Russian invasion in Ukraine (Photo: social networks)
I got a call from a friend, my child’s godfather living in Serbia. It just so happened that a fair number of former “DNR” fighters moved there recently. He told me this story.
Previously I was a Ukrainian, wanted to become a Russian, but became an outcast. I will try to live with that.
So my friend asked him: – Why the hell did you do it all? You called for foreign troops, received weapons, flattened your own houses, and now you came here, to Serbia… Why?
– Yes, but we did not want that. Now the war is continuing because someone’s house was ruined by artillery, someone’s relative got killed, but we did not want to fight, we wanted federalization, separation from oligarchs in Kyiv…
– So, you installed Putin’s minions instead? Well, is it better?
The man suddenly exploded: – No, not better! Worse! Do you know how badly tired we are of the war? We would do anything to stop it! We talked with Ukrainian Army soldiers on the topic constantly — what we could do to stop the war! We’d start firing and their commander would call us and say: “Guys, my people want to get together for a meal, let’s pause the fire for a couple of hours.” And we’d stop firing! Because they were closer to us than the Chechens that were sent to us supposedly to “help” but who in actuality watched that we don’t stop fighting. If we were not pushed in the back to fight, we would have negotiated a peace already a long time ago!
Russian special forces soldiers from Chechnya (Image: joinfo.ua)
– Why aren’t you negotiating a peace agreement now?
– Because we are not given an opportunity. That’s why I left. Russia will always push us in the back to fight to break the truce and to “liberate” new cities. When I understood this – I got sick to my stomach. And I left.
– So, what now?
– I don’t know what to do now. My wife and daughter lost their lives there. I am now here. Previously I was a Ukrainian, wanted to become a Russian, but became an outcast. I will try to live with that.
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- A house in Donbas destroyed by Russian artillery fire (Image: YouTube screengrab)
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- Devastation from the Russian invasion in Donbas, Ukraine
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- Devastation from the Russian invasion in Donbas, Ukraine (village of Troitske)
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- Devastation from the Russian invasion in Donbas, Ukraine (village of Troitske)
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- Russo-Ukrainian war in the Donbas, Ukraine
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- Civilian victims of the Russian aggression in Donbas, Ukraine (Source: https://www.facebook.com/freedonbas)
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- A destroyed tank in the Donbas, Ukraine
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- An armed personnel carrier full of mercenaries from Russia in the Donbas, Ukraine (Image: inforesist.org)
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- Russian mercenaries from Chechnya region in Donbas, Ukraine (Image: inforesist.org)
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- Russian pseudo-Cossack mercenaries in Donbas, Ukraine posing with their weapons during the Russian military invasion of Ukraine in 2014 (Image: nr2.com.ua)
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- War in Donbas
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- War in Donbas
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- War in Donbas
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- War in Donbas
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- Civilian victims of the Russian aggression in Donbas, Ukraine (Source: https://www.facebook.com/freedonbas)
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- Russian-backed terrorists are deliberately destroying the infrastructure of the Donbas. Destroyed railway bridge over the road Sloviansk-Donetsk-Mariupol
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- Bondo Dorovskikh (R) with other Russian militants near Alchevsk, Ukraine
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- Terrorist Vladimir Efimov telling Russian media that his group of mercenaries will not fight in “LNR” anymore, because people there call them occupiers (Image: E1.ru)
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- A soldier of the Russian occupation force atop an IFV in Crimea. (Image: epa.eu)
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- Russian forces sent to attack Donetsk airport (photo: korrespondent.net)
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- Russian invasion in Ukraine (Photo: social networks)
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- Russian “vacationers” in Ukraine
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- Russian mercenaries in Ukraine
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- The Putin regime has been using ethnically non-Russian troops for its aggression in Ukraine (Image: social media)
Tags: DNR (“Donetsk People’s Republic”), Donbas war (2014-present), Op-ed, personal story
