A former ballroom dancer now storms Russian positions as part of Ukraine’s elite National Guard unit. Serhii Nazarenko proves that grace and strength can live within the same person.
Ukraine’s defense forces have codified and put into service over 25 models of machine guns since 2022. Most of these are chambered in 5.56 mm and 7.62 mm calibers, while more than ten models use larger calibers such as 12.7 mm and 14.5 mm, which are effective for engaging targets at long distances and against armored vehicles or aircraft.
He traded polished floors for the dirt of trenches, a tuxedo for camouflage, and a dance partner for a machine gun.
“In civilian life, I was a professional ballroom dancer… turns out a dancer can work a machine gun too,” says Junior Lieutenant Serhii Nazarenko.
Now an officer in one of the National Guard’s top special forces units, Serhii once dedicated his life to choreography. Today, it belongs to the front line.
Serhii shares his journey, motivation, and views on veteran support on the Special Forces Center “Omega”’s official page. He joined the elite unit between late 2023 and early 2024, after gaining experience in a volunteer battalion and the Territorial Defense Forces.
“Making it into a special forces unit is already an achievement,” he says, emphasizing that the group feels like “a kind of family,” where everyone watches out for one another.
While ballroom dancing might seem like an unlikely beginning for a special operator, it was discipline, composure, and precision that proved essential on the battlefield.
His first combat mission, an assault near Mala Tokmachka and Verbove, was a trial by fire. But, he says, his biggest worry wasn’t for himself, but for the mission’s success and his comrades.
“You shut out everything else. You just do your job—for your country, for the children,” continues Serhii.
After being wounded, he’s now undergoing rehabilitation and learning to live with a prosthetic. But he has no intention of leaving the service.
“I want to return to my unit. To my family,” he adds.
Serhii is an active supporter of veteran initiatives and stresses that inclusion is not just about architecture but about society’s attitude.
He has recently visited the US with the Recovery Foundation and spoke to American politicians and journalists about the war, rehabilitation, and support for the children of fallen soldiers.
His greatest dream: for all the children of Ukraine to grow up in a dignified world.