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Ukrainian Soldier Covers Medevac Movement in Mariupol
Published 2 years ago
A Ukrainian Soldier with what appears to be a cellphone strapped to his chest records himself providing security for a litter team evacuating a wounded member of his unit.
Believe it or not, there's a lot happening in this fifteen second clip. As the Ukrainian Soldier approaches the group, it becomes apparent that they're acting as an aid and litter team. An aid and litter team is notoriously vulnerable to attack by enemy forces, as you've essentially dropped the strength of your unit dramatically in an attempt to save the lives of one of your friends. The Soldier who's recording ends up becoming the security element for this aid and litter unit, because in combat every fighter has a purpose.
You'll notice as he's running, he goes through the entire cycle of the infantryman. First, he identifies the direction of travel for his unit. Then, he identifies the situation in front of him and makes an assessment. Last, he finds a useful job for himself that increases his unit's ability to accomplish their mission, which in this exact instant is getting their wounded fighter off of the X so that they can treat him for his injuries.
It doesn't seem like much when you look at it from the face. When you dig a bit deeper into what's happening however things become much more clear and interesting.
For the purpose of context, this was recorded recently in the besieged city of Mariupol, and is taken from the Ukrainian perspective.