Dmitro Polonchak, a sniper, officer, and combat commander in the Ukrainian Border Guard Service (DPSU), has witnessed the brutalities of the ongoing war like few others. Reflecting on his experiences, he recalls the terrifying realities of the front lines and the personal toll the war has taken. Despite the horrors of war, his message is clear: lessons must be learned from the mistakes and failures that cost lives in the defence of Bakhmut and other cities.
When Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, Polonchak was stationed in the Mukachevo Border Guard Detachment, located in his hometown in Zakarpattia. On the third day of the invasion, he and his comrades swiftly reformed into a combat unit, gathering soldiers, supplies, and weaponry for the imminent fight. They were first deployed to the Chernobyl area, a nerve-wracking experience where they had to re-establish checkpoints and secure dangerous territory.
Soon, Polonchak’s unit moved to the Donbas, where the fighting was particularly intense. He recalls the shock of seeing Russian military equipment for the first time, a stark contrast to the outdated Ukrainian military hardware. After several harrowing months of constant combat and territorial defence, his unit faced its greatest challenge in the city of Bakhmut.
Bakhmut became a graveyard for many soldiers, with Polonchak describing it as the worst place he had ever been. The close-quarters fighting took a massive toll on his unit, and Polonchak himself faced personal and emotional struggles as he led his men through the bloodshed. One poignant moment was when he and his comrade agreed that, should one of them fall in battle, the other would carry their body back to safety. “Without black humour, we would have lost our minds,” Polonchak says, highlighting the dark realities of war.
Despite facing overwhelming losses, the leadership of the Ukrainian forces remained a critical issue. Polonchak was critical of the lack of coordination and ineffective leadership within certain units, particularly in Bakhmut. He describes how officers were often more concerned with preserving their careers than addressing the needs of the soldiers on the ground. In one instance, he recounted a situation where reinforcements were sent to the front lines without adequate training or preparation. These new recruits, many of whom were civilians just weeks prior, were ill-equipped to face the intense combat of Bakhmut.
As his unit faced constant danger and mounting casualties, Polonchak also had to confront the realities of leadership. “If you’re a commander and you don’t have the trust of your soldiers, then you’re not worth your position,” he says. His leadership approach, which included leading from the front and being fully involved in combat, earned him the respect of his men. Unfortunately, he witnessed how officers who stayed detached from the frontlines failed to inspire the necessary trust.
Polonchak also highlighted the personal sacrifices soldiers make, describing how his comrades faced dire conditions but continued to fight with determination. He recalls the faces of the soldiers they lost in battle, many of whom were just ordinary people thrust into the horrors of war. These personal stories are the stark reality behind the strategic losses and military decisions that continue to shape the course of the war.
In Bakhmut, Polonchak saw something else: the failure of leadership at the highest levels. When it became clear that Bakhmut was on the verge of falling to Russian forces, commanders in Kyiv seemed more concerned with avoiding blame than addressing the situation on the ground. Polonchak, deeply frustrated by this, argued with his superiors, demanding to know why critical lessons from past losses were not being applied.
The toll of war, however, goes beyond the battlefield. Polonchak now focuses on training new recruits and honing his sniper skills. He dreams of establishing a centre for snipers in his native Zakarpattia, hoping to pass on his expertise and ensure the next generation is better prepared for the challenges ahead.
Polonchak’s reflections on Bakhmut paint a sobering picture of war’s harsh realities. The suffering and loss were compounded by failures in military leadership, and while the battle for Bakhmut has ended, the lessons learned — or rather, the failure to learn from them — are something that haunts those who lived through it.
The ongoing fight against Russian aggression continues, but the cost of war is evident in the experiences of soldiers like Polonchak who have lived through hell and emerged with a message for those still leading the battle: “We cannot afford to repeat the same mistakes.”
