On October 14, last year, during the ceremony of commemorating the Kiev Polytechnicians, who died on the Maidan and in the battles of eastern Ukraine, I met with a member of the Revolution of Dignity and Anti-Terrorist Operation. Cyril Buntov is a student of our university. We agreed on the future of communication, and recently I took an interview with him.
- "Where are you from, Cyril?" And why you choose to study at the KPI of Igor Sikorsky?
- I was born in Zhytomyr. I was interested in military affairs, tourism, and radio – electronics from childhood. Obviously, it was not without the influence of parents - the mother and dad by profession engineers-electronics, besides, the father was a dedicated tourist, he led tourist groups in Kazakhstan, Nagorno-Karabakh and other interesting places. I entered two universities - KPI and Zhytomyr Military Institute of Communication. I was counting on both of them, but I chose the KPI Radiotechnical Faculty. Soon after I was transferred to the faculty of electronics by family circumstances.
- When did the Maidan start for you?
- On the night of November 30, 2013, I was not in Kiev, but since December 6, together with my two best friends, I went to the Maidan and participated in the protests.
- Did you find support among university students?
- The absolute majority of the classmates supported me and my friends in relation to the Maidan, and in the subsequent participation in the ATO zone. Not everyone went with us on a barricade or in an area of fighting - someone simply was not possible, someone did not feel sufficient motivation, but I sincerely support, I repeat, we received.
- And from the side of the parents?
- My father wanted to come and pick me up, but I refused it. I can not be absent in this situation - it answered.
- I know that you have been injured during the events on Maidan. How exactly?
- In the park of Shevchenko during our alternation in one of the hundreds of Maidan to me and my friend jumped a few "aunts", hit the strikes, and then we threw us into the car. I already remembered in the woods. They were beaten, interrogated - from which hundreds, who are the centurion, who is the chief officer. Several times I was unconscious. I was severely injured my legs, broken my finger. What else to remember? Part of this flock that mocked us was obviously criminal, others were boys rather from gyms, not local. True, there were those who gave water to drink ... After we were let go, they traveled about four hours, until they left the forest at the medical station. At that time, many activists from the Maidan simply disappeared, according to my data, still have not found about a hundred people. Now, everything seems to be healed, although the broken bone in my hand does not allow me to resume my passion for playing the guitar.
- How have you become a member of ATO zone?
- After the Maidan was treated for injuries, and then went volunteers to serve in the ATO zone. First as a volunteer, then officially introduced to the Armed Forces.I signed the contract on October 13, 2014 and served almost 11 months. Initially, at the training ground there were technical classes – I worked with radio, interception of conversations, communication between departments, etc. I was translated into a platoon of intelligence, where it was already focused on the development of communication skills, systematization of information, control of the UAV, adjustment of thermal imagers, etc. Finally, in the platoon, I became responsible for all electronic equipment.
- How dangerous was the ATO zone?
- It was always dangerous. On the first day, when we drove to their destination, we got under fire and entered the battle. Initially, when I have not yet been formally appointed (he had not yet been given weapons), I took part in military operations as a physician - I took out the wounded, rendered first aid. And after the registration, I was sent to one of the advanced checkpoints in the north of Debaltsev. The fighters were less than 1000 meters. Everything were according to the full program - disarmed, constant firefight with the enemy's intelligence groups, we were beaten with mortars, heavy artillery, several times from Gradov. From the summer of 2014 to the end of the Debaltsevsky boiler, 25 people died in our battalion, and the wounded were about 60%. I got myself the average degree of concussion, coped with it on my own.
- How did your platoon operate during the Debaltsevsky boiler?
- We slowly retreated and at some point realized that our forces are not enough to repel constant attacks. Then our platoon of art exploration devised a departure route on the map, agreed with other units of the battalion, and began retreat at night. The withdrawal order, unfortunately, arrived later.
- And after service in the ATO zone and demobilization, you continued studies at the KPI?
- Yes, I continued my studies at the university. And at the same time, on my own initiative, for the boys who were interested in it, I began to conduct military training courses. I coordinated with other municipal civil-society organizations of the city level. I decided to create a military-patriotic organization precisely at the university. We have a fairly decent material, scientific base, and a student campus. Creating an organization and training themselves I took a lot of time, and I realized that I did not have time to complete the curriculum on time. At the Dean's Office, I went to meet and offered to arrange a dismissal with the right to renew at the university (the academic leave I have already used before). I have done so, so far I am engaged only in organizing and conducting military exercises, and from September 1 this year I will resume my studies.
- A few words, please, about how military students are organized?
- By "Contact" I report the next collection. As a rule, training is organized on Saturday or Sunday in the woods beyond the city limits. We use models, tools that I have left after military service. The city's military patriotic organizations ("Avangard", "Sokil") are assisting in equipping - give right, layouts of weapons, and so on. I have phones of district policemen in the place where we leave - I inform them about who we are and what we do.
- What about the plans next?
- I will continue my studies in the KPI and work in the created military-patriotic organization. And, of course, I will respond accordingly to all those events that will take place in our Ukraine.