We are the National Guard

Yuri, 42 years old

I will say right away: we are not against the Russian fraternal people, we are against the Putin's lawlessness that he arranged in Ukraine. I studied in Russia, but I am a patriot of my country. He graduated in St. Petersburg by the military transport university of railway troops. Until this moment, it never had to truly pick up weapons-only at a military school. I do not want to talk about my title - I went as a volunteer.

Take the weapon to take me a tragedy. On May 5, in Donetsk, Deenarovites tried to make my friend go to their service. He refused. For the refusal, he was put in the basement of the SBU, and two days later they shot him. Now his wife and children live in my city Novomoskovsk, this is the Dnipropetrovsk region, I took them out of Donetsk. He was a former officer (just like me). He has four children left - the younger Diana for only two months.

Putin repeats that there are no Russian soldiers in Ukraine. For example, not so long ago, in a battle for Karlovka, we captured the Russian military from the Vimpel unit. He did not even expect an intelligence platoon to their location. We handed it to the SBU. 25 was destroyed, of which 8 with Chechnya.

When we find evidence of Russia's involvement in the supply of weapons to the militants, we immediately transfer them to the SBU. Believe me, there is a lot of it here. And this is the mess that Putin arranges in Ukraine: supplying militants with weapons. But the main problem is as follows: they are hiding behind people. It is necessary to minimize the death of a common people. It is important that they no longer have support, but the people themselves cannot do anything yet, because they have no weapon. And do not believe that we have fascism here.

It's a shame that you have to shoot at the blood brothers. But they came to my land. Today, my reconnaissance group destroyed only Russian boys of 21 people.

Separatists go because they are paid. In addition, the Russian media treated the population very well. Try to ask the inhabitants of Kramatorsk, Slavyansk, those cities that lived under the occupation of militants, what they think about all this. They will answer you that they themselves are to blame because they succumbed to Russian propaganda. They scored Russian television with horror stories that Ukrainian soldiers kill everyone in a row, eat children, use phosphorus bombs. All this is complete nonsense. But the militants do not kill and do not try people who are not the way they think? What did Putin with Chechnya do when our people were stolen and killed there? He practically cheated everything with the ground, and now he is bought out annually.

It is very disappointing that you have to shoot at Russian brothers by blood. But they themselves came to my land and destroy my people. Today, my reconnaissance group destroyed only Russian boys of 21 people: all the former military, they were 100% fired from the service retroactively. We also have losses: 7 people are two hundredth. With each military mission, a sense of humanity disappears. A feeling of revenge appears. I never thought that it could be so. My people are shelling from the Grad from Russia! How can I relate to all this?! And all due to the fact that Putin supplies them with weapons, and the Russian people, blinded and bunned by Putin’s propaganda, does nothing. But still, the fighting spirit is very, very high. The disaster with a shot down “Boeing” was psychologically not affected: experts will figure it out, and we will do our job.

Alexander, 24 years old

From the very beginning of Grushevsky, I was on the Euromaidan, as the patriot is ready to give my life for Ukraine. Here I was born. I was born in Ukraine with Crimea and Donbass and therefore I believe that these territories are legally ours. While the Maidan was - after work I went there: I could not work calmly and rest when this was happening in the country. When the Maidan ceased to be effective and relevant, he went to the volunteer battalion. This decision appeared by itself, I did not think and did not weigh. I think this is right - to fight for the integrity of the country, order, a bright future and calm life of my compatriots.

I am 24 years old, and I did not have combat experience and I did not have, because I did not serve in the army and worked as a programmer before the war. Although the hardening was held on the Maidan under the bullets. In general, when I became a volunteer, there were no difficulties. Unless with bureaucracy and weak financing. And everything else is even a joy. It’s good.

Unfortunately, I can’t say in which specific battalion I serve, I will only say that this is one of the Kyiv battalions. My daily routine is as follows. Rise at 6 in the morning, then physical training, drill, breakfast, and until the evening of the exercise at the training ground, after which we get a well -deserved rest and sleep. Military training is every day: tactics, marching, shooting, theory. All you need. There are many volunteers, the battalion is fully equipped. There are all specialties for the effective completion of tasks. The instructors are excellent, all with the combat experience of Afghanistan, Chechnya, Yugoslavia, Iraq. There are Ukrainians who returned from hot spots-from the French Legion, from the army of the United States. There are even several Russian guys. I know that they lived in Russia, and then they were with us on the Maidan. From them we take information about what and how is now in Russia. The preparation itself goes every day for two months (except for weekends). We understand that there is practically no time.

