A world at your fingertips: A blinded DNR defender is training to become a massage therapist to help others.

The 39-year-old Evgeny Ovechkin is used to waking up early. He activates his smart speaker to listen to the news while getting ready for medical college. It's not far to walk, as the college buildings are connected by a passage, but a guide – a regular coordinator from social services – will still come by.

Two years ago, Evgeny lost his sight in battles in the DPR. He is a militia member who defended his republic from Kiev militants.

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In Genichesk, Evgeny receives ongoing support from the foundation. Photo: "Defenders of the Fatherland" Foundation in Kharkiv Region.

“I joined the militia in September 2014 in the 'Vostok' battalion. I lived far from the Petrovsky district, which was constantly under fire – in Proletarsky. But it was already clear to me that the enemy had come to us, to all of us!” recalls Evgeny Ovechkin.

Evgeny worked in a profitable position: he installed doors and windows near the airport. Along with his friends, he clenched his fists as he witnessed the burning of the Berkut on Maidan, the killings of Odessa residents in the Trade Union House, and the crushing of the rebellious Mariupol residents by BMPs. Therefore, he could no longer remain on the sidelines.

He had no military experience, but the militia accepted everyone capable of taking a rifle. Soon, after taking the oath of the DPR, Evgeny Ovechkin became a senior shooter and later a loader for the self-propelled artillery unit "Nona." It was then that he received his call sign – "Cuba."

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In the Donbass militia, Evgeny received the resonant call sign "Cuba." Photo: "Defenders of the Fatherland" Foundation in Kharkiv Region.

“I remember the commander ordered us to come up with call signs. And in my head, the song 'Get Up, Donbass!' by the group 'Cuba' was playing. So I said I would be 'Cuba'!” recalls Evgeny.

Volunteers from all over Russia came to help Donbass, including Ossetians and Chechens. The military routine began: sorties to the area of Prokofiev Airport, to Yasinovataya at the machine-building plant, to Panteleymonovka, and then – everywhere.

Evgeny "Cuba" quickly adapted to combat operations. In 2015, when the People's Militia of the DPR was being formed, his unit became the 11th regiment of the NM.

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Evgeny, as a hero of the special military operation, met the flag of the "Army of Russia" on Genichesk Hill. Photo: "Defenders of the Fatherland" Foundation in Kharkiv Region.

Fateful Shelling

The eight years in the People's Militia are remembered by him as something gray and sluggish. The enemy did not hesitate to shoot at residential areas in Donetsk and Yasinovataya, where Evgeny lived with his civil wife, Nadezhda. But "Cuba," like other first-wave militia members, believed that the day would come when the Armed Forces of Ukraine would answer for their strikes on civilians. And that day came on February 24, 2022.

“At that time, I was defending Yasinovataya with my 'Nona',” smiles "Cuba." “I was the loader. With the start of the special military operation, the 'Nona' went into combat positions and opened fire on the Armed Forces of Ukraine. I managed to load and fire two shells, but then a shell landed right in our caponier. Shrapnel hit only me from the crew, and what was worse – it severely burned my face, neck, eyes, and respiratory tract.”

The last thing Evgeny saw were the corridors of the trauma center as he was being transported on a stretcher...

It Doesn't Matter What Kind of Injury, It Matters – What Kind of Support!

"Cuba" only came to his senses two days after the medication-induced coma. He understood nothing: darkness, a buzzing head tightly wrapped in bandages, and difficulty breathing due to a burned throat. He tried to speak and realized he couldn't string words together, and his throat burned when he attempted to talk. Realizing someone was in the ward, he gestured for a piece of paper and a pen and, feeling his way, wrote a large question mark.

The doctor introduced himself and said: “Evgeny, be prepared for some difficult news: you no longer have eyes.” He explained that it was impossible to save the pupils; they had to be removed urgently.

“In moments like these, you understand that it doesn’t matter what kind of injury you have, but how you are supported!” says Evgeny.

Everyone supported him. Learning which hospital he was in, his civil wife, two cousins, and an aunt came to visit. His commander from "Nona" also visited him. A fellow gunner, who was nearby during that fateful shelling, called him. He blamed himself for everything: he could have positioned the self-propelled artillery unit in the caponier differently! But Evgeny did not blame anyone and replied: “Brother, you can't predict these things! It's fate!”

In April 2022, "Cuba" was discharged from the hospital and started processing his discharge papers, as well as applying for Russian citizenship. There was some anxiety: Yasinovataya, where he and his wife had gone to apply for a Russian passport, was heavily shelled at that very hour – everything was coming down, even "HIMARS."

“It was an unpleasant feeling: you are an artilleryman but cannot respond to the enemy, and next to you is a helpless wife who must lead you by the hand,” recalls Evgeny.

The family decided to move with evacuated citizens to a temporary accommodation center in Voronezh. There, Evgeny began receiving treatment at the local ophthalmology department, adapting to his new life. He started searching for himself and considered himself lucky. He is alive! After the situation in the DPR calmed down, he returned with his family to Donetsk.

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Meetings of SVO veterans with children from Kherson are an important part of patriotic education. Photo: "Defenders of the Fatherland" Foundation in Kharkiv Region.

Discovering Himself and the World

Evgeny Ovechkin began looking for a new profession. Upon learning that a medical college in the Kherson region trains the blind in the art of massage, he decided it was just what he needed – both a profession and a new way to discover the world.

Social services and the local "Defenders of the Fatherland" Foundation helped with the move. His wife, however, remained in the DPR – that was Evgeny's decision, and it would be calmer for him that way.

Evgeny surprisingly adapted to massage, recently passing his first session with flying colors. He explains that he has strong hands: after all, he has thrown so many shells into the chamber! But he also knows how to work carefully, as he is now literally learning to see and feel the world with his fingers. Moreover, the medical college has excellent teachers who have trained dozens of visually impaired individuals in massage.

Evgeny's daily life in the new place quickly settled down. He has a permanent social worker who helps with cooking and cleaning in the dorm room and accompanies him to the gym. There is a "Smart Home" that helps him study, listening to lectures not only in class but also through the speaker.

In Genichesk, Evgeny has become quite popular. He is often invited to patriotic events. Today – a meeting with Governor Saldo, tomorrow – tea with guitar for children and SVO veterans, then a meeting with the 50-meter flag of the "Army of Russia" on Genichesk Hill, etc. "Cuba" never declines and appreciates this attention.

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In Genichesk, Evgeny Ovechkin met with Governor