"Welcome to the trenches": the journey of Kirill Veres from entrepreneur to commander of the 54th Brigade.

In the initial months of the full-scale invasion, Kirill Veres took part in organizing the defense of Maryinka in the Donetsk region. He also led the counter-offensive of combined mechanized battalion units to reclaim positions that had been abandoned. They were successful in regaining them.

Since February 2022, he has commanded the K-2 battalion of the 54th OMBr, maintaining defense in the direction of Soledar-Seversk.

In 2022, he was awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine and the Order of "Golden Star" for personal courage and heroism. In 2023, he received the Cross of Military Merit.

Back in 2020, he was awarded the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytskyi I class for his personal contribution to strengthening Ukraine's defense capabilities, along with several other awards and orders.

Veres Against Mobilization of 18-Year-Olds

Some commanders have signaled regarding mobilization starting at 18 years old. This is explained by the notion that younger and physically fit fighters learn to execute combat tasks more quickly. Kirill Veres disagrees with this perspective. According to him, it might be a bit early for someone to fight at 18.

"Certainly, there are many unit commanders who hold opposing views. They believe that lowering the mobilization age is necessary. That’s their perspective. Perhaps it’s valid in their units and formats," Kirill Veres added.

At the same time, he acknowledges that it is quite challenging for 59-year-olds to fight: most of them can no longer engage in active defense or offense.

As a result of the voting for the "Rating of the Most Influential Ukrainians" in 2024, he ranked 17th.

When asked about his views on economic reservation and the division between the rich and the poor, Veres posed a counter-question about whether his fighters from his unit, who have earned a certain capital, could buy their way out.

"If a serviceman who has been with me since the beginning of the full-scale war earned, on average, 3.6 million hryvnias for 30 months at 120 weeks, and let’s say he spent half — can he buy his way out or not?" the commander said in an interview with the YouTube channel "Farid Speaks."

Regarding demobilization, the commander explained that he has the funds and would gladly buy his way out to stay at home.

"I would read, prepare, and keep an eye on the trends of the war. I’d come back in four months — I wouldn’t be dull," the fighter added.

At the same time, Veres mentioned that some entrepreneurs, if they ended up in the trenches, wouldn’t contribute more to the unit than others. However, in civilian life, they can support hundreds.

"If he earns a million and donates a thousand hryvnias to the Armed Forces — welcome to the trenches. But if he earns a million and gives 300-400 thousand, my friend, you will be of much more use. 300-400 thousand can fund two thermal drones. 400 thousand is almost three. If my unit loses 10 monthly, that’s 30% of my reserves per month. People should do what they do best," he emphasized.

Veres’ Attitude Towards Monetary Motivation and Ukraine's Defense Industry

The motivation for Russians to fight is money; those who go to fight in Moscow receive $20,000. Is it possible to encourage citizens with such motivation? The K-2 battalion commander does not believe that this is a viable method for motivating Ukrainian defenders.

"Dividing 120,000 hryvnias by 30 days equals four thousand a day. Kolya, go storm the landing for four thousand. Go die for four grand — that’s just ridiculous. I don’t believe that the primary motivation for my servicemen is money," he explained.

Veres also added that nearly 70% of his brigade consists of internally displaced persons, and he genuinely believes that monetary motivation is not the primary driving force for his fighters.

Regarding the fact that Russia has a larger mobilization reserve — approximately 29 million to 149 million — Veres stated that there are two options: to eliminate enemies at a ratio of 1 to 10.

Concerning foreign defense companies that invest in Ukrainian enterprises, he questioned why they only began to engage in 2022 and not in 2024.

"I think we talk a lot about how we have everything. We have hundreds of drone manufacturers, and the Ministry of Defense is purchasing, yet only five are operational," he explained.

He also added that not all developers are aware of what is happening on the battlefield and listen to the advice of servicemen.

About Work Before the War

About his work before serving in the army — as the director of a nude beach in Kyiv — he mentioned that he "ensured the beach thrived and operated comfortably for people."

He left that job a few years before the war began, but when and if the war ends, he would not return to such a position after his service.

He explained that he is no longer of the right age for that.

"I’m not interested in that anymore. That was, so to speak, in my youth. But it did give a significant boost even in my current work. At that time, I had 30-40 subordinates," he noted, adding that an average of three thousand people visited the beach daily.

He applied the management experience from the beach to his military service. "The functioning of all this had to be somehow ensured. I scaled that experience to the military unit," Veres explained.

According to him, he himself did not relax at the nude beach, as he worked a lot and had no time for relaxation.