NAVI Founder ZeroGravity Talks About His Time on Ukraine's Frontline
Former CS player shares his experience of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
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The ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine has deeply affected the country and forced Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to call upon all citizens for picking up arms in order to protect their country.
One of the many people to answer this call was former Counter-Strike player and Natus Vincere (NAVI) founder, Alexander "ZeroGravity" Kokhanovskyy. The 28-year-old is one of the most influential esports personalities from Ukraine who had initially come forward with a statement on 16th March asking everyone for their support.
Three weeks since, ZeroGravity has shared his experience from the frontline in an interview with Dexerto. He also touched upon a few other things as he continues to take part in Ukraine's defense against the Russian invasion.
ZeroGravity shares his experience from Ukraine's frontline
The retired Counter-Strike player used to compete professionally during the very early days of the game. This was followed by ZeroGravity founding the NAVI organization in 2009, which has now grown on to become one of the biggest esports organizations in the world.
Sharing his experience from the frontlines, having fought against the Russian invasion and completing various tasks to ensure the safety of the civilian population, ZeroGravity revealed that he carries around his AK-47 everywhere he goes in his hometown of Kyiv. He works with people just like him coming from all walks of life, joining the resistance and defending their country.
“I would never forgive myself if I didn’t do it,” said ZeroGravity. "I wanted to help and defend my country," he added.
Speaking about his role at the moment, ZeroGravity said that he is part of a 20 man quick reaction team whose task is to provide backup to the territorial defense and other such forces during certain missions.
When he is not on duty, ZeroGravity along with others spends a good amount of his time receiving military training in or round Kyiv. This includes practicing shooting, taking part in tactical drills, and some basic combat medicine exercises. “When we’re done with those tasks, we have different requests. We assist with evacuation and help friends, family and strangers in need,” said ZeroGravity.
As for how his expertise and experience from CS help him out on the frontlines, ZeroGravity said that it does help him out a little bit when it comes to shooting, reactions, teamwork, and tactical sense.
The war had affected NAVI's operations as well, but the organization has since resumed its work while also taking some strict measures to ensure that their support for Ukraine continues to stand strong.
