Vadym O. Naumov (Dozor)

Vadim finished school in his hometown of Kozyatin and received a junior specialist diploma from Berdichiv College of Industry, Economics, and Law. He was passionate about music, playing guitar in the Kozyatin rock band "AROS." In April 2013, he was drafted for compulsory military service, which he served in the ranks of the capital's separate special forces brigade "Bars" of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. In the winter of 2013-2014, he participated in maintaining public order in Kyiv during the events of the Revolution of Dignity. In March, as a serviceman of the National Guard of Ukraine, he served to guard the residence of former president Yanukovych, "Mezhyhirya." His term of service was extended due to the announcement of partial mobilization. From mid-June to the end of July, soldier Naumov participated in the anti-terrorist operation in Donetsk region, serving at one of the checkpoints near Sloviansk. After returning to the unit and undergoing training, Vadim submitted a report requesting to be sent back to the ATO zone… Battalion commander, Major Yaroslav Kovalchuk: "The group under my command, consisting of 25 servicemen, guarded the bridge over the Kalmius River between the villages of Vasylivka and Rozdolne for three days. Most of the guardsmen were stationed in the dugouts dug along the shore, while another group, which included Naumov, was positioned on a height — in particular, Vadim found a convenient position from which the entire shore was visible. Although Vadim was not a sergeant, he often performed the duties of the senior watch, skillfully used radio communication, and was observant and prudent. On September 1, around 4:30 PM, just after we had lunch, Dozor — that was Vadim's call sign — reported to me over the radio about the approach of a column: three cars and two buses. Observers also recorded suspicious movement of unknown people 1-1.5 km from the bridge. I ordered everyone to take positions, and I jumped into the trench just a minute before the cars stopped on the bridge: a traffic police car, civilian "Toyota Camry" and "Daewoo Lanos." The cars had "Children" signs, but armed men in camouflage got out of them. It seemed as if one of our fighters was escorting a column evacuating children from the combat zone. Just then, unfortunately, one of my subordinates, who had not yet reached his farthest trench, jumped onto the bridge. The "camouflaged" men shouted: "Stop! Put down your weapons!" The boy froze, I stood up and shouted: "Don't touch the soldier, he's one of ours!" "Who are ours?" — "National Guard" — "And we are reconnaissance of the DPR!"… The soldier effectively became a hostage, so when the militants began shooting at us, at first we could not respond. But the boy did not lose his composure — as soon as the separatists were distracted, he jumped off the bridge and rolled into the ditch. I commanded: "Fire!" — our grenade launcher hit the "Camry" from 400 meters, which exploded in the air. In the heat of the shooting, Naumov suddenly came back on the radio — reported that he was wounded. I ran to the height to find out what happened, leaving a capable soldier in my place. Just then, the enemy fire intensified: the militants who were in the "children's" buses spread out along the opposite bank and opened heavy fire. Our soldiers held their ground, but controlling an area wider than 400-500 meters was beyond the capability of one platoon. Moreover, the river in that place was shallow, and it was easy to cross it on foot… On the outskirts of Vasylivka, I received a serious leg injury — a bullet shattered the bone. Finding shelter near the monument to the liberators, despite the pain, I began to call for a sniper over the radio — someone responded, but it was not Vadim… Half an hour later, reinforcements arrived. I asked the medics to evacuate me last, and first help Naumov. The guys rushed to the height, but attempts to find Vadim during the fighting, which lasted until late at night when the separatists retreated, were unsuccessful. He was searched for another 3 days, but it became clear that he, alive or dead, had fallen into the hands of the militants… Vadim's mother, Inna Serhiivna: "I found out that Vadim had gone to Donbas only after his death. He didn't tell me anything because he didn't want me to worry. Even when I saw his photos from the first deployment on social media — where he was standing under the road sign "Sloviansk," my son reassured me that he was not in the ATO zone, but at the training ground, where everything seemed real… You know, I believed it because I really wanted to calm myself down. In general, he had been a trouble-free boy since childhood — he never lied and never let me down. A few days before his death, Vadim told me not to pay attention to the fact that he would now call less often. He said he had broken his phone, so for a while he could at best send SMS. Now I understand what nonsense that was — can you really write from a broken device? But then I believed again… On September 3, I called the brigade, and they told me that Vadim was on a mission, but they didn't say that he had been missing for three days. Only on September 5 did I learn about the battle, Vadim's injury, and his disappearance, but I didn't allow myself to think about the worst. I was sure: he was alive and would definitely be found. Vadim's friends searched for him through relevant groups on social media, left my contacts, and then I received a call. They said that Vadim was in captivity, doing construction work, and that I could buy him back for 20,000 UAH. I turned to investigators, recorded conversations with that person on a dictaphone — all in vain, no one could confirm or deny the fact that he was indeed being held somewhere. Once the extortionists even "gave the phone to my son" — some boy asked: "Mom, get me out of here!" I thought the voice sounded like Vadim's, and I was ready to give the criminals any money, until on October 14, I was informed that in the Zaporizhzhia morgue, among the bags with the bodies of our fallen soldiers, they found his belt. Just the belt, without the body. In fact, Vadim was there; the staff simply recorded the bag number incorrectly… It took a whole month and considerable efforts from searchers and commanders to correct this mistake. Only in November did I submit a DNA sample. The result came back in about 10 days — but it was not 100% accurate; it was only stated that "a match was found." They asked me to provide Vadim's razor, reanalyzed the sample, and then it was confirmed that it was indeed him. We went to Zaporizhzhia, and the SBU investigator handed me a package with my son's personal belongings — a lighter, a spoon, and a phone. The latter remained covered in his blood, just as it was. They did not try to wash it or even turn it on… I thought about keeping the device for myself, as a memory, and maybe even using it someday, but I realized I couldn't. I gave it to the museum, and I immediately felt a little lighter. By the way, the same belt that the searchers found Vadim by has somehow disappeared. I asked the investigator, and he replied: "What, do you think I took it for myself?" I had no strength left to argue further. All this time, I continued to be "harassed" by phone scammers. The last time they called when I was already in Zaporizhzhia. I said: "How can you not be ashamed, I just came from the identification…" And they mockingly replied: "And how, did you recognize him?" I don't know if such people have a heart? On the day of Vadim's funeral, a sparrow flew into our house. Surely, this is a good sign. Now I believe in signs in general. Sometimes it seems to me that Vadim did not stay lost for so long for nothing. He was preparing me for this for a long time. If I had found out right away, I would probably have gone mad with grief. But now — I hold on. How strange, but I have enough strength to live on, to teach children at school, to communicate with my son's friends. I only ask them one thing: don't forget me, come, call, get married, have many, many children. For all those peers of yours who will never be able to give life to anyone…".