Ihor reflects on his time serving as an officer in the Soviet Union’s Ministry of Interior troops. After volunteering for military service, he found himself travelling from Lviv to Lithuania to begin officer training in communications and field operations. The training program brought together recruits from across the Soviet Union and beyond communications; these troops had a wide range of responsibilities—from guarding strategic facilities to responding to hostage crises and public disturbances. This is a rare opportunity to hear the everyday realities of military service inside the Soviet security structure. Listen to Ihor's first episode here https://coldwarconversations.com/episode447/ Episode extras here https://coldwarconversations.com/episode448/ Linked episodes Moscow Coup - Brett, a US student's account Moscow Coup - Kieran, a UK student's account Moscow Coup - How the BBC announced the coup Training to be a US Army Tank Commander Defending the Fulda Gap Go to https://surfshark.com/coldwardeal or use code COLDWARDEAL at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN! Help me preserve Cold War history via a simple monthly donation, You’ll become part of our community, get ad-free episodes, and receive a sought-after CWC coaster as a thank-you, and you’ll bask in the warm glow of knowing you are helping to preserve Cold War history. Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/ If a monthly contribution is not your cup of tea, we also welcome one-off donations via the same link. Find the ideal gift for the Cold War enthusiast in your life! Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/store/ CONTINUE THE COLD WAR CONVERSATION BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/coldwarpod.bsky.social Threads https://www.threads.net/@coldwarconversations Twitter/X https://twitter.com/ColdWarPod Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/coldwarpod/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/coldwarconversations/ Youtube https://youtube.com/@ColdWarConversations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices