Anton Malynovskyi is 26. He is an entrepreneur and a teacher. In peacetime, Anton and his family lived on the left bank of Kyiv, but at the beginning of the war, they moved to the right bank. Now he is in the village of Markhalivka, 10 kilometers from Kyiv. He moved because if they blew up the bridges (which can happen during a war), it would be impossible to cross the Dnipro River. Therefore, it would be impossible to take his parents out of the city. Moreover, Anton assumes the defense of Kyiv makes more sense on the right bank. He says most volunteer organizations are located there.
On the second day of the war, Anton sent his wife and daughter through Poland to Sweden. He remained in the local subdivision of the Territorial Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. They protect the city and infrastructure from the enemy, detect saboteurs, and more.
“When my daughter and wife left Kyiv, my strong fear and premonition changed to relief. I became more energetic. I felt very angry and optimistic. Nothing has changed since then, except now I’m a little more tired”.
“As for me, I was just born a man, a Ukrainian, and it is my land these Northern rats and assholes have trespassed on. It is my duty to the country, to my family, and to myself to stay here and contribute to victory.”
For the first two days, Anton dug trenches and formed dugouts and shelters in the village of Markhalivka. Now he is more involved in the city. He helps several volunteer centers in the capital, looking for equipment for fighters and dealing with organizational issues free of charge. Anton says that when he came to enroll in the Territorial Defense Forces on the second day of the war, they were already overstaffed.
“Every day, I get up at 6:30 a.m., freshen myself up, browse through the night news, text my wife and daughter, take food and go to the city. I drive all day long. If they need 500 liters of water in the perinatal center, I bring it. If there’s a need to make a payment and bring 1,000 sets of thermal underwear to the distribution center, I do it.”
Anton says his biggest fear is a nuclear attack. “We can cope with anything else. We are already winning, and we will win the war one hundred percent.”
In the near future and up until the victory, Anton plans to stay in Kyiv and help.
“And afterwards as well. But I also plan to be a happy witness to how the Ukrainian nation and country will emerge and reform themselves after the liberation war. It will be an amazing experience. I plan to renew my own businesses and projects. Some I will have to close forever (and I have already done so). I will create new ones. I plan to live and contribute to the economy of Ukraine.”
At present, the Ukrainian military and the Territorial Defense Forces are defending the city and the Kyiv region.
“I am proud of the military, the leading units of the Territorial Defense Forces, as well as ordinary people. Russians cannot do anything to us.
“I dream of walking the streets of Kyiv again, seeing relaxed, smiling, beautiful people who are safe. And it’s enough for me to be happy.
“After the victory, Russian people will not be forgiven. Personally, I will do my best to make them suffer as much as possible and change their lives for the worse. Before sanctions are lifted, before there is a question of forgiveness and a peaceful hate-free human existence, Russians must fully restore everything they have taken from us. The resources and finances we will rebuild the country with should come from Russia as much as possible,” says Anton.
