On the issue of the special operation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kursk region: the story of serviceman Serhiy Bilichenko

Abstract

The article, based on memoirs, interviews with the involvement of historiographical material (books, monographs and scientific articles), highlights the participation of serviceman Serhiy Bilichenko in military operations during the Russian-Ukrainian war. Serhiy Bilichenko's personal life path is studied: early orphanhood at the age of 3 (loss of father and mother), poor childhood, service in the army, work in law enforcement agencies. At the end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022, the foreign policy situation began to change dramatically due to the aggravation of relations with the Russian Federation and the possibility of an armed attack by the latter. On February 24, 2022, at 3:30 a.m., sabotage and reconnaissance groups of Russian troops attacked Ukrainian checkpoints in the regions of Ukraine adjacent to the Russian Federation (Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Luhansk and Kherson), the first border battles began; at 4:50 a.m., the broadcast of a recorded speech by the President of Russia on the conduct of a “special military operation” began. Since 2022, Serhiy Bilichenko has been actively participating in repelling Russian aggression in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as part of military unit A 7095 (including participating in the liberation of the city of Kherson in November 2022). On August 6, 2024, the operation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kursk region began, in which three battalion tactical groups formed on the basis of airborne assault brigades were involved at the first stage. Moreover, from the very beginning, the stormtroopers had a very powerful advance - only on the first day about 10 kilometers. As part of the 22nd separate mechanized brigade, Serhiy Bilichenko was transferred to the Kursk region on August 8, 2024. It was from that date that he did not contact his relatives and his phone was off the network. According to information from Russian sources in the Kursk region near the settlement of Koreneve on August 13, 2024, the Russians captured four servicemen of the 11th separate battalion of the 22nd separate mechanized brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine - Valery Malchenko, Serhiy Bochenko, Serhiy Litvinenko and Serhiy Bilichenko. Later, a criminal case was opened against the servicemen for committing a terrorist act by a group of persons in a preliminary conspiracy, which caused significant property damage. According to the Russian propaganda version, in early August 2024, the defendants in the case illegally crossed the state border of the Russian Federation. While in the Sudzhansky and Korenovsky districts of the Kursk region, they allegedly prohibited the movement of civilians, occupied private homes, and opened fire on Russian servicemen. For the duration of the investigation, the defendants were placed in a "prisoner of war detention center." No later than February 19, 2025, the 2nd Western District Military Court found the servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine guilty and sentenced Serhiy Bochenko and Valeriy Malchenko to 15 years of imprisonment each, Serhiy Lytvynenko and Serhiy Bilichenko to 16 years of imprisonment each. All the convicts will serve the first 3 years of imprisonment in prison, and the remaining part in a strict regime correctional colony. The verdict was not appealed and became final.