In late December, a disturbing video depicting the execution of three Ukrainian prisoners by Russians surfaced on the internet. Promptly, the Ukrainian military declared that the executioners were eliminated. Below, The Ukrainian Week/Tyzhden has published an interview conducted by the Ukrainian Witness project. Its journalists had the opportunity to converse with soldiers from the 47th Separate Mechanised Brigade ‘Magura’ – Andriy, with the call sign ‘Prapor,’ and Oleksandr, with the call sign ‘Boroda.’ The soldiers are currently in combat on the Avdiivka front and, before the New Year, participated in eliminating Russians who executed three Ukrainian military personnel near Robotyne in Zaporizhzhia. The Ukrainian Witness spoke to them about the Russian motives for the execution of Ukrainian prisoners, the unfolding of the liquidation operation, their insights into the situation on the Avdiivka front, the pre-battle prayers of stormtroopers, crucial do’s and don’ts during assaults, the existence of mobilization hunger, and their perspectives on the eventual end of the war.
“The weather was foggy, preventing us from using aerial reconnaissance. To compensate, we assigned another group to cover our rear. We encircled the Russian group… it was later officially confirmed that seven of their members were eliminated. Subsequently, five more Russians attempted to assist their mates, but they vanished during the engagement. We didn’t come out unharmed, either. I think one of the five threw a grenade, wounding two of our team members. Fortunately, we successfully evacuated them, and they are currently in recovery, both in stable condition”, both soldiers explain.
When asked whether the expedition was a payback for what Russians had done earlier in December, Prapor and Boroda shake their heads. “No. This was certainly not revenge – we hadn’t even seen the video [the one where Russians execute Ukrainian POWs – ed.] prior to when we stormed their positions. Yes, we were told that the Russian occupiers had captured our positions; we were given the task to recapture them. If we were able to take these Russians alive as POWs, we’d happily do that – at least to learn about what happened to our guys that day”.
The soldiers of the 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade, presently engaged in combat near Avdiivka, revealed their anxieties prior to the assault and how those fears dissipate once the battle commences.”Frankly, storming is more enjoyable than defending”, says Prapor. “During the assault, you have certain information; you know what to expect. Instead when you have to defend yourself, you don’t always know where the enemy is coming from”. Boroda adds that assaults typically don’t last long, at most a couple of hours. “When they attack, you engage in a shootout with them. You execute your mission, and then you can take a break for a cup of coffee”, says Boroda. “Sitting in positions for two or three days is extremely difficult, especially when you have mines and FPV drones shelling you from everywhere. At that moment, there’s really little you can do about it. On the other hand, during an assault, there is a semblance of equality in the battle. You shoot at your enemy, and he shoots back”, explains Boroda.
According to Prapor, the only frightening moment occurs before the assault. “Is it scary? Yes, it sure is. You are heading towards potential death, whether it’s someone else’s or your own,” says the soldier. “My fear is losing my eyes or both hands up to my shoulders. But these are all trivialities; there are prosthetics that allow you to lead a full life. After all, you’ve participated in a historical moment. You haven’t fled… During the assault itself, shells fall very close, and the ground is crumbling. But you have a goal; you know what you are doing. Just before the assault, I try to imagine as if it was already over and I was coming back”, Prapor laughs.
Boroda continues: “Now, I know it sounds simple, but what you really have to do to survive is to move. Move a lot. The more you move, the more difficult it is for them to hit you. If you stay in one place, you’ll be 100% spotted, and they’ll open fire at you,” explains Boroda.
The guys say that even atheists start praying in the trenches. “There was this guy covered in tattoos of ancient runes, you know. Hardly religious. Once, I heard him shouting from another trench: ‘Prapor! How do you say the Lord’s Prayer?'”, Prapor laughs. “People start believing in everything,” he says. “In commanders, in planning, maybe even in God. When I’m in Bradley [an American infantry fighting vehicle – ed.], I try remembering some prayers, although I don’t know any.” Boroda emphasises that both before and after the assault, you keep thanking everyone for staying alive.
“Sleep? Well… I sleep for 4-5 hours these days. You can barely call this sleep – every half an hour, you wake up, open your eyes”, says Prapor.
In their unit, there is no room for mistakes. “If someone starts to panic… well, then their mates will surely help them out with a good slap in the face,” says Boroda jokingly. “But, jokes aside, if a person is not ready for the assault, it’s always best for them to stay home and gather their thoughts. Instead, those who are prepared will go on the assault. Because if someone unprepared ends up on a battlefield and panics, they’ll put the entire group in danger; they’ll be a burden on everyone”, explains Boroda.
Boroda and Prapor are talking about the situation in Avdiivka now, about Russians holding endless cannon fodder assaults and about the grim reality in this town. “Ukrainians are holding their positions there; I think it’s too early to bury Avdiivka and say that soon, the Russians will encircle it and capture the city. They tried to use their infamous cannon fodder assaults before, when Putin announced his candidacy for president – and they failed. I hope they’ll keep failing. It’s shocking – they throw ridiculous numbers of their guys into these assaults; they walk over their dead ones; they care for nobody and save nothing”.
“Avdiivka has held strong since 2014, and it remains a thorn in their side; they relentlessly attempt to capture it. I have never seen so many of them; they must have deployed all the forces they have”, says Prapor. “Why do they want Avdiivka so badly now? Definitely for a show-off, like Bakhmut. I believe that if Avdiivka falls, it won’t be a deal-breaker in this war, yet it’s costing them thousands of soldiers whom they keep grinding on a daily basis”, he explains.
“There is one trench in Stepove [a village northwest of Avdiivka – ed.], where they [Russians – ed.] have literally been layering their dead in trenches. I’ve seen three layers of their dead soldiers. Russians hide behind their own dead mates; they use the bodies of their deceased friends, sometimes frozen, as a shield. They just keep going”, says Prapor. “Previously, my first impression from the outskirts of Bakhmut was – the amount of dead bodies. I’ve never seen so many”, he adds.
“I frankly don’t understand their motivation behind it. Are they being forced or threatened? They storm forward, they die, and then the new ones arrive”, adds Boroda, who is puzzled, too.
Yet, Prapor explains, contrary to a popular assumption, some waves of Russian recruits are not always the ill-prepared, scared and weak, freshly mobilised men. Some are trained and more than eager to fight and kill. “You should never underestimate the enemy. It’s a mistake. Some of them come well-prepared, and despite the grinding and the jokes about so-called ‘newly mobilised nerds’, they are a serious threat”, insists Prapor.
When asked if the war would end and when would this happen, both Prapor and Boroda fall silent. They smile bitterly. “Not in this year for sure, and not in the next one. And then, what do we truly consider the end of this war? In my opinion, the empire [Russia – ed.] has to fall. I believe that the war will only end if Russia breaks down into smaller republics. Otherwise… The war will not end with Putin’s death or downfall. Let’s not be delusional. He has such massive support among his people. It’s the Russian mentality. We have to fight. Maybe if every Russian family sees a casket showing up at their doorstep, maybe then they finally grasp the reality”, sums up Prapor.
