HVAC Ukrainian soldier Anton Derbilov is dead. The 43-year-old Derbilov was an artist, the father of three daughters, and a husband.
Derbilov was wounded by Russian fire on the Eastern Front on April 6 and died before he could be taken to the hospital.
interviewed Derbilov in February at his home in Kharkiv before leaving for the assignment, which would be his last.
The sand crumbled on the living room floor when Derbilov showed the contents of his military backpack.
The sand had come from Kreminna, the front line of the war. Derbilov was on vacation at home with his family in Kharkiv, but was going back to the Eastern Front five days later.
We covered him because Ukraine was expected to start its big spring offensive soon. We wanted to know the soldier’s thoughts on the counterattack.
Derbilov estimated that the second year of the war after the great Russian invasion was becoming more difficult than the first.
Russia has had a habit of learning as the battles drag on. Derbilov, who knows military history well, said that this happened in the winter war between Finland and the Soviet Union. After the Winter War, the Red Army had learned from the mistakes made against Finland and was more successful on other fronts of the Second World War.
The bedroom shelves displayed the hobby of Derbilov and his wife Derbilova. They built miniature models of historical figures and fighters. The battles between Finland and the Soviet Union were very familiar to Derbilov.
A Ukrainian flag was hung on the living room wall. Derbilov had gotten it from his team at the front. He presented his teammates’ names written on the flag.
– Wounded. Thank God, alive. Casualty. Casualty. Casualty. Dead. The dead, Derbilov listed and pointed to names.
Derbilov went through his things. Soon the military backpack had to be packed again for the front.
He wondered which helmet would be better. A bolder helmet that was a pain to wear. Or even a lighter model.
You can watch ‘s February video about Derbilov below:
Derbilov had fought against the Russians for a year already. He had volunteered two days after Russia launched a major offensive and began bombing the family’s hometown of Kharkiv.
He told his family that he couldn’t do anything else. By fighting, he felt he was protecting his daughters.
For the story, we also photographed the family and asked how it feels to have the father go to the front.
At the kitchen table, the eldest daughter told about the day when she saw her father in a military uniform for the first time. Dad had a haircut and had a gear backpack on his back.
– My skin still gives me goosebumps when I remember it, Anna Derbilova21, said at the time.
Derbilov listened to his daughter in silence. He put the kettle on and started making instant coffee. He gave the youngest daughter the biggest cup. Dad knew which mug Sonia Derbilova16, wanted to drink his coffee.
The middle daughter who came from work Ksenia Derbilova, 20, took his father’s hand. She said life felt normal when dad was home. Everything was as it should be.
– But when dad leaves again, everything is sad and we remember what we have already had to experience during the year, Ksenia said to the camera.
His wife Katja Derbilova Anton had known Derbilov since he was a teenager. We met them by chance in a lunch restaurant in Harkov one day after filming the TV show. Even 29 years after their first meeting, they walked hand in hand.
April 6 was Katja’s wife’s birthday. Derbilov was at the front at that time. It looked like they would soon be in the same town again. Derbilov was about to be transferred to his hometown of Kharkiv for intelligence duties.
The transfer never happened.
In the evening, the family received a message from the front. Anton Derbilov was dead.
The funeral was held six days later.
Our Ukrainian assistant arranged the interview with Derbilov for us Ivanna Skyba-Jakubova participated in them. Derbilov was his good friend.
– It was a perfect funeral, if you can call it that, Skyba-Jakubova says.
According to Skyba-Jakubova, her friend did not like sad ceremonies, so the funeral celebrated Derbilov’s life. There were 250 people.
– Anton was an artist and a musician, so the funeral was like a festival. But extremely sad festivals.
According to Skyba-Jakubova, it rained on the day of the funeral. According to local custom, the coffin was kept open. Skyba-Jakubova says that she held an umbrella over her dead friend’s face.
Derbilov had received a shrapnel in his head in the midst of the Russians. He did not make it to the hospital but died in the forest near the village of Kreminna. Sand from the same area had fallen into the family’s living room when Derbilov was packing his things in February.
Derbilov had finally packed a lighter, less protective helmet with him, Skyba-Jakubova says.
The shrapnel wound was covered as best as possible for the funeral. Because of the wound, it was important that rainwater did not get on the face.
Wife Katja walked behind the coffin. The friend says that after the coffin stopped, the wife touched her dead husband’s face.
The eldest of the daughters whispered something into the dirt before throwing it on her father’s coffin, Skyba-Jakubova says.
Musical Derbilov’s band Alcohol Ukulele played at the funeral. A day before the funeral, a new music video was filmed. Derbilov had always wanted to shoot a video in a hot tub, and now the band made his wish come true.
The youngest daughter spoke at the memorial dinner. Sonia said she lost not only her father but also her best critic and teacher. The three daughters are artists and musicians, as Derbilov had been.
Until he became a soldier.