"War Has No Mercy: A Soldier's Descent into Trauma"
For young volunteer soldier Akula, the initial rush of patriotism was quickly replaced by a harsh reality of fear, cold, hunger, and loneliness when he found himself on the front lines of the Russian invasion in Ukraine.
"My experience is not something I would wish upon anyone," Akula shared his harrowing story with CNN's David McKenzie. The 22-year-old soldier, who had joined the fight at the beginning of the conflict, revealed that the trauma of war has taken a devastating toll on his mental health.
The conditions he faced were unbearable - temperatures plummeting to icy lows, rations scarce and meals often going uneaten. But it was the psychological strain that proved most crippling. "I'm scared all the time," Akula confessed. "Every sound, every movement makes me jump. I'm constantly on edge."
Akula's story serves as a stark reminder of the human cost of conflict. Behind the bravado and patriotic rhetoric lies a young man struggling to cope with the trauma of war. His account is a poignant testament to the long-lasting impact of military service on those who serve.
The Ukrainian government has acknowledged the growing mental health crisis affecting soldiers, but many more like Akula remain unspoken. As one soldier so poignantly put it: "War has no mercy."
For young volunteer soldier Akula, the initial rush of patriotism was quickly replaced by a harsh reality of fear, cold, hunger, and loneliness when he found himself on the front lines of the Russian invasion in Ukraine.
"My experience is not something I would wish upon anyone," Akula shared his harrowing story with CNN's David McKenzie. The 22-year-old soldier, who had joined the fight at the beginning of the conflict, revealed that the trauma of war has taken a devastating toll on his mental health.
The conditions he faced were unbearable - temperatures plummeting to icy lows, rations scarce and meals often going uneaten. But it was the psychological strain that proved most crippling. "I'm scared all the time," Akula confessed. "Every sound, every movement makes me jump. I'm constantly on edge."
Akula's story serves as a stark reminder of the human cost of conflict. Behind the bravado and patriotic rhetoric lies a young man struggling to cope with the trauma of war. His account is a poignant testament to the long-lasting impact of military service on those who serve.
The Ukrainian government has acknowledged the growing mental health crisis affecting soldiers, but many more like Akula remain unspoken. As one soldier so poignantly put it: "War has no mercy."
. I mean, they're barely out of their teens and already dealing with this crazy stuff. It's not like they signed up for a summer camp adventure or something 
. The thought of those conditions and the psychological strain is just heartbreaking. And what's even more disturbing is that it seems like the Ukrainian government isn't doing enough to support them 
. We need to start having some serious conversations about the real cost of war, not just the headlines 
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. I mean, you'd think that when you're fighting for your country, everyone's all about the patriotism and the glory, but what about the poor dudes on the front lines? 
. And don't even get me started on the mental health aspect - 22-year-olds should not have to deal with PTSD 
. We need to start thinking about the real cost of war, not just the politicians' PR spin 
. And rations going uneaten? That sounds even more harsh. The fact that he's still struggling with PTSD is a major red flag, like, we gotta support these guys more 
We can't just talk about war as some patriotic thing; we need to acknowledge the real human cost of it too 
? but seriously, the mental toll of war is so not pretty. it's like, we hear about soldiers coming back with PTSD, but what about those who are still on the front lines struggling to cope? 
akula's story is heartbreaking, but also super important in raising awareness about the human cost of conflict 
. Mental health issues are super serious 
. Governments should really step up & provide more support to soldiers like him 
. We gotta think about the human cost of war 
.
. It's like, you join the army to serve your country, but instead, you become a human machine just trying to survive day by day 
. And then when you finally get home, everyone's expecting you to be all brave and hero-like again 
how can ppl say war is noble or heroic when its basically torture on human minds... 
what kinda world are we living in where our soldiers r expected to deal w/ this alone? 
I can imagine being scared all the time just from every little sound or movement... that's like my worst nightmare 
. This story needs more attention, we need to hear from more soldiers like Akula sharing their experiences so we can better understand what they're going through 
.
the psychological strain of war is totally not something we can even begin to imagine 
I'm all for supporting our soldiers, but we need to make sure they're getting the help and care they deserve