A photograph is a moment that will come down in history. Therefore, in conditions of a full-scale invasion, almost every photographer dreams of taking a shot that will stop the war. However, is it really possible to take such a shot? Not likely…

Nevertheless, every photographer is a storyteller. Each photograph is a separate story, and in total, it gives the opportunity to influence the course of the war. Owing to the tragic photos from Bucha, Hostomel, Irpen, Izyum, Mariupol and hundreds of devastated cities and villages of Ukraine, the world people have learned what russia is. Moreover, they have not only learned that, but they have united in the fight against the enormous global evil!

Our today’s Guardian of the Light, Marko Vorobei, also decided not to sit idle. The fellow changed his camera for a weapon and went to defend his native land, so that he would make many photos of our free and independent Ukraine for history in the future!

Until February 24, 2022, our hero had an interesting and happy life. He practiced creativity and photography, and studied to be a turbine equipment mechanic at the Vocational Training College of the branch “SS “RNPP”. After graduation, he worked as a slinger in the Rivne branch of SS “Warehousing”.

In 2021, after consulting with his father, he decided to join the army. Therefore, a full-scale invasion found the boy serving in the State Border Service of Ukraine.

“That day, I was on the Belarusian border,” the defender recalls. “Two months before, information was spreading among the military that there might be an offensive, but very few people believed, some even ignored it. People did not even want to think that something bad would happen. Moreover, personally, I thought it was some kind of absurd. I understood that something could happen, because there had been a war in our country since 2014; but definitely not on such a scale. However, we were preparing.

On February 24, 2022, I woke up because of the fact that 20 meters from me, Grad multiple rocket launcher system began launching rockets. After the shelling, we received an order to withdraw to better-equipped positions.”

Until December 2022, Marko Vorobei was doing military service on the Belarusian border, since conscripts were not sent to the combat zone. Because of that, the 22-year-old Ukrainian decided to sign a contract.

“I decided so, because military conscription is somehow not entirely serious,” the military explains. “At that time I had a huge motivation. Maybe, a childish one, but I wanted to fight, so I signed a contract for three years.”

Moreover, if the boy consulted with his father about military conscription, he did not tell anyone about the contract. His relatives found out that only three months later. The contract military explained this act by the fact that he did not want to worry his parents.

After signing the contract, Marko Vorobei joined the Luhansk 3rd Border Detached Unit named after the Hero of Ukraine Colonel Yevhen Pikus, which, as part of the “Guard of the Offensive” campaign, became a brigade on January 30, 2024 and was named “Pomsta” (“Revenge”). The recruit was listed as a reconnaissance officer and assistant of grenade launcher firer. He had managed to fight in the Luhansk and Donetsk directions until the day came that divided his life into “before” and “after”.

On February 6, 2024, the defender’s unit was deployed in Ivanovske in the Donetsk region; at that time, the settlement was still controlled by Ukrainians. Behind it, Bakhmut was seen. It was from there that assistance was supposed to come, owing to which Marko and his brothers-in-arms were going to attack the enemies in the nearest planted trees area. That seemed like some kind of fantasy, since the day before, a more prepared and equipped special operations forces unit had failed to “take” the enemy position.

“Not quite well understanding whether we would have enough assistance, we decided to attack the position,” recalls the defender of Ukraine. – We were covered by two buddy teams with anti-tank grenade launcher, which gave us the opportunity to run across the field 150 meters to the enemy position. I do not know how, but we managed to take it – the enemy turned back. The ruscists were probably scared of anti-tank grenade launcher and thought that the attack would be massive, but only four of us came running.

After that, we received an order to hold out for at least a day in that place. Such a task seemed unrealistic, since we had no provisions, and the position was not dug-in. Instead of a dugout, we saw only a ditch covered with a green tent. That is, we were there as if in the palm of a hand.

Two hours later, my brothers-in-arms and found ourselves under the 120th mortar shelling. That passed without any losses for us. Later, an enemy drone appeared above us, and we realized that it would be hot.”

The Ukrainian defenders found themselves attacked by shells, but the wind carried them somewhere to the side, where they exploded. After that, FPV drones were appearing one after another above the assaulters; those either were caught on tree branches or broking in the air, or simply flying past and detonating somewhere nearby. Because of those unsuccessful attempts, the ruscists, fortunately, only demolished the tent and contused the Ukrainians. However, it was clear that they were not going to stop there.

Therefore, the command gave the order to withdraw from the position, but the defenders did not have time. Another FPV drone arrived, which turned out to be fatal.

