Former Austrian Army soldier and currently volunteer Markus Pollack provides training in tactical medicine for Ukrainian soldiers and assists in evacuations. “I couldn’t accept it that someone would achieve their goals by force and kill people in the process,” he explains his decision to help Ukraine.
Immediately after the full-fledged invasion had broken out, Markus was already in Ukraine with loads of medical and humanitarian aid. For over a year now, Max – as Pollack is known in Ukraine – has been working in medicine. Initially, he served as a driver on missions to evacuate wounded Ukrainian soldiers from frontline areas to hospitals. It was then when he decided to create his own organization for these purposes – Green Cross MedEvac — so to ensure these evacuation missions are performed at a higher professional level.
And while the organization is still in the process of being officially registered, Pollack, a former soldier in the Austrian army with experience in a peacekeeping mission in Bosnia, is providing tactical medicine training for soldiers of the Alcatraz Battalion within the 93rd Kholodny Yar Brigade.
In an interview with Ukrinform, Markus Pollack talked about how he began helping Ukraine, why he personally cannot be neutral, what he thinks of the West’s help to the Ukrainian people, and how the Russian-Ukrainian war has changed his life.
WHEN RUSSIA DECIDED TO INVADE UKRAINE AND KILL PEOPLE, EVERYTHING CHANGED FOR ME
– How did your help to Ukraine begin? When and why did you decide to help?
– It all started with a big mistake that I realized. I, like many Austrians, was brought up with a completely different vision of the past than people in Ukraine were.
We were growing up with an understanding that our ancestors committed enormous crimes – crimes that were stopped by the Allies. And those Allies included the Soviet Union, that is, Russia.
That’s how I grew up. For me, Russia was never what it really was. I barely knew Ukraine. For me it was just part of the Soviet Union, and therefore identical in some respects to Russia. I knew nothing about Ukrainian history, almost nothing about its politics. I only thought: East versus West, and Ukraine as a pawn between these two.
But when Russia – not just Putin, but the whole system – decided to invade Ukraine and kill people, everything changed for me right away.
We in Europe have been taught that, where there are problems, we have to talk, for ten years, if necessary. But we never kill. This is deeply rooted in me. Putin and Russia have chosen a different path. A path that was completely unnecessary.
I understand that every country has its own interests, but these interests are not supposed to be implemented through force. That was what gave me a push. Now I understand Russia and the prerequisites of this war much better. But the starting point was as simple as that: I could not accept that someone achieves their goals by force and kills people in the process. This was the reason.
– Could you please tell me how it all started in practice, about your first trips to Ukraine?
– Initially I thought that there are soldiers fighting against soldiers. I didn’t realize at the time that Russia was killing civilians deliberately. I just wanted to help the Ukrainian military – in terms of medicine. I wanted to help so that the wounded could be treated.
So I started collecting medical equipment from those around me, mostly military personnel, veterans, police officers. I had no contacts in Ukraine, I didn’t know anyone here, I had no idea about how to cross the border or where the front line was. But I was determined to help.
Another Austrian, Jürgen Hagen joined me as I was in need of a vehicle. I didn’t have a transport for large amounts of aid cargo. We just drove loaded with medical supplies. The vehicle wasn’t filled to capacity. So I contacted another organization in Vienna. Even though I was a stranger to them, they still handed over some things.
I intended to go to Kyiv right away, but the Vienna organization YOUkraine objected it at first, saying, “For now, just cross the border and hand over everything there.”
So we crossed the border, handed over the aid at an OKKO gas station, and turned back.
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IN THE FIRST NINE MONTHS, I DRIVED OVER 140,000 KILOMETERS DELIVERING AID TO UKRAINE
– When exactly was that?
– It was in March 2022. I started collecting humanitarian aid almost immediately after the Russian invasion. On the fourth day of the war, I assisted in taking an elderly man – a national of either Germany or Switzerland — out from Kyiv to Germany.
After the second trip, it became clear to me: I no longer wanted to just take things somewhere and leave them. I wanted to know who would receive them and whether they would reach where they were really needed and not be resold or redirected.
So I reached out to a few Ukrainians in Lviv who helped us get to Kyiv. At that time, the E40 highway west of Kyiv, in the Irpin area, was under Russian occupation. We couldn’t go through Zhytomyr, so we had to make a big detour. In those days, it was a highly risky trip, most particularly at night hours. While in Kyiv, we spent the night with the military, unloaded the aid, and set off back. Afterwards it became clear: I’m going to continue. My friends noticed: this guy won’t stop. So they continued collecting aid.
