expected.
The first combat sorties
During your service in the special unit KRAKEN, in which combat operations did you participate?
Chern: These are mainly the directions of the Donetsk, Kharkiv, and Luhansk regions. The most memorable was the operation under Soledar... It was a real "zombie apocalypse"... Reality seemed like this, and thoughts flashed through that this was my last operation, I realised that I might not get out of there...
Do you remember your first baptism of fire?
Chern: Oh, I remembered that for the rest of my life.
This was still the Zaporizhzhia direction. An exit was planned. Back then, outings were planned for a day or several days, so we dressed as warmly as possible. It was spring. 18-20 degrees. Everyone is warmly dressed, and I didn't even have a normal backpack at that time...
I took a bunch of sets with me when I went out. In addition, I learned that, as a pro, I was immediately assigned a machine gunner. I remember the feeling when everything was crooked in me, even my hands. And imagine — the field, the land has already been cultivated, the erosion has worked plus the wind, shelling. I try to run, but it turns out that I fall onto the ground, because I have 40 kilograms of ammunition on me, and I'm a big guy. As if I were running, but in fact, the maximum that came out was a brisk walk. This is the funniest thing!
Lutyy: I will hardly forget this. At that time, I had not yet been "fired" at all, and the first step towards Bakhmut was to repel the enemy as far as possible from the last road into the city, better known as the "Road of Life".
I remember, like now, that frenzy and worries before going out, but as soon as you get out of the armored car, everything unnecessary immediately disappears. All unnecessary thoughts disappear and you simply do your work, for which you have been preparing for so long. That day was unsuccessful both in terms of the operation and for me personally, because it was then that my own brother was wounded.
I was a few meters away from him when a mine landed on the road. I managed to duck, but he didn't. The shrapnel hit him and fortunately did not touch anything and got stuck in his muscles. But the way I shout: "Chern 300!!!" — stuck in my head far away.
Can you recall any curious or funny, unexpected or even miraculous moments during your service?
Chern: It was under Soledar. So, we are sitting, holding back an entire enemy battalion with all our might.
We had everything in total, plus TRoshniks (the colloquial name for the Territorial Defence Forces (TRO) fighters. The TRO is the military reserve component of the Armed Forces of Ukraine — ed.), who came and said: "We are leaving now." Well, they really left and shaved our flanks.
But I was not lost. I remember how I laid out dinner, sitting with my back to the enemy, and just started having dinner with the guys and telling jokes. We heard Russians talking to each other at a distance of 70 meters.
I didn't have a thermal imager or a scope at that time, my friend only had them. He recharged, and I worked on the sector.
There were many cases, you can't remember everything: both related to close-by landings, and related to injuries that turned out to be lucky — it simply entered the body, damaged the meat, but did not injure vital organs. I still keep some fragments, one right under the Order of Courage.
Lutyy: In general, every battle is memorable in one way or another. Or the same evacuation of the 200s, 300s.
Has the war changed your outlook on life?
Chern: It did. War is pain and loss. For some people, this is an opportunity to understand where his place is, where he should be and what he should do. I, for example, now feel in my place and think that no matter what my steps are, no matter how wrong I am — I have come to this. I am making a difference here and I want to continue to do so in the future.
Lutyy: Yes, it changed. I always had the idea of going to serve in some special unit, but I constantly either lacked the motivation to radically change my life, or there were some circumstances on my side. But the beginning of a full-scale invasion gave me an extremely strong impulse to act, which is why I am here. I am doing a job that I like and that I have dreamed of for a very long time.
It turns out that the unit discovered you?
Chern: It came to that. No matter how you advance in the service, you are still looked at. And to a greater extent, not as a fighter, but as a person as a whole, to personal qualities and traits. I think that if I am here, I have proven myself. And then we will see.
Do you share personal experiences with newcomers or friends?
Chern: I'll say this, I'm a commander, but it's easier to be a fighter and personally responsible for myself and for my comrades nearby — on the left and right.
Now guys from civilian life come to us, so of course we share our experience and knowledge. And we ourselves try to learn constantly.
Lutyy: Even if we take the same things, we share everything: medical bags, a pair of high-quality shoes... If there is an opportunity, we always pass everything to each other.
