It is being a long time since war in Ukraine has begun. A specific war with different images about it and information sources that often are contradictory.
During one of the last trip the volunteers directly interviewed the soldiers on the front line. Interview was hold in hard conditions, but any editing was not done.
So here is the direct speech.
First soldier
- Hello! Please tell us about yourself. Where do you serve? Were you contracted or drafted to the army? How long have you been here?
- I serve in Debaltseve, Anti-Tank Battery, 128th Division (Brigade).
- For a long time?
- Since August (2014). I am a military volunteer.
- Do you have previous military experience?
- Yes, I served in Chechnya.
- And what do you think is the difference between our ATO (Anti-Terroristic Operation) and the other wars, where you fought?
- The difference? Is that Russia (Russian troops) in Chechnya hit the populated localities, with no difference if there were civilians or not. Here we do not hit the localities, but the terrorists/separatists do, they hit exactly the same way as Russia did in Chechnya.
- What do Ukrainians lack for the victory?
- Determination of the Government or of the Rada (the Ukrainian Parliament).
- What could you say about the military provision? Who helps you personally? Government/volunteers/your own funds? By the way, what salary do you have and do you receive it now?
- Yes, I receive my salary of 5500 UAH (around 300 EUR). Volunteers help us. (Thinking for a second). They help a lot.
- What kind of provision do you or your brigade lack?
- We have everything. (The modesty of these people impresses, as the photos illustrate very well what they really have).
- What are your main worries here?
- I am worried about the fellows who are 20, 21 years old, because they have not lived their lives yet.
- What can you say about our military adversary? Have you ever seen them, talked to them or maybe listened their conversations? Have their behavior or tactics changed since you are here?
- I have not seen them… (Remembering). Yes, I have seen! We took them as captives here. They came to attack, and we handed them over to the SBU (Security Service of Ukraine).
- Did you vote last parliamentary elections?
- No.
- What do you expect from new Parliament and President?
- The determined will!
- What spirits do you and your sworn brothers have? What do you expect? What do you hope for? Are you confident in your strength?
- We are not confident. We only need to receive certain and well-defined commands.
- What do you plan to do after the war?
- I think about serving as a contracted military.
Second soldier
- Hello! Please tell us about yourself. Where do you serve? Were you contracted or drafted to the army? How long have you been here?
- Hello, I am Alexander from Cherkassy region, I serve in the 128th Brigade directly in Debaltseve, in the Debaltseve formation of our forces. I was drafted to the army. I am a civil servant. I got a summons - call from a rectal. I even had possibility to refuse it, which I was proposed, but I decided that 2 Maidans (2 Ukrainian Revolutions) I already was among those in “sofa hundred” (men who only fight with words from their sofas), and that I needed to be a real soldier! That is why I agreed with clear conscience and went to the rectal. That is how I am here, in the army from the 1st of August 2014, and from the 31st - I serve in the zone of ATO.
- Do you have previous military experience?
- I can’t say that I do not have any experience. I studied in the Kyiv Polytechnic University, where I also graduated from the Military Department as an antiaircrafter, but I had not been any single day in the army by then. All I did was giving the oath. And now, my 40 years old anniversary I celebrated in September as a soldier of the Ukrainian Military Forces.
- Tell us your impressions about being in the zone of ATO, what impressed you the most here?
- The most impressive are people who surround me! It is true that a lot of people are here because of call of their hearts, because they cannot just stay at home! But there is one more thing that surprises me a lot. I will give you some figures now. We have 46 millions of Ukrainians, let’s deduct Crimea and “lugandonia” (occupied territories in the Eastern Ukraine). Imagine, then we have 40 millions of citizens, among them 20 millions of men, if we deduct children, and pensioners, we would have at least 6 million people (men of the military age). Then, why do not we have rotation in the army? Why the amount of men serving is only 20-30 thousands? I simply cannot understand, where are people? The war has been continuing half of the year, and I still do not see them…
- What do Ukrainians lack for the victory?
- Ukrainians have everything! They only need good neighbors, because our closest neighbor appeared to be our real enemy. We have good neighbors, Polish people, next to them these are people from Baltic countries, across the ocean – the USA, but Europe in general acts strangely.
Ukrainians have moral and will, that is why they have everything to win! The ancient slogan of the haydamaks “Freedom to Ukraine or Death!” is on their flag. We have it!
- What could you say about the military provision? Who helps you personally? Government/volunteers/your own funds? By the way, what salary do you have and do you receive it now?
- 95% is what a soldier gets from families, friends or volunteers, 5% - fuel and bullets that come from the state provision for the army. Army… as you can see in front of us there is “zalizyaka” (a piece of iron), “motolyga” (MTLB, multi-purpose light-armored towing vehicle), it broke as soon as we started to use it… we spent 2 weeks for repairing it by our own means, by our own hands! Nobody from the crew had experience with this “zalizyaka”… we spent our own 1000 UAH (around 50 EUR) in September in order to make it work and go forward. What can I say? If not our families and volunteers… volunteers even brought us the woods.
As for the salary, I receive it, but I do not understand the exact amount (laughing). Shall I say the figures? The salary of the military officer without serving experience for my position is around 4000 UAH (around 200 EUR), in the zone of fire – double amount, 8000 UAH (around 400 EUR). That is what we receive. Though, I saw with my own eyes the printed example of the Decree of the Cabinet (Government) signed by Arseniy Yatsenyuk where they equalize the salaries, and the figures there were 10 - 11 thousands for the soldiers, 17 thousands for Junior Officers, and more for Senior Officers. So I did not get it all clear. Anyways, the last salary I got was 4000 plus double salary for being in the fire zone.
- What are your main worries here?
- I am worried about my closest people. (Not about himself).
- What can you say about our military adversary? Have you ever seen them, talked to them or maybe listened their conversations? Have their behavior or tactics changed since you are here?
- This war is actually strange, it is like exchange of the compliments in a form of artillery: mortars, grads, multiple launch rocket systems. Personally me, I have not met the adversary. I saw how some separatists were captured. These are the actual fighters, or those who collaborate with them. I only saw how they were transported for interrogation, but did not participate in it. If I was in the army as a volunteer, probably I would initiate more actions, but for the moment, with not having enough experience, I try to do maximum contribution to the victory under the current conditions and according to existing command. I did not report for going to the airport, because I know that for my abilities it is already enough what is going on here.
- Did you vote last parliamentary elections?
- No, unfortunately.
- What do you expect from new Parliament and President?
- I would say that I expected something before… Because once the President promised to finish ATO in 1 day.
From the Parliament… My friends that follow the news say Biden came from the USA and only after he gathered pro-Ukrainian politics and influenced on creating the coalition, being harsh, those “morons” started to move. That is the attitude they have. They still did not understand that time when they could manipulate people is over. Now the citizens will not put them inside the garbage container anymore, but will have even shorter conversation with them.
- What do you plan to do after the war?
- First of all I will return to normal civil life, to my family. I am not married yet, so I think about creating my own family. 40 years of the life have passed, and I realize that I just lived them out…only on this war I understood what is worth. Some illusive values were just a husk which is gone now. I paid too much attention on some little nothings of life, they are not important anymore. Life is much simpler and that is what makes it complicated.
This is how they are. Modest, normal and heroic men. They fight for all of us against the external enemy and corruption inside, despite of constant losses, despite of sometimes ineffective military leadership and our severe winter.
Glory to Ukraine! Glory to the heroes!
Volunteer Group "Bulava"
www.bulava.org.ua
View pictures https://www.dropbox.com/sh/
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