Bassoonist Ivan Meleta, a Lviv National Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra musician, spoke about combat operations, injuries and rehabilitation in an interview for Suspilne. On February 24, 2022, he joined the Armed Forces and became a 45th separate artillery brigade soldier.

Last year, Ivan Meleta was awarded the Order of Courage, 3rd degree, by decree of the President. Our colleague has already undergone more than 40 operations. Rehabilitation continues.

You can support him financially: here are the bank details of his wife Olena 4149499991510601 
World debit 5355 5711 0915 9244

He remembers well the battle when he was wounded. The five of them went on a mission: they conducted aerial reconnaissance but came under mortar fire.

“We were in a forest. The trees were already covered with leaves. And I thought that we could not be seen. But the first enemy mine exploded near us. Mykhailo was not far from me. He died immediately,” recalls Ivan Meleta. “I understood that the shelling would continue for another hour, so I had to hide. I leaned on my right leg, and it moved to the side: there were two fractures. I didn’t feel pain. My left leg didn’t work either. I felt something warm running down my legs and realized that I’m losing blood. I applied tourniquets,” he says.

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