The enemy should not be underestimated
They say: "One must know the enemy face to face." Could you provide an estimate of the potential of our adversary? What are its strengths and weaknesses?
Lutyy: First of all, you should not underestimate him (the enemy — ed.), as most Ukrainians do, mockingly. Our enemy also has drones and the latest military technologies. We, in turn, also learn and improve, but their trick is that they present it as if they don't know how to use it all. In fact, they know everything and skillfully use it.
Chern: Our mass media did everything possible to expose the occupiers as "vankas". But, let's not forget — they are holding machine guns in their hands! Their resource is much greater than ours — in terms of quantity, human relations, and technical equipment. Yes, they have old Soviet weapons, but now their industry is put on such "rails", which is quite a problem for us. And if at the beginning of the war we still had an advantage at least in drones, now the ratio is not in our favor.
What makes the fighters move forward
"To be" and "to do" are the main rules of Ukrainian defenders. Based on the essence of their own values, fighters demonstrate the most visible part of their own position — resilience. Your unity is aimed at realising the interests of the Ukrainian side, your actions are aimed at ousting the enemy. What tactics do you use to block the enemy's advantage?
Chern: Stop the tender for 600 million for the construction of stadiums and direct these funds in the right direction. Personally, for me, it is as cynical as possible to watch how roads are repaired and cobblestones are redone a hundred times... This must say something, right?
Against this background, it seems as if everything is going according to a pre-planned scenario, about which we are not aware.
Of course, I do not speak for everyone, because there are people who are really engaged in important work exactly where they are needed.
What personally motivated you, motivates you again and again to go forward, beat the enemy?
Lutyy: These are our relatives who are far from us, and the enemy is exactly the barrier that must be overcome in order to be in the circle of loved ones again.
But even at a distance, our relatives are always nearby. A small amulet from them is a symbol of support and love from them, despite the distance.
Chern: If there are certain inconveniences or discomfort, all this is tolerated. The only thing you can't get used to is the absence of a family. They are missed a lot.
Sometimes you want to open your heart, but don't tell your friends about it. I have a friend from the "Artan" subdivision and we talk with him, but still, home and family cannot be replaced by anyone or anything. I remember when I came back from vacation, I realised that I didn't have enough time.
Do you always manage to follow a predetermined plan when completing a task?
Chern: We always deviate from the plan... No matter how much we plan, no matter how much effort we put in, somewhere something will go wrong. The task never goes according to plan. According to our plan, if there is contact with the enemy, then we are no longer reconnaissance, but attack aircraft. We try to light up as little as possible.
As my friend used to say: "You know what the problem is? We seem to be on our own land, but we work so stealthily that it seems as if it is on theirs (the enemy's, — ed.)."
But, no matter what, we are always looking for an opportunity to mislead the enemy.
Lutyy: We are considering several scenarios, for example, when there is still a need to evacuate the wounded. And sometimes, indeed, we work, as they say, on a Cossack drive.
I understand that there were situations when you smoothly became stormtroopers from scouts. What is the most difficult thing during special operations?
Chern: To wait. It is not always necessary to go only forward. There are and were moments when you have to think about how to leave. Situations are different. It is necessary to behave in such a way as not to lose anyone, and to be able to accept the battle. And all the losses are mainly on retreat. This is the worst thing — not knowing when you will be outflanked. And this happens.
What techniques do you use to make the enemy panic and possibly surrender?
Chern: Usually, when the enemy gets information that our unit is working on some part of the front, they send reinforcements.
The enemy knows that if we work, then in any case something will happen: a breakthrough or an assault from our side.
Well, we are, of course, doing our best to prevent them from raising additional military forces.
Chern: Everything depends on the planning, and only then the personal characteristics of each fighter are taken into account. I will say about the officers and leaders, because I have something to compare it with: there was no planning as such.
Now we are protected, we carefully consider every step in order to perform tasks as efficiently as possible. This is an indicator of a rather serious unit. There are people with different experiences. Everyone listens to each other — then chooses the most necessary. Even where there are small groups, reasonable solutions are also offered. But it is much better for us not to see the enemy at all.
The main qualities of a scout
What qualities should a scout possess?
