‘I live on two fronts’: Airdrie man on Ukraine frontlines shares autonomous farming, drone skills | 24CA News
An Airdrie man is in Ukraine now close to the town of Bakhmut volunteering with the military and utilizing his abilities to show others to function drones.
Yevgen Mykhaylichenko, who teaches about autonomous farm gear at Olds College in Alberta, was born in Ukraine close to Dnipro and taught at Dnipro State Agrarian and Economic University.
“In a peaceful time I’m an instructor at Olds College, but in the war time I’m a drone instructor and also volunteer,” Mykhaylichenko mentioned.
This is his sixth time volunteering, sharing his drone experience because the battle began simply over a 12 months in the past.
“If you are late for 10 seconds, even a few seconds, a Russian missile or a bomb can hit the operator of the drone. It can cost you your life if you make this mistake on the battlefield,” Mykhaylichenko mentioned.
When Mykhaylichenko shouldn’t be on the entrance traces, he’s conducting free lectures at his former college and creating programs for college students again in Canada on autonomous farming and robotics.
Last fall he was capable of assist Olds College college students management a robotic in a area close to Didsbury, all whereas he was in the course of a battle.
“I’m really grateful to my Canadian students as well because they let me control everything remotely. This is a huge machine with autonomous farming and all I needed is just good Internet connection and for my students to start the ignition on the robot. I can control from the laptop sitting on the front line and we were doing spraying of fungicides and herbicides,” Mykhaylichenko mentioned.
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When requested why he chooses to danger his life to maintain coming again to Ukraine, he says he simply needs to assist his household and his homeland.
He mentioned his nephew disappeared in June 2022 close to Bakhmut, however his physique was solely present in October. He was a soldier of the twenty fourth brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Mykhaylichenko’s childhood buddy was additionally killed in August 2022 close to Bakhmut.
“It’s also about how can I leave those people that are living there if they are sacrificing their life for the army?” Mykhaylichenko mentioned.
He mentioned he’s achieved loads of his objectives and this is only one extra problem.
“I have benefits and advantages from both countries, so I don’t regret at all. If you’re going to be killed, you will never know about it, first. Second, is goals. I am from a poor family, but I reached everything by myself and there is not much left in this life that would surprise me so probably this is kind of a new challenge for me,” Mykhaylichenko mentioned.
It’s volunteer troopers like Vasyl Trykulich, who’s at the moment with the 19 Separate Rifle Battalion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who’re a part of Mykhaylichenko’s motivation.
“We are thankful Yevgen (is) helping us with drones. There is a friendship between us since he’s been here,” mentioned Trykulich.
“They left their families, they left everything and they are volunteers who join the army. That motivates me: The spirit of the Ukrainian people,” Mykhaylichenko mentioned. “They are all different. Some of them are bookkeepers, some hairdressers and teachers.”
Mykhaylichenko and others are are amassing cash for drones and different gear like backpacks and gloves and binoculars.
He mentioned he wouldn’t have the ability to do what he’s doing in Ukraine with out the help of many individuals together with his buddy Robert Saik, an agronomist and advisor to Olds College, and members of the Olds College staff, Joy Agnew and Alex Melnitchouck.
“I live on two fronts. One front in Canada and one front in Ukraine.”
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“You only have one life and you need to utilize your time to 100 per cent of its potential. It’s always a challenge. Are you ready for this? How well can you do this? It’s all based on your spirit and your desire and all the support of other families.”
Mykhaylichenko plans to return to Alberta on the finish of March. He’s been there since early February.
“It’s scary, but not too much. We have no choice. Our Ukrainian Armed Forces don’t have any other choices because behind them there are families and that’s it,” Mykhaylichenko mentioned.
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