“It was too late to run away,” Marko states. “One brother-in-arms managed to jump out of the ditch, but the three of us were covered. It turned out that I was last and seemed to cover the others. So as a result, shell splinters were left in my leg and my arm, and the helmet completely flew away.

When I came to, I heard the words: “We have two injured and one killed person. No, we don’t have any killed; we have three heavy injured persons.” That means, I was considered dead, because my brother-in-arms saw my brain through the broken skull and decided that I would never come to myself again. Looking ahead, I would like to say that there is a plate in my head now.

After the last shelling, we went back in Ivanivske. Two of my brothers-in-arms reached it on their own. Two others came running to pick me up. Then the enemy shelling started. When the attack stopped, the brothers-in-arms returned to pick up the fourth one, but he was nowhere found. The boys searched everything, even flew a drone, but they could not find him either alive or dead. It is still unknown where our brother-in-arms went. There is no information whether he died or captured. We hope that he was captured, because that day he seemed to had dissolved.”

Having received the first aid, our Hero laid in Ivanivske for another day. Since the area was dangerous and difficult, no evacuation vehicle could reach it. To save Marko’s life, the commander decided to send the boy on foot to the position with the evacuation vehicle.

“It was difficult for me to somehow react to such a decision,” the wounded man confesses and smiles. “You know, there are moments in life when you don’t care. Whether you die or survive. You lie with a broken head, they tell you to go – you go. Therefore, they gave me some kind of painkiller, assigned a brother-in-arms to support me and sent us off. At night, we walked 1.5 kilometers, got lost on the road, got tangled in barbed wire, and I had to cut off one of my boots. Somehow, I was barefoot on one leg with shattered extremities and skull and limped to my destination.

When I got to ours, I could not speak. My head was hurt so much that I simply lost that skill. The doctors had to remove a small percentage of my damaged brain, and then put a special plate there. For two months I was learning to speak again.”

Our Guard was taken to the hospital in Dnipro, where he underwent a complex head operation. The defender spent three days on the operating table. Currently, there are eight more shell splinters in Marko’s body, two of which are in his head. The fellow is still not going to remove them.

He says that it can be dangerous for his health, and it will take a lot of time for another rehabilitation. In Dnipro, only the most dangerous shell splinters were removed.

“I came to myself in the hospital,” Marko recalls. “When I opened my eyes, I saw my mother, and it really angered me. I clarified what she was doing there and asked her to go home. Well, how did I ask? I barely managed to mumble something under my breath, because I could not speak.

The fact is that when a military is sent on a difficult combat mission, he fills out a special form, where he must indicate the contacts of both parents. However, I did not want them to worry, so I wrote down the numbers of my friends’ mobile phones, one of whom I asked to inform my mother only about my death. It was forbidden to inform her about any injury or concussion. Therefore, when I opened my eyes, I thought that I was only slightly shaken, and my mother did not need to know about it. Nevertheless, in fact, everything turned out to be so critical that I was exactly the somewhat seriously injured person who only parents were allowed to see.

After I had an operation in Dnipro and almost jewelry work was done on my brain, I was sent to Kyiv to a military hospital. I am very grateful to the Dnipro doctors, because thanks to them I can now talk, walk, work and generally live.”

Marko Vorobei recovered quite quickly, having undergone rehabilitation in Kyiv and Kyiv region. Within two or three months, he was confidently standing on his feet and even despite demobilization, he wanted to go to the front again, but his mother persuaded him not to fight anymore. Then the boy decided to be back to work at Energoatom.

Since one of the Company’s priorities is to support the military at the front, and their rehabilitation, socialization and adaptation to a new life are important, after their return from the front they the most acceptable and comfortable position shall be selected and offered to them. Therefore, the nuclear employee received a new position –public relations specialist.

“I am very pleased that Energoatom helped me get back on my feet after being injured,” the Guardian of Light emphasizes. “The Company allocated 50 thousand hryvnias for rehabilitation, which was quite appropriate at the time. Therefore, after recovery, I decided to be useful to NNEGC and return to work. In principle, I did not want to go abroad.”

The brave defender of Ukraine is now getting used to a new life and still does not understand how he managed to survive that terrible day and almost completely recover afterwards. He assumes that this is thanks to the prayer requests and support of his relatives. Moreover, Marko Vorobei does not stop believing in the Victory of his native state and the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In addition, he wishes the defenders good health and patience, because he understands as nobody else that this is the most important thing at the front!