Andrei spent two years evacuating the wounded from the front until an illness struck him down while he was on duty. After several operations, doctors prescribed treatment at a sanatorium to help him return to service. But Andrei cannot afford to pay for it.
My name is Andrei, and I am a Belarusian volunteer fighter.
In 2025, I suffered a bout of renal colic right in the middle of combat duty. A kidney stone started moving, and within a minute I was completely knocked out. For years, I had been evacuating the wounded myself, but this time I was the one who had to be evacuated.
But let me start from the beginning.
In 2021, the security forces came looking for me. I managed to leave by a literal miracle, leaving everything behind. They kept calling me for a long time afterwards, trying to intimidate me: “Come out, let’s talk.” Once I was already abroad, I called them myself and told them to stop frightening people because I was no longer there.
I started my life from scratch in exile and found a job. Then I learned that a criminal case had been opened against me. It was because of a neutral comment about the Zeltsar case. I was put on the wanted list.
When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, I completed military training courses. The idea of going there had always been with me, and in 2023 I joined the Kalinouski Regiment. It is a unit of Belarusian volunteer fighters who fight for Ukraine. I believe that without a free Ukraine, there will be no free Belarus either.
After basic training, I volunteered to join a combat unit. Later, I became the driver of an evacuation vehicle: I went out with a medic to the frontline and picked up the wounded. I served in different sectors.
When the illness knocked me down, I underwent treatment, had two unsuccessful operations, and only the third one was successful. I didn’t even use up all my leave after the medical commission: I submitted a report and returned to service early.
But I no longer went on evacuation missions. An attack can happen suddenly, and if it strikes while I’m on the road transporting the wounded, I’ll be the one who needs rescuing, while the guys will be left waiting. I couldn’t let them down like that.
So I transferred to medical logistics: I transported my wounded brothers-in-arms between hospitals and to medical commissions. In winter, I spent a month living in a tent camp in temperatures as low as minus thirty degrees. There were a huge number of sick people. Every day, I drove them to hospitals and back, and eventually I fell ill myself. I think that was when my health was finally broken. After that winter, another kidney stone started moving, and I had another operation.
I am currently undergoing a military medical commission, which will decide whether I can continue serving. My doctor has prescribed treatment at a balneological sanatorium. They use mineral waters and therapeutic procedures there, and the facility specialises specifically in urology and kidney stone disease. This treatment helps people recover after operations and reduces the risk of further attacks.
For me, this is a chance to recover and return to service. But I cannot afford to pay for the treatment myself.
I would be very grateful for any help.
Fundraising goal
€1100
For treatment at a balneological sanatorium: accommodation, procedures and travel costs