Running into battle: Ukrainian Ironman who swapped marathons for the frontline

On the 24th of February 2022, Dmytro was woken up by a phone call from friends from Myrhorod: "They told me they were being bombed. At first, I misunderstood and thought they meant they were being robbed. I couldn’t quite grasp why they were calling me, and not the police."

Dmytro, an experienced marathon runner and Ironman competitor, had long been drawn to the solitude and discipline of long-distance running.

"Running allowed me to organise my thoughts and clean up my mind. It was like tidying up a room", he told Euronews. Running a marathon is a mental battle, a test of resilience, and a way to push oneself to the limit.

Two days after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, he made up his mind and traded his running gear for a military uniform. He joined the Poltava Territorial Defence Forces.

The skills he had amassed over the years became invaluable as Dmytro faced a new type of marathon. War demands not only physical strength but deep reserves of emotional and psychological resilience.

Even amidst the chaos of war, he continued to run with one of his comrades and fellow runner, Serhii. "I used to train him before the war. During our service, we were always together: Patrolling, training, running", Dmytro told Euronews.

In November 2023, Serhii was killed in action near Avdiivka. "If it weren’t for my injury, I would’ve been with him. Maybe things would’ve turned out differently."

Dmytro was wounded on January 19, 2023, on a combat mission near the Ukrainian city of Soledar in the Bakhmut region. An enemy reconnaissance and sabotage group flanked Dmytro and his battalion. He remembered the battle lasting about 30 to 40 minutes. Along with his commander and a comrade, he moved closer to the centre of the fight