The medical company was formed in 2023 following the creation of the 12th Special Forces Brigade “Azov” of the National Guard of Ukraine. Initially, the unit consisted of about 20 servicemembers. Lieutenant Serhiy Pelyshenko—known as “Aid”—became the first commander of the medical company.
Medical Company 12th Special Forces Brigade “Azov”
About unit
The unit’s work is focused on saving lives, reducing the risk of complications, and ensuring the fastest possible return to duty.
The primary mission of the Medical Company is to provide timely medical care, stabilize patients’ conditions, deliver emergency surgical care, provide short-term inpatient treatment, and prepare patients for further evacuation.
The unit is directly involved in the medical training of the brigade’s personnel and continuously implements modern standards in tactical medicine and its related fields.
Unit structure:
- Evacuation Unit;
- Stabilization Point;
- Hospital Ward;
- Medical Company Instructor Unit.
Among the unit’s key achievements, the following are particularly noteworthy:
- The introduction of blood transfusions in combat conditions to save critically wounded soldiers, even on the front lines.
- In 2025, it implemented an unprecedented procedure—targeted evacuation of the wounded to the country’s leading hospitals. The unit accounts for 50% of targeted evacuations in the country.
- The establishment of stabilization points equipped with a unique infection control system, which has no analogues in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and their transformation into full-fledged rescue stations capable of performing emergency surgeries on patients.
- The introduction of modern approaches to military medicine based on clinical protocols and the principles of evidence-based medicine. This has enabled the standardization of medical processes, improved the quality of care, and enhanced treatment outcomes for service members.
- Methodological streamlining and development of training materials for combatants and combat medics based on the TCCC protocol and the M.A.R.C.H. P.A.W.S. algorithm.
The medical staff of the hospital ward consists of 10 specialists in various fields. Laboratory and diagnostic tests are also available, including audiometry and spirometry. This enables outpatient care for service members with somatic diseases and injuries and allows for necessary diagnostics without referring soldiers outside the sector.
Instructors from the medical company provide systematic training to brigade personnel in emergency pre-hospital and medical care, taking into account the real-world conditions of the modern battlefield. Training begins at the basic recruit level within the Basic Combat Training Program and progresses to specialized training for combat medics.
Training is conducted at the CLS, CMC, and extended care levels. This ensures increased soldier survival rates through systematic training, the implementation of evidence-based approaches, and the continuous improvement of medical practices.
Symbols
History
The unit’s combat history began during the counteroffensive campaign in the Malaya Tokmachka area. The medical company set up an evacuation station and a triage point to provide care for wounded soldiers.
During this campaign, “Rodeo”—the first and, to date, only soldier from the medical company—was killed in action.
After the campaign ended, the unit continued to develop the medical evacuation system and the provision of care at the front lines. One of the key priorities was bringing qualified medical care closer to the wounded and reducing the time between injury and the start of treatment.
In the fall of 2023, Yevhen Chudentsov—known as “Chudik”—returned from Russian captivity; his return marked an important milestone in the expansion of the Medical Service and the development of the medical company.
While carrying out missions in the Serebryansky Forest District, a series of measures were implemented to bring medical care closer to the front lines. It was here that blood transfusions were performed directly in combat conditions and a stabilization station was set up in field shelters.
This reduced the time to provide qualified medical care and increased the wounded soldiers’ chances of survival. In the summer of 2024, Serhiy Rotchuk—a friend of “Jedi”—returned from Russian captivity; thanks to him, an instructor group for the medical company was formed.
While carrying out missions in the Toretsk, New York, and Kostiantynivka sectors, the unit significantly expanded its capabilities. During this period, the medical company was led by Yevhen Didenko—known as “Pediatrician.”
Particular attention was paid to developing a targeted evacuation system, increasing the capacity to provide medical care at all stages of evacuation, and the operation of casualty triage stations.
One such facility was the “Chyhyryn”/“Sino” casualty triage station, where both nursing staff and doctors of various specialties were involved in the work.
In early 2025, Mykhailo Isak—known as “Anest”—took command of the medical company.
Today, the medical company provides medical support for the brigade’s combat operations, develops systems for the evacuation, stabilization, and treatment of the wounded, and implements modern approaches to military medicine based on the principles of evidence-based medicine and the unit’s combat experience.
Commander
Mykhailo “Anest” Isak
CaptainBefore joining the military, he worked in the civilian medical sector for 14 years and became a pediatric anesthesiologist. At the start of the full-scale invasion, he volunteered for the 111th Separate Brigade of the Territorial Defense Forces, where he served as a paramedic until early 2023. He took part in battles for Bilohorivka, in the Lyman direction, and in the Serebryansky Forest. He was later transferred to the 109th Separate Brigade of the Territorial Defense Forces. At the end of 2023, he joined the ranks of “Azov”—rising from senior resident in the triage unit to commander of the medical company.