At that time, incredible support arrived: the Yamaha Austria Racing Team provided us with a Volkswagen Crafter for free. Later, the company manager even gave me this car as a gift – a huge gesture of solidarity.
After the first trip to Kyiv, people in Vienna, as well as at Save Ukraine Graz in Graz, saw: yes, there is an Austrian who really goes to Ukraine, not just to the border.
Since then onwards, my car has always been full to capacity, driving to Ukraine, to different front-line locations, was unloaded and drove back to Vienna. There were times where I arrived in Vienna early in the morning just to set off back again on the same day evening. Almost without interruption.
During the first nine months [of Russia’s full fledge invasion], I travelled a total of around 140,000 kilometers delivering medical and humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
Meanwhile, my contacts in Ukraine were growing and expanding. First, you bring something to someone – let it be Viktor. Okay, now you know Viktor. The next time you bring him things again, and suddenly someone else appears next to him. That’s how the network grows.
In Ukraine, friendships are quickly formed. People are very open. In 2022, at the beginning, they were incredibly grateful for any help provided.
Over time, the motivation began to change: it was no longer just “we have to help, because it’s war.” But rather: damn it, Viktor is going to Bakhmut, I can’t just sit around. We have to help – so I too am going to Bakhmut. That’s how it all developed.
– How many trips have you made?
– I have over 80 stamps in my passport from the early years. Now I have a visa with a residence permit, I am no longer engaged in transportation and do not have to travel back and forth constantly. But back then, when I was travelling regularly, border crossings were really numerous.
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FIRST TRIP TO BAKHMUT: I SAT WEARING A HELMET AND A BODY ARMOR, WATCHING AN OLD WOMAN ROLLING A BICYCLE
– You mentioned Bakhmut. Wasn’t it scary to go there? Were there any situations where you found yourself in immediate danger?
– Yes, of course. It wasn’t fear actually, but the tension was often very high, indeed, especially during trips to unknown cities near the frontline, like my first risky mission to Kharkiv in May 2022 – the day before the Russian “Victory Day”. A friend of mine asked me to take out his mother, who was confined to a wheelchair, and Kharkiv was expected to come under heavy shelling that day.
I set off, not knowing if I would return. On the road – there is not a single car driving in my direction except a stream of refugees moving in the backward direction towards Kyiv. I already thought then that it was probably not the best idea to go that way. But I had to take out this woman.
Then there were also lots of reports warning about Russian saboteurs, there were checkpoints set up everywhere. I was driving a large car featuring foreign license plates – a visible target. While in open plain, I thought: “The perfect target for a sniper.” This is nonsense, of course, but back then we could not yet realize the real level of danger.
I visited Bakhmut first on October 10, 2022. At that time, artillery shelling still remained a major threat. FPV drones already existed, but they did not pose a serious danger yet. I drove into the destroyed city, heard tanks, artillery, and at the same time saw an elderly woman rolling a bicycle. I was sitting in the car wearing a helmet and a bulletproof vest, and she was just walking down the street, as she commonly did. I felt uncomfortable, took off my gear because I felt stupid.
Upon arrival to stabilization point, I got out of the car, and the first words I heard were, “Where is your helmet? Where is your body armor?”. People didn’t know me, but they said right away, “Come in quickly, you don’t go here unprotected!”.
The day before, one of the drivers there had been killed in a shelling attack. For the locals, it was their everyday life, but for me it first seemed, if anything, like a tourist trip. I had no idea about how to behave properly so as not to look like an outsider. But I had brought about very essential supplies, and people were sincerely happy about it.
From then onwards it became clear: now I know people, I understand how everything works. So I shall travel back to Austria, load the car and immediately hit the road again.
But over time, the situation got increasingly more dangerous. The direct way to Bakhmut was soon closed, and I could only get to the city via a southern bypass. In December 2022, I once drove into the city at night, bringing along sleeping bags and medicines. And on January 6, I brought the guys small gifts for Orthodox Christmas. But even then, the atmosphere was already depressing.
Bakhmut ceased to be an “adventure” in January 2023. While unloading the car, a Kornet anti-tank missile hit ground next to us. At such moments, you suddenly realize very clearly where you are and what you are doing here at all.
