u/dracony

He was pulling out the wounded at 18, died at the Donetsk airport at 19, and the state did not know for seven years that he had fought: the tragic and bright story of a volunteer with the call sign "Skeld".

Svyatoslav Horbenko was born in Poltava on the eve of 1995.

He managed to become a student at two Kharkiv universities - a philologist and a historian, studied Japanese, spoke English fluently, and read Polish. He dreamed of science.

And in the winter of 2014, at the age of eighteen, he was pulling out the wounded on the Maidan.

And at nineteen, secretly from his father, without waiting for his officer's epaulettes, he volunteered for the Right Sector State Unitary Enterprise.

He was trained in Desna, received the call sign "Skeld" and ended up in the hell of Donetsk airport, where he was the youngest.

On October 3, 2014, during a rotation, when tired fighters had left and new ones had not yet found their bearings, a group of volunteers led by Skeld held back a tank attack.

He was carrying a wounded comrade when he was hit by a shell fragment. The first battle was his last.

But the worst thing happened later. Svyatoslav was not on any official military list.

The father had to prove for seven years that his son fought, that he died with a weapon in his hands, defending Ukraine.

And he proved it.

And in 2021, the President posthumously awarded Svyatoslav Horbenko the title of Hero of Ukraine.

Today, his name is on the auditorium at Kyiv University, on scholarships for the best students of Oriental Studies, and on the flag of the Student Guard.

But most importantly, it is in the hearts of those he saved. And those who know: true heroes are not always in the lists but they still exist.

Soldier Volodymyr Kiprych, alias Chuzhyj, was killed on February 27, 2025, on the outskirts of the village of Zvirove in the Donetsk region. The defender was 30 years old. Another Hero killed by russians.

Volodymyr from Poltava region. He worked as a freight forwarder: he delivered products to stores, kindergartens, schools and lyceums. He was fond of fishing and loved to pick mushrooms.

"In his free time, my brother helped me with the housework, took my children somewhere to relax, have fun. He had a calm character, never let me down, always helped everyone, supported me in difficult times..." sister Oksana wrote:

In November 2024, Volodymyr was mobilized into the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He joined the ranks of the 32nd separate mechanized brigade. He held the position of driver. He quickly began to show himself in combat work: he helped to strengthen the infantry and hold positions. He was not afraid of danger and was always ready to come to the aid of his comrades.

For his bravery and dedication, Volodymyr Kiprych was posthumously awarded the "Combatant's Cross".

The warrior was survived by four sisters

Senior Lieutenant Serhiy Nosachenko, nicknamed Nos, fell on May 29, 2025 near the village of Oleksiyivka, Sumy region. The defender is 33 years old. Another Hero killed by russian orcs.

Serhiy was born in the village of Velyky Dalnyk, Odesa region. He graduated from the Military Academy in Odesa, the Odesa State Academy of Civil Engineering and Architecture, and the National University "Odesa Maritime Academy". He worked as an assistant captain on sea vessels.

During the full-scale war, on November 8, 2022, Serhiy was drafted into the army. He became the commander of a reconnaissance platoon in the 103rd Separate Territorial Defense Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

"Sergey loved motorcycles, was interested in technology and electronics, knew about mechanisms and always helped others with repairs or advice. The sea held a special place in his life: he loved his work on the ship, he loved space, freedom and the power of the waves. He loved sports, walks and movement," sister Kateryna Kuznetsova wrote.

He is survived by his parents, sister and brother-in-law.

Junior Sergeant Volodymyr Bohdan, alias Kran, died on September 15, 2024 in the village of Lysivka, Donetsk region. The soldier was 35 years old. Another Hero killed by russian orcs.

Volodymyr was born in Nizhyn, Chernihiv region. He mastered the profession of a tower crane operator. He worked at the company "Orientyr-Budelement".

During the full-scale war, the man joined the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He served in the 132nd Separate Reconnaissance Battalion of the 7th KSR of the Ukrainian SSR.

"He was a bright, kind and incredible person in my life," said his wife Kateryna. "He was the best in everything. He was a loving husband and father. A loyal friend, a reliable brother, always ready to lend a shoulder. He made plans for the future, raised two wonderful sons. He dreamed of his own business."

Volodymyr was awarded the medals "For the Defense of Ukraine", "30 Years of Military Intelligence of Ukraine" and the battalion commander's medal, and posthumously - the Order "For Courage" of the 3rd degree.

