Senior Sergeant Dmytro “Alpha” is an artilleryman from a family with several generations of military service. In the Presidential Brigade, he commands an Akatsiya self-propelled gun in the Arsenal unit. In 2020, Dmytro signed a contract to replace his father, an airborne serviceman with combat experience in the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO), and give him a chance to rest. However, when the full-scale war began, his father immediately returned to service because he could not stay at home while his son was fighting.
“Alpha” has fought in some of the most intense battles of the war: defending Kyiv, taking part in the Kharkiv counteroffensive, the battles for Bakhmut, Soledar and Kupiansk, as well as the Kursk operation. His combat record includes destroying an enemy helicopter carrying troops near Kyiv with a Pion artillery system, a direct hit on a tank turret, and the destruction of an ammunition depot containing S-300 missiles in Balakliia.
Dmytro emphasizes that heavy artillery does more than destroy the enemy. It also significantly boosts the morale of infantry. Heavy-caliber fire gives soldiers confidence and determination during assaults because they know the artillery crews will reliably cover their backs.
