Report from the Civil War-2

“Tell me, why are you blindfolding people? - I nod on a person sitting on the steps with hands chained behind my back. “He is already a prisoner.” “So that the internal device of the block floor does not draw,” the special forces smokes behind the machine gun, leaning on bags of sand. - No one is going to humiliate anyone. Nothing personal. Just a war. By the way, he is not a prisoner. Detained"

This is the second detainee, whom I see at this block of Ukrainian security forces. The first was taken yesterday-he drove back and forth several times on a moped, then on the side of the road he picked up a person from Zelenka. It seemed suspicious. When he appeared the next time, they detained. During the search, they found a bayonet-knife and a package of Anasha. I don’t know, in my opinion, not the strongest evidence of intelligence. In the evening, the police came after him and took him to the city.

However, some suspicious men on mopeds really often ride around the locations of the security forces.

“The minimamers have already begun to install, can you imagine? - says the commander of one of the special -purpose battalions, a very young sociable lieutenant colonel. - Yesterday they took off a few pieces. The devil knows who put him. Maybe here is the man who was detained and put it. ”

"Ours" and "not ours"

The BZS block (gas station) security posts occupied Ukrainian security forces two weeks ago. At first there was a block of Donetsk Republic. Then the turntables arrived and hit the Nursam. Then there was a battle. Then the Ukrainian army set her bloc. Then there was a battle again. Then they shot down one turntable. Then the second. “Twenty kilometers from here fell. There, behind the hill. In green. We went there. Both pilots died. The smell of burning human, you know ... ”, the fighters say.

Ciliated DPS, armor behind stone blocks, bags, embrasures, a broken DAI control building, sleeping on the floor on body mattresses, a broken gas station, glass and fragments under their feet, a bonfire, half -naked people with a weapon, a machine gun observer, a thick green along the road, automatic lines and explosions where they put a new one today. Block post ...

A fragment sticks out in the birch trunk. Huge. With my two palms.

"Can I drive that block?" - I nod along the highway. “Try it,” the fighter shrugs. - Today all night and half a day have been harassed ... "

This, the farthest, block-post, the security forces tried to put it three times. Two times the militants beat him back. On the third security forces managed. Despite the fact that the shooting did not stop for almost a day. It is located at a strategically important point, at the intersection of three roads - to Slavyansk, to the Red Liman and the Donetsk -Kharkov highway. Neither Slavyansk nor Liman is controlled by the army. The blocks of the Donetsk Republic begin completely nearby, in a kilometer and a half.

Behind the overgrown reed, the building of an unfinished chemical plant is visible, which everyone here is called “brick”. There are observers and adjusters of the enemy. From there, a sniper works.

“You would not have particularly shine with the camera,” says the commander of the post. - Shooting. According to Bater, Tsokalo today. " At the same time, he himself shaves in full growth in front of the mirror. There are five holes in the armored personnel carrier. Caliber 7.62 mm. But, most likely, these are traces of previous battles.

An observer sits on the armor and looks at the plant in binoculars. There is a sniper from there, but a person with binoculars does not worry. Got used to it already. On the ground, an impromptu shelter from a plastic pool turned upside down. They say he still remained from the previous owners.

Now there is a war for the surrounding intersection of a skyscraper. Either the army will knock out enemy observers from there, then they are an army. And constant shelling. Several times a day. And artillery, and small arms, and even under -barrels. That is, they come quite close.

"And what from the other side?" - I nod on a thick green behind my back. "Don't know. They go there, like. Today, two jeeps left for the bridge, armed people came out of them, looked at us, we at them, then turned around and left. There is not ours yet, ”the fighter answered.

These two words - “ours” and “not ours” - have now become decisive here. If the military says “this is our village,” then its inhabitants support the unity of Ukraine. If they say “not ours”, then the population supports the Donetsk Republic.

Artduel

Behind the chemical plant, the outskirts of Slavyansk are already visible.

Above the city rises a TV tall on Mount Karachun. The strategically important height, with which the whole area is in the palm of your hand. Also, several times passed from hand to hand. At first the military sat there. Then they were knocked out by the fighters of the Donetsk Republic. Then they were again knocked out by the military, and they were already fixed completely. A self-propelled artillery installation-a-a-a-a-aid-a-a-acemother captured by militants is constantly shooting from the city in Karachun (both shells and mines can be used).

Then the militants occupied Zelenka around the mountain and began constant shelling already with rifle weapons, almost continuously. Then an ambush was ambushed by the ammunition of the Ukrainian army, walking on the tower - seven dead, nine wounded, burned by the armored personnel carrier. The Ukrainian army carried such large simultaneous losses only in Iraq when eight peacekeepers died. Then, on Zelenka, the special forces worked and cleaned the five -kilometer zone of safety. Then the military dragged the artillery and mortars to the height and began to apply response at the enemy firing points.

