A veteran expressed his frustration with how Ukrainians treat him: "People grimace when they see me."

Sergey Gutnik, using the pseudonym "Raccoon," shares his experiences on how society reacts to injured defenders. According to him, people often make faces.

He discussed this in a video interview with "Telegraf" — "One second and you're gone: veteran 'Raccoon' on surviving a mine detonation, losing his legs, and lessons from war." Sergey talks about the challenging moments he faces when encountering rejection and misunderstanding from those around him.

"My injured comrades and I frequently encounter looks from people as if to say, 'What are you doing here, why are you out, why are you scaring people?' People grimace when they see me," the veteran shares.

To break down stereotypes and showcase the reality of war, he decided to create an account on TikTok. His first video, where he demonstrates how he independently gets behind the wheel of a car without prosthetics, garnered 5 million views in just three days.

"I want to convey through my videos that there is a war in the country and there are many people like me, but there will be even more. And we are just like you, some without arms, some without legs," he explains his motivation.

The veteran emphasizes that he does not seek special treatment or recognition: "I’m not asking for people to bow to me, I don’t need thanks — I just want to be part of society."

Previously, "Telegraf" reported that a volunteer explained how to communicate with fighters dealing with PTSD.