He is survived by his wife, two sons, parents, and brother

On the night of May 9, despite the "truce" declared by russian orca, the village of Bereza in Sumy Oblast was attacked by drones. Five drones hit residential buildings, four of them the home of the Garez family. The house, which the couple had been building for over 40 years, burned down along with the household. During the shelling, people hid from repeated strikes in beams and under bridges, watching as the fire destroyed their property

Master Sergeant Artem Soputnyak, alias Green, was killed on April 15, 2022 in Mariupol, Donetsk Oblast. He was 39 years old. Another Hero killed by russians.

Since 2002, Artem served as a dog handler in the Donetsk border detachment. He participated in the ATO and JFO. He loved the service and was proud of it. He received the call sign Green for the green beret of a border guard.

"My son did not have a peaceful profession, because from his youth he dreamed of the army. Although he had a great talent for drawing. He could sit for hours with a pencil in his hands. Even in the unit he left a creative mark - there are chevrons in "Azov" designed by Artem. He drew in every free minute," said his mother, Vira Nikolaevna.

In June 2014, when the Azov battalion prevented the capture of Mariupol, Artem decided that he had to be there. In 2016, he joined the unit and became an instructor in the canine platoon.

Artem is survived by his mother, wife, two sons, and a daughter.

Senior soldier Konstantin Yarovykh, alias Tourist, fell on June 11, 2024 near the village of Berestovo, Kharkiv region. The defender was 49 years old. One more Hero killed by russians.

Konstantin was born in Kyiv. He lived in Chernihiv. In his peaceful life he was an entrepreneur. He loved mountains and hiking, and was well-versed in hiking equipment — later, at the front, he always had everything he needed for field life at hand.

When the full-scale invasion began, Konstantin remained in the besieged Chernihiv. He helped lonely elderly people: he rode his bicycle under fire, bought groceries and medicines, cooked food, cleaned homes. And then he voluntarily joined the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He served in the 77th separate airmobile brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

"He did not serve in the army because he had health problems. However, hiding his diagnosis, he went to the military enlistment office and joined the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to defend the Motherland," his wife Lyudmila wrote.

Konstantin Yarovykh was posthumously awarded the Order "For Courage" of the 3rd degree.

He is survived by his wife, father, and two children.

Lieutenant Vladyslav Mayivka fell on March 17, 2025 in the village of Kindrashivka, Kharkiv region.

Warrior forever 29.

Vladislav lived in Brovary. He worked as a manager in a security company.

During the full-scale war, Vladyslav served as the commander of the 3rd Rifle Company of the 136th Separate Battalion, part of the 114th Separate Brigade of the Territorial Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The pseudonym May appeared in his youth: when he was offered to be a DJ at holidays, he jokingly called himself Dj May.

"Vladyslav is an extremely kind and bright person. He always helped me, supported me, inspired me, shared his warmth," said his wife Viktoria. "He could always find a common language with people, tried to help with words, deeds, and support."

Vladyslav had many awards, including the medals "Honor. Glory. State", "Participant in hostilities", "To the Indomitable Heroes of the russian-Ukrainian War", "For Service to the State", as well as numerous letters of thanks and certificates.

The soldier is survived by his parents, wife, sister, grandmothers, mother-in-law, father-in-law, and other relatives. One more Hero killed by russians.

Roman Mongold, a 38-year-old Ukrainian soldier, spent 177 days trapped in the ruins of Vovchansk, a devastated city in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region near the russian border. Ukrainian troops described the area as a “kill zone”: roads were destroyed, fields were mined, bridges were unusable, phone networks were gone, and russian drones watched for any movement.

He had been a civilian carpenter and family man before being conscripted in 2024. By March 2025, he was sent into Vovchansk with Ukraine’s 57th Motorized Infantry Brigade. What began as a front-line deployment turned into months of hiding, fighting, and moving between shattered apartments, basements, and factory ruins.

Roman’s only real connection to home was his wife Halyna’s voice. Since normal phone calls were impossible, she sent voice messages to his commander, who played them over the radio. Roman replied the same way, usually trying to sound calmer and stronger than he felt.

Those messages became a lifeline for both of them. For Roman, they reminded him that a life outside the ruins still existed: his wife, children, home, and future. For Halyna, each reply was proof that he was still alive, though she replayed his words carefully, listening for signs of fear or exhaustion.

As the fighting intensified, Roman and other Ukrainian soldiers relied on drones for supplies: food, water, medicine, ammunition, batteries, and sometimes small personal messages. The same technology that kept them alive also made escape nearly impossible, because russian drones could spot and strike soldiers trying to move.