Preparation is already coming to an end. Now it all depends on the order from above. In principle, we are already in full readiness and will act upon receipt of instructions. Among my peers there are a lot of volunteers. Due to the occupation of Crimea and after the Maidan we have an unprecedented explosion of patriotism, and therefore everyone goes. The military enlistment offices do not even have time to work. In order to get to the battalion, I was in line for two months. And thank God that there are no dead among my friends, everyone is alive. After the Boeing 777 was shot down, they felt even more hatred of the separatists and the Russian military, who passed the air defense systems to the terrorists. But this only rallied us.

In the Russian media, information often appears that Ukraine is shelling Russian territory, but this is completely not so. We do not need it, just like the war itself. It must be understood that our goal is the legitimate territorial integrity of Ukraine. Donetsk and Lugansk, no matter what the Russian media say, is Ukraine. According to our occupied pro -Russian terrorists, Donetsk and Lugansk, artillery does not fire, there is an official order not to conduct artillery and aviation shelling, only the “manual work” of the infantry so that civilians are not injured, because these are civilians of Ukraine. I would like to say that it was Russia who wants to unleash the war with Ukraine, because it was Russia during difficulties illegally occupied the Ukrainian Crimea, it was Russian weapons that are used by separatists, namely Ukrainian tanks from the occupied Crimea from separatists. They posted Russian flags on the captured buildings in Kharkov, Odessa, Donetsk and Lugansk. It is from the Russian territory that techniques, terrorists from Chechnya and Ossetia pass through the captured checkpoints on the border. What other way could 7,000 Chechens and more than 5,000 Kuban Cossacks get to us? The leaders of the separatists are from Russian GRU, from the FSB, in particular, Girkin himself. The escaping “people's mayor” of Slavyansk was in Russia, Yanukovych, pshonka, Tsarev - too. Not Ukraine is attempting to be Russian territory, but Russia. There is confirmation from the world community in the form of photographs from satellites, intercepted equipment and radio contexts.

They say that many Russian militias, having seen enough plots on TV, decide to go east to fight with us. I understand this and therefore do not condemn the population of Russia, since they see a false picture in the media - a video that provokes enmity and hatred. All this becomes clear when you analyze the news of the TV channels "Russia 24", NTV, Channel One. The Nazis, junta labels are hung on us, they talk about some kind of genocide, use videos from Ossetia, Beslan and Chechnya and pretend them as the atrocities of the Ukrainian army. In this enmity, only the Russian government with Putin’s propaganda is to blame.

Due to the occupation of Crimea and after the Maidan we have an explosion of patriotism. The military enlistment offices do not have time to work. To get to the battalion, I was in line for two months.

But more recently, the attitude towards Russian people was completely different. During the Euromaidan, we saw a little aggression from ordinary Internet users and did not take it seriously, especially since the Maidan was a lot of Russians, there were even a Russian hundred and flags of the Russian Federation, which even then seemed friendly to us. During Crimea, relations became more complicated and aggressive, since Russian propaganda was saturated with arrogant expressions such as “our Crimea!” The calls of relatives with Russia with the words: “Well? Where will you rest now? Now our Crimea! ” The relationship from this moment was spoiled and almost torn. We perceive the Russian invaders. And now we have passed the point of no return, and the relationship is spoiled for many decades. And Russia put all his strength for this. Now the relationship is terrible and I don’t even know how and when they will be restored. Although ... but there is still a certain hope. We are trying to share Russia and Mr. Putin with pain in our hearts.

For me, this is a painful topic, because my father from Bryansk, however, my parents divorced a long time because of his alcoholism. I was born already in Ukraine, but I often visited Russia. Now, when I visit Russia, to be honest, I feel hostility and understanding that we have different roads. Russia is constantly fighting and attacking the countries surrounding it: Ukraine, Georgia, Chechnya. Constant wars for the territory and propaganda of superiority over the whole world. We do not need this. Before all this, we did not conduct a single war. Ukraine is a peaceful country. Russia fought seven times in 23 years. We are not on the way with such a country. Unless on the way with Russia, which will return foreign territories, it will ask for forgiveness for hundreds of thousands of those killed and remove Putin. When I communicate with the Russians, I regret: such good people, but foolish and believe in a terrible lie, which justifies any of their war and aggression, a lie that says that all other countries are stupid, gays, fat, and anything.

I never thought that it was Russia that would be the reason for the war I would go to. After all, we were taught that the West is bad and he is fighting against us, and here it is ... So we were taught by a society where people born in the USSR prevailed, and so taught films like “Brother”. All this was somehow granted. Those who went to the West to live, many considered traitors to us. But all this is ignorance, unreasonable conservatism and xenophobia.

I really don't know what the reasons for this war are. There are only guesses and speculation. Maybe Putin wanted to raise the rating and stay one more period (it is known that after the occupation of Crimea his rating has taken off), perhaps because of his ambitions, the unwillingness to accept that Ukraine is independent and got out of its influence. Or maybe, in general, for the revival of something like the USSR.

