The team of veterans of Ukraine visited the leading positions of the military and border guards
The visit of the national team of Ukraine among veterans to the east of the country on August 2-3 was extremely interesting and intense.
As previously reported, the famous domestic footballers held two friendly matches: in Krasnohorivka they defeated the team of Kramatorsk Border Detachment - 2: 0, and in Selydiv Correctional Colony - the team of convicts - 6: 1. But, in addition to football, there were many meetings with the military and border guards, who were genuinely impressed by the appearance of idols in almost the hottest spots on the line of demarcation.
Life "at zero" with your own eyes
The Maryinka entry-exit checkpoint, located about 10 km from Donetsk, is a kind of way of life for hundreds of thousands of residents of the occupied territory who do not want to lose touch with their homeland. Currently, a pilot project is being implemented to equip the Marinka checkpoint: roofs are being built, where customs officers and border guards inspect cars, comfortable waiting areas for pedestrians are being built, and modern cold and hot water bathrooms are planned to be installed. The builders plan to complete the work by the fall, and in the meantime, CPVV is working full-time, with about 10 people and XNUMX vehicles crossing it every day.
The activities of border guards of the Kramatorsk Border Detachment, which ensure the smooth operation of the mentioned CPVR, are complex and dangerous. There are shellings almost every day, maximum concentration and attention are required. Famous Ukrainian footballers had the opportunity to see with their own eyes how our border guards serve, what courage, character and fighting endurance they show to ensure the unimpeded entry and exit of citizens and vehicles. When you ask them about the service not on camera, they smile: “All the buildings of the checkpoint are temporary. If necessary, they can be moved to another place, preferably on the border with Russia. "
By the way, during the visit of the veterans' team to Maryinka, each member of the delegation had to wear a bulletproof vest and helmet, and the movement took place in special armored cars. It was all the more pleasant for the border guards to meet their football idols, as they say, "at zero", to communicate and receive souvenirs.
An opportunity for friendly communication
The base of the veterans' team in the east was the Kurakhivka Operational and Border Commandant's Office. It was there, in the premises of the former school, which is now dedicated to the needs of the border service, that famous footballers met with servicemen. Casual communication lasted about an hour, mainly on football topics, everyone was interested in the professional assessment of the game of the Kramatorsk Border Detachment team against the national team.
"Without exaggeration, a very solid team, our players had to make an effort to win," said the famous coach Myron Markevich. "Sometimes it seemed that they were real footballers disguised as border guards." Such words, even from Myron Bogdanovich, warmed the souls of the guys who made a proposal for a rematch. "There will be no problems with this," Anatoliy Demyanenko replied. - The veterans' team has already played more than a hundred matches, and a quarter of them are in the east of Ukraine. These are Volnovakha, Popasna, Novoaydar, Starobilsk and other cities. Invite, and we will definitely come to you. "
A soccer ball and an autographed flag were traditionally presented to commemorate the meeting. "Such visits to our units take place with a certain regularity," said the head of the Kramatorsk Border Detachment, Colonel Anatoliy Fedorchuk. - Last month, a team of pop singers from FC Maestro came, previously there were Oleksandr Usyk, the band Jijo, a team of strongmen together with Vasyl Virastyuk. Among the players are Myron Markevich, Artem Fedetsky, Mykhailo Kopolovets. This is important for raising the spirits of border guards, a sense of support. All this is seen by local residents who live in "gray" areas, near the line of contact. For border guards, service is paramount. At the same time, we give boys the opportunity to play sports and play football. Our team trains twice a week in Krasnohorivka or nearby Girnyk. To make you understand, in the same Krasnohorivka, where the veterans' team played a match, it is very dangerous, shelling is carried out at night. Yes, there is some stabilization of the situation, but all this can change in about five minutes. We have to be ready for that. "
Despite the fatigue and incredible heat, the veterans' team fulfilled the entire program planned in the east. She visited the front line of the Armed Forces in Maryinka, a well-known "hospital" from media reports. It is only a few hundred meters from the demarcation line. The fighters spoke about the difficult service and the desire to fully defend the sovereignty and independence of their homeland.
"In two and a half years, the veterans 'team has become something more than just a football team," shared his impressions of the next visit to the east, FFU Vice President, organizer of the veterans' team Oleh Sobutsky. - We are greeted everywhere as welcome guests, share their joys and problems. Trips to the eastern borders are generally special, they are engraved in the memory and become the property of history. Because it is a modern Ukrainian history - it is being done right here, on the eastern borders of the country, where young guys often defend the state's integrity and sovereignty at the cost of their own lives or health.
The team of veterans, with the support of FFU and its president Andriy Pavelko, consisting of Anatoliy Demyanenko, Myron Markevich and other prominent personalities, is carrying out a high humanitarian mission. There is a certain danger when we go to a meeting on the "zero" line or play a match a few kilometers from the line of demarcation. But our Ukrainian citizens live here, and we are obliged to show them that Ukraine is one. I am grateful to our whole team that when it comes to the next match, no matter in which part of Ukraine or the world, the players are always ready, no one ever refuses. We no longer have just a team, but a real family, which I am personally very proud of. "