One of the most painful parts of the story is Roman’s bond with Andrii, a younger Ukrainian soldier who was wounded while collecting supplies. Andrii was shot in the knee, an injury that might have been survivable with proper medical care, but no evacuation route was safe. Roman tried to treat him with what little they had.

For weeks, Roman cared for Andrii in the ruins, giving him painkillers, adjusting tourniquets, trying to control infection, and staying with him as his condition worsened. Andrii eventually died in Roman’s arms. Roman placed his body in a bag dropped by drone and kept Andrii’s helmet, hoping one day to return it to his family.

After nearly six months, Roman was finally ordered to escape. Guided by a Ukrainian drone and radio instructions from his commander, he ran through the ruins before dawn, wearing an anti-drone cloak and Andrii’s helmet. He reached a river, nearly drowned while crossing, and escaped under shelling.

When Roman returned home to Halyna, survival did not feel simple or clean. He had physical injuries, nightmares, guilt, and memories he could not easily explain. He was haunted by the Ukrainians he could not save, the russian soldiers he had killed, and especially by Andrii’s death.

The article is ultimately about more than one soldier’s survival. It shows how drone warfare has made parts of the front almost impossible to leave, how soldiers can be trapped in isolation for months, and how a loved one’s voice can become as important as food, medicine, or ammunition.

I built a custom GPT based on:

* All good English and Japanese game guides

* Most if not all dialogues from the game. These were extracted from recognizing text of YouTube longplays of the game, relationship scenes and Ring of the Maiden scenes.

* Japanese official strategy guide book that I bought just for this. Note that it's only used for item data and tips not verbatim

*Japanese official Design Works book that I also bought.

*I showed it screenshots of all characters so it has idea how they look, custom GPTs don't really support images well so it had to be text.

* Care taken to preserve all of the text spoken by Fran in game. Other characters are there too but Fran is the focus.

Things you can ask:

* How to beat particular mission

* Squad synergies

* You can ask her to make up new dialogue between characters, especially if it is Fran talking to somebody.

* Ask her to imagine a dialogue between her and Kitra

You need a ChatGPT account but talking to the custom GPTs is free ofc. Best results of you can use the Pro model tier but it can work with all tiers

In the evening, I learned about a seriously wounded man who couldn't be carried away. He had been lying there for a long time, waiting for help, while an enemy drone hovered above him, watching for an evacuation team. But the company commander seized the moment and risked his life to go get him. And they did it - they brought him to the nearest shelter.

Late at night, I went there, hoping I could still help. Several hours of struggle, five or six failed attempts to insert an IV - no more veins left... One last time, by some miracle, I found a vein. We started injecting solutions, his blood pressure rose, a few more injections, and finally - we exhaled. He was stable.

The evac team arrived, we loaded him into the vehicle, and I said: "That's it, boy, hold on. It's over now. The doctors are waiting for you. Just a little longer, and everything will be fine."

They drove away. I sat down, and at that very moment, my combat medic took this photo. A second later, we heard a powerful explosion. Then-silence. Our evacuation team never made contact again. Russians were waiting for them.

Everyone was killed.

When I joined the army, many people asked me: "Are you going to avenge your husband? Do you want blood?" And I always answered: "I'm not here to kill. I'm here to save lives - so that no one else, like my husband, is left without medical care on the battlefield."

They also asked if I would treat prisoners. My answer was always yes. It was my duty.

Not anymore.

I don't want to save anymore. I want to kill. And I want to see them die. I want to see their mothers and wives screaming over their graves.

I will not help any prisoner.

I don't care about your humanity, your rules of war, your conventions.

Damn you, russians.

You, your children, and your grandchildren - for all the grief you have brought to our land.

Author: Combat Medic Nadiya Bila, Ukraine.

Senior Lieutenant Andriy Voznyuk fell on August 28, 2022 in the city of Lozova, Kharkiv region. He will forever be 26 years old.

Andriy is from Ternopil region. He graduated from the National Academy of Land Forces named after Hetman Petro Sahaidachny, after which he served in a military unit in Chernivtsi.

Andriy began his military career during the ATO. After the start of the full-scale invasion, he served as the commander of the ammunition delivery vehicle platoon of the material support company of the 43rd separate artillery brigade named after Hetman Taras Tryasyl.

"His life was cut short too soon, but his memory will live on in the hearts of his family, friends, brothers and all who knew and respected him. He gave his most precious life for Ukraine, for its freedom and future," wrote his mother Oksana.

"He was an extraordinary person, always smiling and living life to the fullest. He was a good guy, a loyal friend and a loving son who cared about his family," said his friend Anna.

The warrior is survived by his mother.

One more Hero killed by russians.