I WOULD BE HAPPY SHOULD EUROPE START DOING AT LEAST SOME PREPARATION FOR THIS TYPE OF WAR
– You have military experience. How much does it help you?
– Not very much, really. First of all, my military experience is limited. I did serve in the Austrian army and worked in the military for several years, but I have never served with special operations forces or anything like that – not at all. My practical experience comes only from the peacekeeping mission in Bosnia. I have such an experience, but in no way can it compare to the current war. So it is of little help to me.
I would be happy should there be signs of Austria or Europe as a whole starting to do at least some preparation for this type of war. But I do not see it happening. I do not see anyone who would really care about it and learn lessons, and this is exactly what would be extremely necessary now.
– You said you’ve ceased transporting supplies to Ukraine. What are you doing now?
– I have been working solely in the field of medicine for over a year now. At some point, I stopped transporting humanitarian cargo, because the aid was degrading in terms of both amount and quality. It simply ceased to be feasible as the cost of diesel fuel often exceeded the value of what I was transporting.
So I decided to switch to medical evacuation, initially as a driver. I drive well, can drive long distances with concentration and remain calm in dangerous situations. In February 2024, I was still in Avdiivka – shortly before it was captured by the Russians. I realized that I can cope in such situations, remain focused and avoid panic.
Since then onwards, I have focused on evacuating the wounded – to be more precise, these are transportations rather than full-fledged evacuations. And then I realized how enormous the need is and how many problems there are in this respect. So I decided to create my own organization – Green Cross MedEvac (GCE) – focused on transporting wounded soldiers from frontline areas to hospitals and doing it the way I see fit.
Because I saw that, in Ukraine, there are a lot of volunteers who do not have the necessary qualifications at all. Some refer to themselves as “medics” even though they have undergone as few as four hours of training. There are drivers who drive badly; one such was even involved in an accident that crashed my car.
We wanted to create an evacuation group that would work in a different manner. But it soon became obvious that it is not so easy to carry out medical transportation legally in Ukraine. There are lots of organizations that operate without due permits, and this is a legal problem. Being a foreign citizen, I cannot just start doing transportation missions. One has to have recognized qualifications, an officially registered medical organization, certified vehicles – in a word, clear structures and legality.
We are therefore taking the official path. Together with UAEMT (Association of First Aid Operators and Tactical Medicine Instructors), we are working to obtain official registration as a medical organization. It is a lengthy process, but we are active working on it.
Parallel to this we train soldiers in tactical medicine. Our team consists of professional medical personnel. We currently train with four instructors on a rotational basis, and our goal is to have eight at a time. So we are currently looking for tactical medicine instructors who have the appropriate qualifications and experience.
Just to avoid misunderstandings, especially in Austria: we are a purely civilian organization, not a military unit. We are engaged exclusively in the field of medicine, we do not have contracts with the military. As an Austrian national, I could not have them without risking losing my citizenship.
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WE SPEND SIX DAYS A WEEK AT THE TRAINING RANGE
– So, you are not doing evacuations right now, but are focusing solely on tactical medicine training?
– That’s exactly so. Right now, we are completely focused on tactical medicine. We are working with the 93rd “Kholodny Yar” Brigade, or more precisely, with the “Alcatraz” battalion. This unit consists of former prisoners who volunteered to fight.
It is important to emphasize: these are not dangerous criminals, but men who have committed minor offenses. Persons who have committed serious crimes or have been involved in pro-Russian actions are not allowed into the unit.
These people could theoretically have remained, so to speak, “safe” in prison – no one forced them to go to war. But they consciously decided to go and fight. They do not buy their freedom, but choose a difficult path.
We see them in daily training: usual conditions, often without regular supplies, drones flying non-stop above us. Some of them have already been sent to the front, while others are about to be sent shortly. Unfortunately, it’s not often they receive recognition outside their unit. Their training is shorter, their equipment is worse, they are often deployed to particularly dangerous missions.
When I got the opportunity to train them and thus increase their chances of survival, it immediately became my priority. And this priority only increased when I got to know them personally. For me, they are not some nameless strangers, but comrades with own names and stories. They come up to us, hug us, enjoy the training and know exactly why they need it. They are my comrades in arms. This is my business. And it will remain that way.
– You speak neither Ukrainian nor Russian. How do you manage to communicate on the spot? Have you learned any Ukrainian words yet?
