𝑳𝒆𝒔 𝑬𝒏𝒇𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝑷𝒆𝒓𝒅𝒖𝒔 - 𝑻𝒂𝒏𝒌𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒌, 3𝒓𝒅 𝑺𝒆𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝑨𝒔𝒔𝒂𝒖𝒍𝒕 𝑩𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒂𝒅𝒆

    Tanchik has been in the Ukrainian military for 12 years and Azov for 10, having been in the unit since it was known as the Azov Battalion, remaining in the unit as it progressed into the Azov Regiment (and its sub SSO units) into what it is now, the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade.

    Tanchick had been around since Azov’s inception - when it was originally a self-funded volunteer militia unit not yet absorbed by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In the wake of the 2014 War in Donbas, paramilitary volunteer units were set up to support and embolden the Ukrainian Armed Forces as Russian troops entered quietly in the east and Russian Separatists began seizing cities.

    “In 2013 I was with an AFU Tank Reconnaissance unit but joined the Azov Battalion later in 2014 where I would conduct missions in Luhansk. This was my first unit and we would conduct reconnaissance missions against Russian separatists in the area. We had mission-based deployments so when a mission came up we would be sent to that area, finish the job and then come back.”

    His experience in the military prior to the 2022 invasion wouldn’t just physically prepare him for the upcoming war but also mentally and emotionally prepare him. 

    As Russian forces invaded larger Ukraine from the North, South and East, he remained true to his commitment to Ukraine. “I understood this, I understood the invasion. I was experienced in tactics and fighting, so to me, the invasion was nothing interesting. While it shocked some, it was not shocking to me.” We asked him what he felt when the invasion began, he quickly and sternly replied; “Nothing, just give me a rifle to kill the Russian soldiers.”

    His first mission in the 2022 invasion would be at Hostomel Airport. On February 24th, Russian VDV paratroopers would conduct an air assault onto Antonov Aiport (Hostomel Airport) in an attempt to create a land bridge to bring in more Russian troops, vehicles and equipment. “In terms of the Russian VDV, their paratroopers, they differed in skill. Their first wave appeared to be seasoned guys, well equipped guys. Their second line however was less equipped and less seasoned. It was clear they were hasty reinforcements. We did come across some Spetsnaz soldiers, their gear and their weapons were the most up to date. After we finished our mission there we moved to conduct operations in Bucha and Irpin.”

    

“Civilians must prepare and train. The people in Kyiv and elsewhere, in safe regions, they need to prepare. Contribute. Train. Get ready. The Army will help The Army, but we need civilians to be ready and contribute as well.”

    When questioned about changes in the war he said: “There have been many changes in this war, especially in tactics. In the beginning it was easy to conduct reconnaissance and infiltrate enemy lines. Now it is extremely difficult, still possible, but difficult. The Russian lines are very solidified and well defended, in the beginning lines were broken and fluid, easily allowing us to slip through.

Of course other things have changed like equipment and its use. Tanks, DJI surveillance drones, FPV drones, anti armor capabilities, artillery. Drones are now dominating the battlefield. It’s important we pay attention to these changes.”

    These aren’t the only things to have changed in this war. This unit having grown from Azov Battalion, to the Azov Regiment to where it is at now, the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade has also changed. It has been one of the few units in Ukraine to change its tactics, adapting more modern methods. The 3rd Separate Assault Brigade has been one of the few Ukrainian units to not only hold the ground they’re ordered to defend, but also one of the few to counter-assault and retake ground, while also assisting others. Tanchik, like many soldiers of the 3rd SAB say a number of factors contribute to this.

    

“Professionalism. Discipline. Will. Proper molding. Motivation. Ideology. Drive to be better. The biggest one is brotherhood. This is not just a unit. This is a brotherhood.”

  

 Leaders like Tanchik continue to rally young Ukrainian fighters looking to serve and defend their homeland. His experiences both as a soldier and a leader move down the line to his sergeants and downward to his younger enlisted. Whether in Hostomel, Irpin, Mariupol, Bakhmut or Avdiivka, the soldiers of the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade continue to hold themselves to a high standard of both professionalism, soldiering and lethality.