Our today’s Guardian of Light, Viktor Kostiuchyk with the call sign Metallist, was born and raised in the satellite town of the Rivne NPP, Varash. Since childhood, he understood that his future profession would be related to the nuclear power plant, although he played musical instruments and sang well in his youth. Nevertheless, he chose the path of a nuclear engineer and devoted his life to power industry.

“My parents were involved in the construction of the nuclear power plant, so it is an honor for me to work at the Rivne NPP,” shares the defender of Ukraine. “I have been working at the plant since 1999. I started at Engineering and Operational Control Department under the leadership of Pavlo Kovtonyuk. I worked as a foreman of Automated and Remote Control Systems Department, Metal Inspection Department, then took up an engineering position. Although this kind of work is demanding and has its own characteristics, I really like it.”

This nuclear employee had a calm, ordinary life until war came to his country. It touched our Guardian Light back in 2014, when russia illegally occupied Crimea and Donbas. He was seriously irritated by the fact that someone wanted to seize Ukrainian land for the sake of satisfying his or her imperial ambitions.

“I was very outraged at the fact that an enemy had come to Ukrainian land, because we are free people of a free country,” Viktor Kostiuchyk admits. “Ukrainians are a nation with a centuries-old history and its own heroes. However, for some reason, historically, we are constantly forced to fight for the right to exist as a nation. At the same time, Ukrainians have always been united and resilient, standing up against the enemy.

Unfortunately, history is repeating – our people are being exterminated again. Nevertheless, Ukrainians have a genetic strength to rise from their knees and win; according to the song, “to be reborn from tears”. Even after the annexation of Crimea and Donbas, I realized that a major war was inevitable, and I decided to join the ranks of the local Territory Defense Forces in 2019. I signed a three-year contract and began to pass military training, which I had never had before.”

The nuclear employee was informed about the beginning of russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine by children who were studying in Kyiv. His son called him and said that the capital was being bombed. Viktor was at home, getting ready for work at that time. He turned on the news and saw that the most terrible thing had really happened – a major war had begun.

“My backpack was organized a long time ago,” the nuclear employee recalls. “After talking to my son, I went to work. At around eight in the morning, I was told the location of my deployment positions, where I was to arrive in the near future. I notified the management and my family, and went to war.

My relatives took the information hard, but they understood and supported my choice. My parents knew that I could not do otherwise, because they always raised me as a patriot. They promoted a love for Ukraine and my native language. My roots are Volyn people, and they are people who love freedom. My wife, of course, were crying because she understood where I was going, but she supported and blessed me.”

At first, our Guardian of Light and his brothers-in-arms set up checkpoints in Varash and the surrounding area of ​​the town, and after a while, they were redeployed to the border with belarus.

“Unfortunately, this neighbor betrayed us,” states the Metallist. “Therefore, we had a lot of work to do to strengthen the border. My brothers-in-arms and I understood that the enemy could an attack from there at any moment. There was also a lot of information about the sabotage-reconnaissance groupы, so we were vigilant and worked 24/7.

We quickly realized that we could only survive when one together and all for one. When a brother-in-arms is like a brother to you and you rely on him, and he hopes for you. We joined together and became real brothers-in-arms.”

Almost a year later, in February 2023, Viktor Kostyuchik’s unit was transferred to Bakhmut. To a city that actually did not exist – fierce street battles and continuous assaults were taking place among the ruins. The enemy was at a very short distance, only 30 meters from the Ukrainian positions.

“It was a private sector, or whatever there was of it,” explains the defender. “We held the defense between the walls of the buildings, and the enemy was already 30 meters away. We were attacked several times a day, the red-hot machine gun was smoking from the number of bullets fired – I was afraid it would blocked. The enemy was shelling us with a mortar, firing from a tank, and a sniper was working. Some brothers-in-arms died precisely from his bullets.

The occupiers went on the assault repeatedly, hitting the positions. We had to move, fight back, and be careful. It was very difficult. Prayer’s requests helped us. It seems to me that the most sincere prayer’s request is the prayer of a soldier. I was controlling myself and mechanically was doing everything I had to do. It was the same when our sergeant major was wounded.

