Thread by @CanadianKobzar

🧵FELLAS STAY AWHILE AND LISTEN! In light of the latest events, I want to tell you a tale of a Ukrainian hero. This was meant to be another thread, but today we need to hear this mans tale. Today I tell you of Ilya Stepanovych Oberyshyn, callsign "Kobzar". 1/

Ilya's tale begins in 1921 when he was born in the village of Potik in Ivano-Frankivsk. At the age of 17 he joined the OUN Youth where he campaigned against the use of nicotine and alcohol. 2/10

He studied at the Lviv University focusing on physics and mathematics, but in 1941 later studied medicine. With the Soviet invasion, like many, he became a partisan with UPA. In 1944 he was assigned to the UPA "Red Cross". 3/10

In 1947 he defended the Zbarazh district against the Bolshevik invasion. However, by 1951 everyone in his unit but him was killed. Left alone, Ilya took his fight underground. For 40 years he continued to fight against the Soviet Union - on HIS OWN. 4/10

He did not surrender or give up his weapons until December 3, 1991 when the results of the 1991 Ukrainian independence referendum were released and Ukraine voted for freedom from the USSR. He stated the following: 5/10

"...They smelled that I was alive, and did not stop searching until the last days of the KGB's existence. But when I heard the results of the Ukrainian referendum only on December 3, 1991, in the first broadcast of the news on the radio... 6/10

...I realized that it was not their great strength, but me, alone, exhausted, who won. My comrades who gave their lives for Ukraine won..." Ilya was free like all of Ukraine. On October 10, 2007 Ilya was awarded the Order of Merit III degree. 7/10

So why am I telling this story now instead of in my thread? I want to remind everyone who the Ukrainians are. Ilya continued to fight against the Soviets, on his own for forty years even after everyone in his unit was killed. 8/10

Even if there is Ukrainian remaining in all of Ukraine - we will not stop fighting for our freedom. Make no mistake, we will have it and we will win this war. The Soviet Union could not stop us, and they were a semi-competent empire. russia has no chance. 9/10

Orcs. Surrender now. We are coming for you. Slava Ukraini. 10/10

Omg. I meant to say “even if there is ONE Ukrainian.” I swear this new phone sucks.