The 36-year-old deputy head of the military-political department of the combined arms army, Lieutenant Colonel Artyom Kazantsev, took part in the special military operation from the first day.

In April 2022, during the performance of a combat mission, he received a shell shock.

But the officer did not go to the hospital, but stayed with his unit. 

“We have arrived at the front line of contact with the enemy.

A dense shelling from mortars began, ”Kazantsev recalls in an interview with RT.

One of the mines exploded next to him.

The officer received a concussion. 

“However, we managed to find a gap between shelling,” says Kazantsev.

- Our artillery worked in response, we had five or six minutes to evacuate, which we took advantage of.

None of the group was hurt.

After that, I performed combat missions for another two weeks, but due to a deterioration in my health, I was hospitalized. ”

After treatment in the hospital, Artyom Kazantsev was awarded the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, II degree.

The lieutenant colonel himself does not consider his act a feat.

“We were just doing our job.

Everyone who is there accomplishes a feat,” says the officer.

"Spreading fake news"

According to Kazantsev, the nationalists are conducting propaganda among the local population, intimidating residents by spreading fakes. 

“They brought a group of people to the territory of the Russian Federation: a woman of 70-75 years old - in tears, says:“ Guys, thank you.

I asked her: “Why didn’t you come out right away?

We could have evacuated you earlier."

And she says that she and her friends were told that they would be taken to Siberia and then they would be slaves for the rest of their lives,” says Kazantsev.

She said and even laughed herself.

She says that it is not clear why she succumbed to this stupidity.

Ukrainian youth, according to the officer, are simply fooled by nationalist propaganda. 

“Children are being hammered into school that Russia is the worst thing that can happen to them.

Russia is the main enemy not of Ukraine, but of the whole world,” the lieutenant colonel continues.

“At the same time, all the facts indicate that Ukraine has been preparing for military operations for a long time.

In many regions, we found, so to speak, concrete structures in the ground that can withstand artillery fire.

As the locals said, for five or six years, for sure, and somewhere for all eight years, cement and building materials were brought there, and these structures were created over the years.”

"I dreamed of being a soldier"

Artyom Kazantsev has been serving in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation for almost 20 years.

He says that he dreamed of becoming a military man from early childhood.

“I am not the first military man in the family.

My cousin uncle is a rocket officer.

As a child, he often brought me gifts: a soldier's belt, a cockade, a holster,” says Kazantsev.

- Once my grandfather and I went to meet him at the airport, and grandfather said: “Make your uncle happy - put on a hat with a cockade, a holster and a belt now,” and I tell him: “But I won’t go anywhere, suddenly there is a patrol, and I don’t have any documents that I am a military man.”

In the eighth grade, Kazantsev decided to enter the Kazan Suvorov School.

He was preparing for exams, but did not pass the medical examination - according to him, because of a broken nose.

“It just pissed me off and pissed me off.

I entered the cadet class in my city and went in for sports.

He graduated from school with a silver medal, and then went to Kazan again and entered the Higher Artillery Command School.

He entered without any problems, passed all the exams, and the standards for physical training were excellent, - says the soldier.

“I really wanted to become an officer, and to this day I don’t regret at all that I connected my life with military service.”

The officer has repeatedly taken part in hostilities, including in Syria.

For the performance of tasks in the Syrian Arab Republic, he was awarded the Suvorov medal.

Participated in the operation in Syria to reconcile the warring parties.

He has awards for military distinction, for completing tasks on the territory of the Russian Federation.

And on February 24, "went shoulder to shoulder into the territory of Ukraine, along with other units."

The officer says that he is ready to return to the war zone at any time.

His wife, daughter and son are waiting for him at home.

“Soon we have replenishment: we are expecting a third child,” the lieutenant colonel smiles.