From zero to Abrams menace: One soldier’s family counteroffensive story

Fara had agreed not to join the army for the sake of his family. But when duty called, he was happy to answer. His entire family was. ‘As soon as the mobilization started, I got a call, I agreed, and seven of my cousins and second cousins went with me. And it happened that we were all in the same unit, we all stayed together.’ Fara had, as he put it, ‘zero experience,’ yet soon was leading an assault group of his own. But one of his first assignments wasn’t to attack, but defend, as the 42nd Division fought back against the Ukrainian counteroffensive. ‘I go out, I look around, there is only smoke, you can see absolutely nothing. And I’m looking through the thermal imager, and I see something through the smoke. Bradley, tank, Bradley, tank, Bradley. Five vehicles coming at us across the field.’ He’s almost nonchalant about his heroics. ‘I ran out with an RPG, and shot it in the back,’ he said. ‘It exploded.’