"Antytila" scandal involving a soldier who lost his eyes near Bahmut: Serhii Vusyk publicly apologized. All the details

The situation unfolded when Vitalii Veres, a prominent Ukrainian soldier who defended the country's independence near Bakhmut and suffered severe injuries resulting in the loss of his eyes, planned to create a video documenting his war journey, particularly the pivotal battle. The 29-year-old National Guard officer chose the hit song "Fortress Bakhmut" by Antytila as the ideal musical accompaniment for his project. Respecting copyright, Veres reached out to Serhiy Vusyk, one of the band's co-founders and keyboardists, to seek permission. To his surprise, Veres received a refusal, delivered in a rather rude manner.

In response, Vusyk issued a public apology to the soldier, explaining the circumstances that led to his initial reaction. The video apology was shared on the band's Instagram page. OBOZ.UA compiled a chronology of the scandal in the material.

Vitalii Veres recorded a video announcing his plan to create a video recounting his war experiences, particularly the significant battle near Bakhmut in which he sustained injuries. Expressing his admiration for the song "Fortress Bakhmut," Veres contacted Serhiy Vusyk, requesting permission to use the track and seeking acknowledgment on the band's page. Screenshots of the correspondence between Veres and Vusyk were shared by the soldier, revealing the refusal from Vusyk. Vusyk later issued a public apology, acknowledging the misunderstanding and offering clarification for his initial response to Veres' request. The video apology was shared on Antytila's Instagram page.

"Why should we grant permission for you to post our songs?" replied the Antytilas' keyboardist sharply.

Meanwhile, the soldier attempted to explain that he had fought near Bakhmut. However, he received the following response: "There are thousands of us, and we are no exception. What does this have to do with the song, and why should we honor you? You should familiarize yourself with the publicly available information about where, with whom, and for how long the musicians of Antytil, including myself, have fought."

Evidently, Vusyk was attempting to convey that he, along with the band's frontman Taras Topolya and other members, had personally been on the battlefield after the full-scale invasion.

The hero was deeply shocked and hurt by the musician's harsh and rude responses. He posed a question to the band, asking, "Does your song truly carry meaning? And are you genuinely in support of the military, or is it merely empty talk?"

The military man's video quickly went viral online. Internet users wrote outrageous comments against the musicians, who themselves fought in the first months of the full-scale invasion and now allegedly support the soldiers with music and fundraising. Many of Antytila's supporters were disappointed in them, and some were still waiting for official explanations.

Eventually, the time for official explanations came. The band's keyboardist recorded a video in which he immediately noted that Vitalii did not respond to his personal messages and did not pick up the phone, so he had to address him in public.

"I admit that I was wrong. I in no way wanted to offend or humiliate the soldier. Yes, I did not understand and delve into who I was talking to, and due to heavy schedules and the influx of comments under the video or in personal messages, a bunch of bots, and other different personalities... I responded quite sharply. At the same time, from the first day of publication, the song 'Fortress Bakhmut' was made freely available for use without any restrictions. This is easy to check. And that's what surprised me about Vitalii's message, who wanted to be recognized. But I did not understand it. I apologize for my reaction," commented the Antibodies member.

He also emphasized that he did not intend to purposefully offend the military. Vusyk highlighted that he is a co-author of the song "Fortress Bakhmut," which was written from his personal experience as a volunteer from the first day, standing alongside the military and experiencing the loss of friends.

We support wounded soldiers all over the world, and we have taken care of the children of our fallen comrades. Antytila has always maintained a principled civic position, and we have been with the Armed Forces as volunteers since 2014 and as military personnel since February 24, 2022," Vusyk summed up.

Earlier, OBOZ.UA wrote that Taras Topolia, who was a paramedic at the front after the full-scale invasion, answered whether he was going to return to the military and the war zone.

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