– Communication is enabled by the presence of Ukrainians in our team, and we also work with interpreters.
Indeed, we use certain commands, for example, when setting up a turnstile – we can convey what needs to be conveyed. I already understand a little Ukrainian, if I know the context, I can catch a lot. But, of course, this is not at all the same as speaking your native language.
– How would military men and civilians react to a foreign volunteer like you next to them?
– Looking at how events were developing during the entire war period, in the first half of the year the reaction was extremely positive. Many saw: someone from abroad is coming who is really keen to help.
But since the fall of 2022, the situation has changed. More and more foreigners have started coming in, and not all of them came to help. Some just wanted to show themselves like “I’m so cool, I’m here in Ukraine.” Some collected donations and spent them on themselves. In 2023, there was a serious problem with such people.
Today, the volunteer community is much more professional. Those who stayed or regularly return are doing really good work. We carefully weigh our actions – the risk remains in place, but it can already be calculated.
The guys in our unit are extremely grateful. We teach without pressure, and let them come and learn things that really interest them. Only then do they really learn. If a person is internally closed and thinks only about “let it end sooner”, he will not learn anything. Our method is accepted very well: we spend six days a week at the training range, and they are happy to see us there.
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ONE WHO THINKS THAT RUSSIANS HONOR AGREEMENT DOESN’T UNDERSTAND ANYTHING
– Lots of [foreign] volunteers have left their business in Ukraine over the past three years and returned to their jobs, children, own lives in their home countries. What gives you the strength to keep on going?
– I am lucky: I have an understanding family in Austria. But they know that I will never return. I completely severed ties with Austria – I sold out everything, left everything behind to be able to work here in Ukraine.
My [Ukrainian] comrades give me strength, the people whose eyes I look into knowing that in a few days they will go on a mission and may never come back. And then I think: maybe they will survive thanks to the training we’ve provided to them. And this is more than enough for me. I don’t need anything else. This is the strength that keeps me going.
We are completely exhausted. And I have to explain this to many people over and over again: this is not the kind of fatigue that goes away after two or three nights of sleep. This is an exhaustion that has penetrated deeply. But every day we stand up again because we know what we have to do. It is as simple as that.
– How do your inner circle – family, friends – react to your Ukrainian activities? Have your relationships changed because of this?
– The reactions are very different. I’m no longer in touch with a lot of people I used to be friends with. Especially those whom I have to explain over and over again why I am here. I don’t want to explain it anymore. People either understand it or don’t.
Everyone who still doesn’t understand what we are doing here and why will never understand it, no matter how much you talk to them. The one who still believes even today that the Russians have at least some justified reasons for what they are doing is simply a fool. Anyone who thinks that it is possible to come to an agreement with the Russians has not understood anything. And anyone who thinks that everything in Europe will remain as it used to be should Ukraine be prevailed in this war is blind to reality.
I am no longer wanting to discuss this with those who don’t understand it. I have no strength left for this. I have tried more than once. I don’t want to anymore.
This is also one of the reasons that makes me know: I will not be able to live in Austria after the war ends. I will have to explain again and again over my lifetime why I was here in the first place. In Ukraine, I don’t have to explain anything. Here I am one of millions. Here everyone understands why I am here.
– When was the last time you visited Austria?
– I was last in Austria in late April, for family reasons, and previously at Christmas time, and before that I hadn’t been there for nearly nine months. I visit Austria regularly some two or three times a year, not for vacation, but to meet with my family and our aid donors. They support us generously, and I want to meet and speak to them in person: firstly, because they are nice people who understand what is happening here, and secondly, because they shall be entitled to having first-hand information. Without their donations, we could not continue our work.
Each of us, foreign volunteers, has already sold out everything we had. I sold my car back in 2022, and later my house. It wasn’t a big house, but the money was enough for me to continue. I have nothing left in Austria now, except for a few people of importance to me, whom I will visit for all my lifetime.
BEING NEUTRAL AMOUNTS TO HELPING THE STRONGER
– What is your view of Austria’s position regarding the [Russo-Ukrainian] war, especially in the context of its neutrality? Do you think Ukraine is supported enough?
– The government has stated its stance clearly, and that makes me happy. It is definitely on our side, without any howevers. I really appreciate that. But visible support is lacking.
Regarding neutrality – I really don’t like talking about it. But I still talk about it because it helps me understand the essence of things better.
