343 Days on the Front Line: Ukrainian Officer’s Long Deployment Exposes Deep Manpower Shortages

Infantry officer Oleksiy Mykhailov — call sign “Botanik” — spent 343 consecutive days on the front lines in wooded positions between settlements in eastern Zaporizhzhia, his battalion says. The extended deployment, from April 1, 2025, to March 8, 2026, is one of the longest continuous combat tours recorded for an officer in the Ukrainian Armed Forces and highlights acute personnel shortages as the war moves beyond its fourth year.

The 37-year-old had a chance to rotate out but volunteered to stay because his company was severely understrength. "My company is understaffed (as are all the others) and of those who are here, roughly half are in the 50-plus age bracket," Mykhailov said in a statement published by his unit. "Ideally, an infantryman would spend a month on combat duty and a month recovering in a frontline village. But under current conditions, that’s completely unrealistic due to the shortage of men."

His battalion told reporters that typical rotations for their unit run about three to four months, while rotations across the armed forces vary widely by role. "Infantry serve the longest, and the farther from the front line, the shorter the combat deployment," said Major Yaroslav Halas of the 3rd Mountain Assault Battalion, 128th Mountain Assault Brigade. He noted that reconnaissance UAV teams may be forward for days, and FPV drone pilots for about a week, reflecting differences in operational risk and proximity to the line.

Longer tours have coincided with broader warnings from commanders about manpower strains and repeated acknowledgements that Ukraine cannot match Russia’s much larger pool of soldiers. In response, Ukraine has leaned into technology — increasing use of drones, land robots and remote pilots positioned well behind the front — and stepped up efforts to call up more men, including reviewing prior exemptions.

Ukrainian infantry officer Oleksiy Mykhailov. He is called “nerd” because of his “intellectual appearance” and his glasses, but also because he is a scientist by training with a biology degree from Karazin Kharkiv National University. - 128th Mountain Assault Brigade

Other units have reported similarly extended stints. Senior Lieutenant Ivan Kavun, commander of a machine-gun platoon in the 30th Mechanized Brigade, reportedly spent 486 days on a frontline deployment. "Supplies were dropped to us by drones. If a vehicle came in, it would bring a month's worth of provisions," Kavun said in a unit video, adding some grim and unexpected moments of life on the line.

"I see my main role as a commander as minimizing personnel losses. Ideally, there would be none at all… But in war, and in the infantry, this is, unfortunately, impossible," Mykhailov said. "As for my personal motivation, I don't want my family, my daughter, to see what I see — explosions, incoming missiles, destroyed villages, death. That's why I'm here."

Known as "Botanik" ("Nerd") because of his glasses and scientific background, Mykhailov holds a biology degree from Karazin Kharkiv National University. His 3rd Mountain Assault Battalion is largely composed of former civilians and reservists who joined following Russia’s full-scale invasion.

To sustain morale during the near-year deployment, Mykhailov prioritized daily contact between soldiers and their families. When Starlink terminals were unavailable during a verification on the front line, his unit relayed family messages by radio and phone. "I try to speak to my daughter every day," he said.

After 343 days on duty, Mykhailov was granted a short leave during which he celebrated his daughter’s 10th birthday and taught her to ride a bike before returning to his unit. President Volodymyr Zelensky awarded him the Order of the Golden Star and the title Hero of Ukraine in recognition of his personal courage and service.

Reporting: This account draws on statements from Mykhailov’s unit and reporting by CNN. Additional contributions were made by CNN’s Victoria Butenko.