My relatives are very concerned about the service, because it is dangerous - except for a father who does not know about my decision. However, with him I have long lost contact. But everyone perfectly understands that this war needs to be stopped. If we do not stop in the Donbass, it will spread throughout the country, and the chaos of war will be in every house. Plus, we are preparing for the invasion of the army of the Russian Federation. And then certainly the whole country will be in the war. We see Putin’s propaganda with its statements about some execution of the National Guard of the entire male population of Donbass, about the crucifixion of children, genocide ... although there is no confirmation of this. Therefore, we are waiting for the army of the Russian Federation, fooled by propaganda, will enter our territory. We are not sure that the story of the occupation of Crimea will not happen again on mainland Ukraine. I regularly watch the news, the transfer of state television channels of the Russian Federation, constantly communicate with the Russians and see the bitterness and the desire to "free the oppressed residents of Novorossia from the genocide of the fascist Kyiv junta." Everything is as Kiselev says. I hear the same words from the inhabitants of Donbass in the territories controlled by the separatists. Word for word. And all because only Russian propaganda channels work there.

Why is the war to Ukraine with such a strong army as Russian? When did this weaker army attacked a strong one? This is at least unreasonable. Moreover, we still have not recovered after the revolution. Yanukovych destroyed the economy, we need to restore a lot of things. On the nose is the entry into the European Union. Why do we need war? We are far from ready for her.

Many reproach us for cruelty, which is most often noticeable in comments on social networks. For example, it was after the tragedy in the Moscow metro. And yet ... people can be understood. Thousands of Ukrainians died from Russian mercenaries and Russian weapons in Ukraine in four months and two regions were destroyed. In addition, such comments, only from the Russians, were during the murders on the Maidan, the execution of soldiers near the Volnovakha, the downed helicopter, the plane ... Russians support the separatists, send them humanitarian aid, express their support, shoot propaganda videos about their valor. And from their hands the territorial integrity of Ukraine is threatened, thousands of Ukrainians died, the fate of millions of Ukrainians, cities in ruins were destroyed. The hatred of Ukrainians to Russia can be understood. Or am I wrong?

Maxim, 36 years old

I went to fight in early April to the Donbass battalion. The reason is simple: I did not want and do not want the dirt that is going on now in Donetsk, to come to my house. In fact, we do not fight for Poroshenko and Yatsenyuk, we stand for our single country.

I come from Kharkov. He served in the army, participated in hostilities. He served in the special forces of the SBU "Alpha". My special title is the captain, the call sign is Wolf .

Now we are gaining momentum: we liberate small cities around Lugansk and Donetsk. The mood of people in relation to us is twofold: they have been isolated from realities for a long time. We are not waiting for other things. If this goes, then we will finish the ATO in two, a maximum of three weeks. Now I am at home, I arrived, if I may say so, on vacation for four days. I have time for the finale.

Russia fired at us from its territory "hail" and aviation. Such is the truth about our fraternal people, so no one considers Russians as such brothers.

The sister calls me and asks me: and if her son comes to our Ukraine, will I shoot him?

I have repeatedly talked with captive separatists. They say as one that they were promised the Golden Mountains both from Pushilin and Strelkov, and from the Russian Cossacks. They paid up to $ 500 per day for participating in hostilities. Although this is a rarity, an average of 200 cu. They are also people - they don’t want to die, they ask for mercy, and moreover, many want to go to us, but we do not take them. They are engaged in the prosecutor's office. After Slavyansk, the massive surrender is especially high.

Among the prisoners, I met representatives of the Donskoy, Kadyrovites. There are a lot of locals. But this is by itself - they have no work, thus earn a living. Weapons by 40% Russian. As for deaths among the civilians ... The civilian population is the same as in the formidable. Putin also understood what he was doing, and the Russians were silent.

For some reason, Slavyansk changed his mind to separate, people met us with tears of joy. And the fact that many thought that they would now come to cut the “Right Sector” - this must be said to the fraternal country and the first channel. The residents of the occupied regions turned off Ukrainian television, turned on the Russian desk, well, it went. But if they were traveling to kill them, then why do they run mainly to the Kyiv, Kharkov regions and to Western Ukraine? After all, there, from their own words, there are people who go to kill them. It turns out that they went refugees to their killers. Where is the logic here?

Russian terrorists want to pass themselves off for local patriots, and most of them went home with a load of 200. There are a lot of them here. We talked with the separates: take the corpses of Russians. They do nothing.

My sister lives in Moscow, and in Kislovodsk an uncle. I am half Russian, but I am ashamed of it, since I considered them brothers. The misunderstanding between me and my Russian relatives is terrible. The sister calls me and asks me: and if her son comes to our Ukraine, will I shoot him? Like this. I tell her: why should he come to me with weapons? She replies: "And if they send?" Here's such a relationship. There is no crisis between Russia and Ukraine, there is a war - we must face the truth.