Chern: I can say purely on my own example, because here, in the unit, we are as "mixed" as possible. A cool head and composure helped me a lot. Sometimes you have to think and make a decision very quickly. Character plays a role here. Well, as my friend said — audacity — sometimes it solves the whole situation.
What, first of all, is the emphasis put on during training?
Lutyy: Physical training always was and is, shooting at the range, tactical medicine, marches...
Chern: Personally, first of all, personal training helped me more than once. There were, of course, situations where you reach the condition and want to give up. But you grit your teeth and keep going anyway.
Willpower and character play a big role here. In general, all our training is based on character. The rest of the skills can be leveled up during the campaign. There are no people who are incapable of anything at all. Everyone has a knack and personal abilities. And the most important task of an intelligent commander is to find and reveal a fighter. Next, a person will occupy his niche, be effective and show high results.
I was lucky with the group, with the guys. Here everyone understands: where they are going and what exactly they are going for. No one turns on the "rear". Therefore, psychologically, we pump black humor. We joke: "How long are you going to live, it’s time to die" and so on.
Fear of death and dreams for the future
Are you afraid of death?
Chern : We constantly think about it, but we are not afraid. And why be afraid of it? The only thing I think about and worry about is that there is nothing to tell the children...
War is a time when faith, religion and God are united into one. Even if human consciousness is unable to understand the concept of the essence of something higher, events, situations, circumstances lead us to the concept of faith.
It, like time, has a framework. We believe, so we act.
Belief in God or supernatural phenomena, faith in one's own strength or in support of one's fellow men — all this is a determining criterion for everyone's place in the war and, in the end, a material confirmation of our existence. Do you personally believe in God?
Chern: An interesting question. There is faith. I am 100% sure that there is a certain power over us... What I used to call ‘‘lucky coincidence’’ is not really a coincidence. Maybe it's partly experience or gut feeling, but there are moments when you understand that something is guiding you. Staying for about half an hour or, on the contrary, leaving sooner — and it saves your life.
There were many such cases and this moment cannot be ignored. And although I prayed for the last time about 15 years ago, I thank every time that everything went well, that everyone remained alive and managed to return.
During the war, it is very difficult to maintain not only physical, but also psychological health. War is a dangerous factor that leads to a violation of mental balance, increases fatigue, anxiety, and decreases motivation. How do you deal with stress during wartime?
Chern: Lately, I've noticed that the less free time I have, the happier I am. When you are involved somewhere, there is no time to think about the bad.
In addition, I have an excellent protective reaction. Sport relaxes me, clears my head. I dream and plan. Before the war, I was involved in mixed martial arts, so I have a goal — I want to take part in competitions somewhere and show that there is still a lot of stuff there. And, in general, how old are I? A total of 28.
Laughter and black humor are also a win-win option. They help a lot. During outings, we hardly communicate, because it is important to be focused on the task at hand. And after that humor is top. Just kidding, sometimes on the verge of a foul, but the boys like it. Already from the call sign, they invent a new name for me — Chernushnik... Well, I like that.
Lutyy: We have such a team that we go into battle with a smile. There is no such thing as panic or stress.
We understand that at any moment we can die from an attack or a sniper's bullet, but we know that no one can do this job better than us.
What do you dream about?
Chern: My military service will continue after the completion of the full-scale invasion, because I see myself in this structure. In addition, there is a desire to continue. I realised one thing for myself my calling is to do something for someone.
Lutyy: I dream of peace, or better to say, of the complete destruction of the aggressor and all his supporters.
And for yourself?
Lutyy: I don't need much: successful operations, brothers in arms and knowing that the family is safe and doing well.
Chern: I am satisfied with everything. As they say, a man does not need much to be happy. But it is right to change something, to help someone.
Who would you like me to mention in the article?
Lutyy: I would like to remember the person we lost — a fighter with the call sign Pozitiv. He was an extremely good brother and only positive memories remain about him. He always said: "I can find fashionable clothes." Because he was very good at military clothing. He gave us something on his own, the same tactical gloves, or carbines, or other stuff.
Another fighter left us. The youngest of us all. By the callsign Chief. He was only 19 years old! His mother's words at the funeral were remembered. She screamed very loudly, cried and said the following words: "As long as you boys are young, you have to leave behind offspring."
The interview was conducted by Eva Glikman, an employee of the media department of the KRAKEN special unit.
