Head of the public relations department of the 24th Separate Assault Regiment Aidar, Junior Lieutenant Ivan Zadontsev (Magnifier), refuted claims that service in assault units is tantamount to death, calling assault troopers "a surgical instrument, not a hammer."
"An assault trooper is a surgical instrument, not a hammer, which can solve all problems and patch up all holes," he said during a discussion entitled "Real service in the Ukrainian Armed Forces: myths, truth, and the people who bring victory closer," which took place at the Interfax-Ukraine press center on Thursday.
At the same time, Zadontsev called for an end to narratives that equate service in assault units with death.
"It's an incorrect narrative that service in assault units is death. And that these units are problematic, as is sometimes portrayed in society. And I'm a case in point: alive and well, sitting here before you, and I can talk about my military service," the junior lieutenant emphasized.
He noted that he joined Aidar when it was still a battalion and served as an artilleryman, particularly in Bakhmut, after which he began working in communications.
Zadontsev also noted that his assault regiment places great emphasis on training, as the accomplishment of assigned missions depends directly on it.
"After all, an untrained person has a much lower chance of completing the combat mission assigned to them. And, as the saying goes, one trained soldier is better than ten untrained ones. This is the principle of professionalism in the army. Because a professional army is a trained army," he stated.
The head of the communications department recalled that new recruits first undergo basic military training (BMT), which lasts 52 days, as well as an adaptation period (14 to 21 days).
"The issue of training remains and will always remain relevant. Our instructors communicate daily with commanders of all levels after each combat mission and ask about what happened during the mission today, what challenges you faced. After all, if this knowledge exchange doesn't take place, then, of course, what kind of training can we talk about?" he emphasized.
