On the evening of October 29, 2014, 36-year-old Alexander Pilipchuk took over the night shift to guard the dam of the Gorlovka reservoir.
He carried the watch together with his 20-year-old partner Dmitry.
At about 06:00 the next day, small arms fire was opened on the guards of the reservoir from the side of the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
“We ran to the security building and took refuge there,” Alexander recalls.
Half an hour later, mortar shelling began.
One of the mines hit the security building and destroyed it.
“I saw how Dima lost consciousness and fell to the floor, a pool of blood spread under him.
I was stunned.
I got out from under the rubble and, despite the shelling, ran towards the forest belt, ”says Alexander.
He managed to get through the forest to the checkpoint of the People's Militia officers and report the incident.
The servicemen went to the scene, where they found the wounded Dmitry.
As it turned out, he received a through shrapnel wound in the chest and concussion.
The People's Militia officers took him to the Gorlovka hospital, and the surgeons performed an urgent operation.
Alexander's partner survived.
Alexander himself also needed the help of doctors - he spent three weeks in the hospital.