Return to the Field: How a Veteran from the Kryvyi Rih District Restores Farming after the Front

When the full-scale war began on the morning of February 24, 2022, Serhii Kovtun from the Kryvyi Rih district already knew he would not be able to stay at home. The next day he went to Kyiv as a volunteer. He left the field, equipment, unsown hectares, his native Nyva Trudova, and took up arms. Moshchun, Hostomel, combat injury, rehabilitation. And later – service in the 65th Brigade in the Zaporizhzhia sector.

After two years in the infantry, a concussion, and heavy physical strain, Serhii was discharged to care for his elderly mother. But he returned not just home, but to the work that became his second rehabilitation: to the field.

“Ambulances – right to the front. We weren’t abandoned”

Serhii speaks about his service without pathos, sometimes even joking. But he still cannot forget the first days of Kyiv’s defence:

“I was shocked that ambulances came right to the front line. The wounded were carried out of the battles in people’s arms. No one abandoned us, everything worked – simply incredible. That was March 2022.”

After recovering, Serhii was transferred to a newly formed brigade that went to the southern front. There – Orikhiv, Robotyne, heavy battles, daily strain.

“I’m 53, and I could no longer physically endure what the young guys could still pull off. But as long as I could – I went together with them.”

A farm kept alive through connection

While Serhii served, the farm survived thanks to his wife. She was neither an agronomist nor a machine operator, but she took on everything she could. Part of the land was sown, part was left fallow.

“I showed her over the phone how and with what to spray. She sent videos from the field, I consulted – what, where, when. Sometimes she came back after a few days – and was shocked at how the sunflowers came to life. She truly is a heroine. And not just for the farm – she also saw both of her brothers off to war. They left on the first day.”

Returning in 2024, Serhii literally threw himself into work. But he quickly realized: the equipment was outdated, resources scarce, and the land demanded a modern approach. Then he learned about a grant Programme to support entrepreneurs in the Kryvyi Rih district – and decided to try.

“I didn’t think it would work out. But I saw that veterans were invited – and I applied. And I didn’t regret it.”

With the grant funds, Serhii purchased a modern precision seeder and a pre-sowing cultivator – Ukrainian-made equipment that greatly facilitates work.

“It’s just like space technology,” the man says, unable to contain his emotions, “with the old seeder we did everything ‘by eye’. Here everything is precise, by the chart. I would have worked myself to the bone if I’d known how much easier it makes the job. I paid 40% myself – but it was worth it.”

“The main thing is that the enemy doesn’t come in. We’ll manage”

Despite the proximity to the front line, Serhii is not afraid to return to the field. Yet his biggest concern is not sowing or the harvest:

“As long as the enemy doesn’t get here. I have my body armour, helmet, backpack ready. Everything is packed. But as long as there’s an opportunity, I work. The land is mine. And I’m not ready to just leave it.”

Now he is gradually restoring the farm to its pre-war scale, planning expansion, equipment upgrades, and advising other veterans not to be afraid to apply for support.

“Before, I relied only on myself. Now I know – there are those who want to help. You just have to not be afraid to try.”

ℹ️ For reference:
The program is implemented within the framework of the “Support for Recovery of Kryvyi Rih Rayon” project, funded by the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg through the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency (LuxDev) and the Business Development Fund.

Authorized banks: Oschadbank and PrivatBank.