In my childhood and youth, I was friendly and calm. I avoided conflicts. But they were awaiting me on the way to school – not because I was looking for them, but because those who created them were there – older, stronger students. I couldn’t avoid it, there was no other way to school. So I was subject to violence. And there were adults around who could have stopped it at any moment, but they didn’t.
Then I understood what neutrality is about. Neutrality is about standing aside and waiting for what will happen. And every time the same thing happens – the aggressor prevails. Being neutral is also about being aware that you are taking the aggressor’s side. This is true neutrality. Being neutral also means helping the stronger one. I am not neutral.
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RUSSIAN IDEA OF PEACE IS ABOUT HUNGER AND DEPORTATIONS
– How do you view the international effort currently being made to find a peaceful settlement? Do you see realistic chances for a just peace?
– What efforts are you asking about? Who is even seriously trying?
“Peace” is of interest to Russia in one case only – if Ukraine says: “Okay, we are yours again. You can come, take whatever you want, deport people, kidnap children, and if there is famine – it doesn’t matter, you are Russia, you take whatever you want.” This is the Russian idea of peace.
And what about the outside world? Trump is unreliable, or he simply does not understand what is happening here. Maybe he is simply not interested. The previous US administration did not help either, although it could have. Europe remains asleep, as does Austria. Nice words, but where are the actions? Everything that is being done is being done too late. We could have been at a completely different stage of this war a long time ago.
Take Avdiivka, for example. I was there in February 2024, shortly before it fell [to Russian control]. The city fell not because of a lack of people, but because of a lack of ammunition. Ours could not even return fire; some guns were provided with an allowance of ammunition for one or two shots per day.
Should the army have been given enough artillery ammunition, Avdiivka would not have fallen. Then the Russians would not have reached Pokrovsk. If the US had not “come out of the game” in the winter of 2023/24 or if Europe had intervened in time – we would not have problems in Pokrovsk today. And Kramatorsk, Kostyantynivka and Dobropillya would not have been under threat.
When aid does not come, our people die. My friends die. Civilians die – over and over again.
Is there any realistic peace plan in place? I do not see any. I only see a scenario where Russia will have to halt the war for economic reasons one day. But even then, with whom can we make peace? With a people we know will definitely return as soon as they can?
Peace of what kind? We need a wall. A huge wall and deep moats – with all the world’s poisonous creatures inside, so that none of them will ever come here again. Only in this way can it last for generations, until the Russians finally become human.
MY TATTOOS “GLORY TO UKRAINE!” AND “HEROES OF GLORY!” ARE ROOTED IN A HISTORY THAT MEANS A LOT TO ME
– This war is obviously not alien to you. Why do you perceive it this way?
– I take this personally for several reasons.
First, because of my childhood experience: I realized that the aggressive and strong ones avail of their advantage. You can be friendly, can try, anything – you won’t escape anyway.
They say, “It takes two to fight.” This is not true. It takes everyone to make peace. One is enough to start a fight. And if the second one doesn’t fight – he’s dead.
And the same is true here.
It was absolutely obvious to me: Ukraine had no way to avoid this fight. It either fights – or it will suffer for generations, as it has had before.
– Do you plan to stay in Ukraine after the war? What are your plans for the future?
– I will stay. That’s for sure.
We have no plans. Right now, no one here has any plans. Our plan is to get through this war as best as we can and survive. And then we’ll see.
We only plan for one day ahead. Anything longer is impossible. We don’t know how the situation will unfold.
I seem to have said this already when answering the same question two years ago: every day is the same. Every day is a day in war.
– You have a tattoo featuring the coat of arms of Ukraine and the inscriptions “Glory to Ukraine!” and “Heroes of Glory!”. What inspired you to get this tattoo? What does it mean to you?
– This is inspired by a story that means really a lot to me.
In 2022, I brough insulin to Zaporizhzhia for civilians who were supposed to deliver it further into the occupied territories to help people with diabetes. Some of them were killed.
They were stopped by Russian soldiers who forced them to get out of the car and undress. Those who had many or large tattoos were shot and killed. The Russians said, “Azov, Nazi” because of the tattoos. But they were just civilians who wanted to deliver insulin.
That’s when I said to myself: if the Russians ever catch me, at least let them have a reason to kill me. That’s why I now have tattoos that say “Glory to Ukraine!” and “Heroes of Glory!”
Vasyl Korotky, Vienna
