On the front lines, communication plays a crucial role in facilitating interaction between different military units and in preserving the lives of personnel.

The situation on the front line is always dynamic and constantly changing. If the communication system falters, our defenders become "blind and mute." To prevent this, communication specialists, like Yurii, work their magic in the active combat zone.

Border guard "Sava," whose real name is Yurii, navigated the frontline paths of Soledar and Bakhmut. He came to the State Border Guard Service from a rather creative and interesting profession. Before the full-scale invasion, he worked as the head of the artistic department at the Department of Culture and Tourism of the Varash city council, organizing concerts and exhibitions for creative individuals. He was also passionate about painting. He recalls being frightened when the full-scale invasion began, especially due to the proximity of the Rivne nuclear power plant. However, after gathering his thoughts, Yurii continued to work.

Upon receiving his call-up, Yurii became part of the large border guard family within a few days. With a background in teaching computer science and mathematics, Yurii also had a knack for technology and loved editing videos and making films. His innate curiosity and ease of learning helped him quickly adapt to the latest developments in communication and radio systems. Because of this, he became indispensable to the border unit "Sava" in Soledar and Bakhmut, where he served for three months, carrying out combat tasks. Yurii dislikes discussing his service in the combat zone. He says there is nothing good about war except for comrades and a friendly team. However, he can talk for hours about the importance of communication.

"In Soledar, we collaborated with various structures, often went for cooperation. We learned to program radios from scratch, mastered many things on our own. To prevent the enemy from intercepting, we had to constantly change the firmware. Accordingly, we moved a lot, and a vehicle with communication equipment was always a coveted target for the enemy," explains Yurii.

During their outings, the border guard repeatedly came under mortar fire. He says he feared most for a direct hit on the vehicle by a mortar. However, he worried more about the unit losing communication than his own life. The most frightening events in Soledar didn't catch "Sava" since he was sent outside the city to establish a backup communication point.

"We met our guys who were the last to leave Soledar. It was the most horrifying moment in my memory because many of those with whom you ate at the same table yesterday were no longer among the living," notes Yurii.

Then came Bakhmut and "life on the edge." Yurii recalls a time when water leaked into the "Starlink" and the entire unit lost internet. At that time, continuous mortar shelling was ongoing. Leaving the shelter was akin to suicide. However, Yurii understood that taking risks was necessary because without communication, there is no interaction. And alongside border guards, there were other servicemen of the Armed Forces and defense units of Ukraine. Not knowing their movements posed the risk of opening fire on their own. Therefore, "Sava" decided to investigate.

"It turned out that the cable was simply flooded with water, so there was no internet, and the initial thought was that the DRG severed the communication. It was scary, but it needed to be restored because many people could suffer. The radio station works, but your signal may not be received on time, and it will be a disaster, so there aren't many options here. Better one life than dozens," explains the soldier.

Upon returning from the active combat zone, Yurii continues to develop in his field. He plans to master UAVs and ideally learn radio programming. After the war, "Sava" plans to return to his favorite profession. He dreams of an international level - large festivals abroad. He says there are many talented people among his comrades, worthy of having their creative works seen by the whole world.