Heroes do not die: Ruslan Megres

"My son said to me: "Mom, who else but me?" His whole heart was in those words. They contained his courage and his destiny. He was a Man with a capital M," recalls the mother of Ruslan Megres, a warrior who did not hesitate to defend Ukraine from the first days of the full-scale invasion. He was kind, reliable and skillful. He devoted all his strength, knowledge and golden hands to serving the army when honor, duty and love for the Motherland demanded it.

With the story of Ruslan Megres, Intent continues the series"Heroes Do Not Die" about people who defended Ukraine from the Russian invasion at the cost of their lives...

Formation of a warrior

Ruslan fought as part of the 172nd separate battalion of the 120th brigade of the TRO. He was one of those soldiers who kept the defense not with words, but with deeds. He worked with dignity. He fought bravely. He remained steadfast even in the most difficult conditions.

When the threat hung over the capital, Ruslan Anatoliyovych defended Kyiv together with his comrades-in-arms. It was there, at a checkpoint, that fate gave him a meeting with his future wife Olha. After the liberation of the Kyiv region, the unit was transferred to the east, near Kharkiv. There, the war raged with renewed vigor.

Ruslan Megres. PHOTO courtesy of the interviewees

Ruslan was highly valued by his comrades. They respected him for his balance and sobriety of thought. He knew how to make the right decisions at the crucial moment. On May 10, 2024, their unit held back a fierce enemy invasion in the north of Starytsia, Chuhuiv community , Kharkiv region. At that time, Ruslan was already the commander of the rifle squad. People followed him. He was trusted.

In heavy street battles, amidst dust and fire, he proved himself to be a true professional warrior. He was determined, brave and precise in his actions. It was especially difficult to hold back enemy assault groups. But Ruslan worked with confidence and precision. Only those who do not allow fear and know well what they stand for act this way. He believed in himself, in his men and in Ukraine.

Ruslan Megres received fatal injuries after a mortar attack. His life - like the lives of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers - became part of the foundation of our state. It is the foundation on which our freedom stands and the right to a free and decent life is built.

Ruslan Megres. PHOTO provided by the interlocutors

Family about the defender

To show Ruslan as he really was, we turned to those who knew him best - his family.

"He was trouble-free. He was eager to help everyone," recalls his mother, Halyna Stanislavivna. "I was always proud of him. My son worked as a driver. He was a trucker abroad for three years, and I missed him very much. Then he worked at Avtostrada. He returned from a flight and the war broke out. I asked to stay at home for at least a day. But Ruslan immediately took a turn at the military registration and enlistment office. He was always like that. How many cars he repaired in the unit. He even gave away his own bus..."

Ruslan and Olha. PHOTO courtesy of the interviewees

Ruslan's wife, Olha, recalls their first meeting:

"We met because of the war. Their unit came to defend the Kyiv region. I was volunteering at the time. We met at a checkpoint where I was bringing aid. We started talking and couldn't stop.

Our volunteer group helped the soldiers with their everyday life: we brought appliances, refrigerators, and hygiene products. I was looking for houses to accommodate them.

Ruslan himself came to me. He said that I was the woman he had been looking for all his life. It was sincere and real.

I was most impressed by his kindness. It was in every little thing. Even when he saw selfishness, he was able to find the light. We were similar in that way."

Ruslan Megres. PHOTO provided by the interlocutors

"He was not an excellent student at school," his mother smiles, "but his teachers loved him. The class teacher once said: "Your Ruslan disrupted the lesson, but it is a sin to scold him. He is such a good child". For me, he was the best. My only son."

Olha continues:

"Every day I felt his care. In his hands, you feel not just a woman, but infinitely loved.

When he was transferred from Kyiv region, we remained close. He called, wrote, found a minute even when he was exhausted. Until he was at the very "zero", I went to see him every two weeks.

We continued to collect aid for his unit. We found a scope for Ruslan - he knew how to shoot down Shakhtys.

We did not talk about politics. We just saw the enemy on our land.

He became a commander. The guys respected him. He thought logically, soberly and responsibly.

Before the war, he was a hunter and a trucker. He saw and heard everything around him. But he did not hear that mine... he did not hear it. As they say, if it's yours, you can't avoid it."

Ruslan Megres. PHOTO provided by the interviewees

The mother recalls the last conversation:

"After Easter, he called. He said: "Mom, I can't talk long. I will be home in a week. But now I'm going to a place where people don't always come back from."

The next day I did not get through. He pulled out several guys in that battle. His comrades came to visit. They thanked him...

Ruslan and Olya got married on December 29, 2023. We still support each other."

Ruslan, Olha and their child. PHOTO provided by the interviewees

Olha said:

"He called the day before he died. He said he didn't know if he was coming back. They were already in Kharkiv region. It was very serious. "Wait for my call. I'm fine now," he said on May 8, when the offensive began.

Before that, he fought in the Donetsk region, near Sloviansk. He evacuated 200s and 300s. Sometimes he talked about the guys - funny, different...

Most of all, he liked to talk about our future. He dreamed of a house in the woods - his "fazenda". About working together. About life after the war.

I continue to volunteer even now. I do what we did together. Because freedom is not just a word for us. This is what Ruslan gave his life for.

We don't have a fund. But when we need it, we turn to friends and people who care. Recently, we helped the guys with glue, gas cylinders, cables, lamps... We do everything we can. Just as Ruslan would have done. The way it depends on us now."

Антон Терехов