Now this artduel continues every day. “Nona” of militants works from residential quarters - either from somewhere from the area of ​​the railway station, then just from the yards. The army cannot deal with a massive response on it - they do not want large sacrifices among the civilian population. Such a carousel starts every night. The losses of the military on Karachun are the most significant. In one night - the deceased and three wounded, for the next - four wounded.

The green is very thick here. It is difficult to use aviation. Three helicopters have already been shot down. In addition, the quality of training of Ukrainian pilots, frankly, was not the highest. At one time, some even refused to fly out.

On this green, the enemy even reaches the Basic Army Camp and fired at him from time to time. The result of the last shelling is two wounded.

Doctors work in the camp. Volunteers Armen and Ilya. We arrived in their private medical car. On their own. They are wiped through the block. The wounded and patients are taken out.

“It was terrible the second day. Just another active phase began, the specialists stormed the city. And we just arrived. From the ship to the ball. In one of the villages we were blocked, they began to throw the road with tires to prevent us from leaving. There, holes in the glass, ”Ilya nods two holes from a traumatic pistol.

In general, the volunteer movement in Ukraine is very strong. Almost all the main material support of the army is now being carried out by volunteer groups. People are self -organized on social networks, purchase the necessary and send caravans to checkpoints. Everyone is being taken, starting from water and ending with night vision devices. One of the newly formed battalions of the National Guard was fully equipped with citizens.

Fight and a little politics

“I can’t stand these Bandera to the spirit,” one of the generals, a colorful man, swear. - These politicians, mother of them! The country was overwhelmed! The army was overwhelmed! There is no one at the head of state! I don’t see a single face! Putin well done, he took everything into his own hands. A strong man. But how now? He attacked my land! Yes, I will fight him until the end of my life now! With Bandera in one trench! ”

At this moment, a signal mine is triggered in the green. Fighters scatter in positions. I also jump into the tissue.

The night passed restlessly. The “Third A” checkpoint was fired from the BMD. The shell hit the bus stop. Then the observers noticed an enemy reconnaissance group trying to go around the flank. People opened a bulletproof vest in the positions and parted in positions. And again we were asked to leave - it is impossible to remove the war without a piece of paper from the general.

Twenty minutes after our departure, a squall fire began. The battle ensued. Mortakes have earned. Apparently, the information that appeared earlier that the militants are trying to find places for a breakthrough and departure from Slavyansk are confirmed.

In the headquarters of the anti -terrorist operation, located forty kilometers from Slavyansk, in the city of Izyum, it is also restless. They discovered some kind of activity in green near the city. Armed group of up to twenty people. Special forces worked promptly - they blocked the roads, put up temporary checkpoints, placed armored vehicles. Everyone was darkened. They froze in anticipation. From each bush on the machine. They don’t let anyone go anywhere. He opened the window to make a couple of frames - he received a thirty -millimeter Bether gun. Nervous.

After a couple of hours, the abolition of anxiety. But the tension remains until the morning.

In the morning, two helicopters go to comb the green. Closer to dinner, the town is filled with special services. At the intersection, two armored personnel carriers are exposed. A young man enters the hotel in camouflage, and asks who is here. “Journalists,” we answer. - What happened? " It turns out that Alexander Turchinov comes, acting President of Ukraine: “In about twenty-hour, you can give you a small press conference if you want.”

Turchinov says that the security forces are ready to finally cleanse the Donetsk and Lugansk regions from terrorists and ensure elections. Around him, everyone who was around at that moment gathers around him. The volunteers who arrived are right there and ask uncomfortable questions about the supply of the army.

Having answered questions, he leaves with escort on several cars. Nobody blocked the track.

Elections day now - the next hour X. The war lives according to its schedule both according to its logic, and when it rolls, and when it rolls it out almost impossible, but this time the date is known. The next activation will be on the day of the election. Everyone feels it. And journalists, and soldiers, and civilians. But what exactly will happen, no one can say.

The heated sun rolls behind the hill. The observer lens glance in the sunset rays. The landing department goes from the camp to secrets. Briefly sounds password and review. The armor red -hot heat cools. On checkpoints, people put on bulletproof vests, everyday, everybody to drink tea and, throwing a click of the Okurk traser into the bushes, diverge in positions.

Then a signal rocket will take off. The CPVT will begin to work. Behind him, artillery from the city will tighten. And artillery from Karachun will respond fire to the revealed points of the enemy. And midnight will continue again.

And then, when a pause comes a little or in shooting a little, the ambulance vehicles will fly to the blocks and when they return, a little later, it will become known how many wounded this night brought.

Or how many lives she took away.