It was another shelling; the sergeant major was wounded in the neck. I did not lose my mind, provided him with first aid, using locally available material, dragged him to shelter, and then helped transferring him for evacuation. The sergeant major is alive now. I will be honest: I am proud of this act. The most important thing is that I reacted in time and saved the life of my brother-in-arms. Because we do not leave our own behind.”

Our brothers-in-arms did not live our Guardian behind when he was wounded. After the evacuation of the senior person, only three defenders remained at the position. They were again shelled by mortar fire. A mortar shell came flied in nearby – and then a gap was in his memory.

“I was unconscious for a period, and when I regain consciousness, I was glad to be alive,” shares Viktor Kostiuchyk. “Concussion, severe headache, ringing and tinnitus. I felt shrapnel in my shoulder and thigh, and saw a dislocated shoulder. My right hand was laying strangely on the ground, and only my little finger was moving. Most likely, I was thrown back a few meters and crashed into the wall, because I was next to it.

Once I called for help – I could not get up myself. Andrii with the call sign Gorynych came running first. He lifted me by the wounded shoulder and arm, and I heard a crepitus – it seemed that the broken bones were back into place. Maksym Pylypaka arrived from a neighboring position to help me; he took me by the arm and brought me to the evacuation point. Gorynych helped him. Ivanovych with a machine gun was covering the position.

Therefore, the brothers-in-arms, risking their own lives, saved mine. We were walking along the street, and that was practically an open area; we could be shot at any minute. I asked them to return to a safe place, but they refused. We never abandoned each other. Unfortunately, Maksym Pylypaka later died in the Zaporizhzhia direction; he was only 29 years old.”

First, the defender was taken to Chasovyi Yar, then to Druzhkivka. Doctors carefully examined him and used a magnet to extract fragments from his hip and arm there. One remained on his neck, near the carotid artery, but it was decided not to take it. After that, he was taken to Dnipro, and later there were Vinnytsia, Khmilnyk, Lutsk and almost half a year of treatment and rehabilitation.

“I was brought, as people say, naked and barefoot, to Vinnytsia,” the nuclear employee recalls. “The doctor and nurses brought me underwear, pajamas, a razor and everything I needed. I am very grateful to everyone who met on my evacuation and rehabilitation path – to doctors and everyone concerned. Our people are awesome!”

At the end of 2023, Viktor Kostiuchyk passed the military medical commission, medical and social expert commission and received the conclusion: “unserviceable”. After that, he was back at the Rivne NPP, passed the exams, and he works as an engineer now. He does his job conscientiously, because this is also a kind of defense of Ukraine. The defender is glad that the employee of his native plant do not forget about the front, support the military on the front line and those who are returning to peaceful life. However, he admits: adaptation is not an easy task:

“My socialization and rehabilitation were difficult. In fact, peaceful life is very different from that on the front line. In relatively calm regions of Ukraine, people perceive war differently. At first, I did not want to see or communicate with anyone; it was more comfortable to be alone. However, over time, I recovered a little and adapted. Time is a great healer.

I am pleased that the RNPP psychologists work, providing assistance to military personnel and veterans. I am also glad that the nuclear power plant does not forget about the front: volunteer workers established the public organization “Energy of Victory” here. People donate part of their salaries to help the military. As a volunteer, I see the scope of things transferred there. this is as it should be, because we need to remain standing and win.”

Viktor Kostiuchyk emphasizes: the system of values ​​changes in war. There is an awareness that the most important thing is to value and protect loved ones and those who are nearby in the most difficult moments. We need to be united and invincible in order to repel the enemy together.

“Unity makes our strength,” the nuclear employee is convinced. “We need to be united in families, communities, and the state. Everyone remembers February 2022, when Ukrainians forgot about quarrels, threw away grievances, and united to stop the enemy. “Now, in the same way, we need to hold on, not succumbing to the ruscists’ influence activities, and do everything in our power to ensure that Ukraine survives and history never repeats.”