Cartoon by Oleksiy KUSTOVSKY
A wife tells his husband who fights in Ukraine that russian media show that russian army allegedly claims numerous victories in Ukraine, while Putin promises extra cash for veterans and additional funds for every day in combat. «You’ll get three million [rubles] and pay for the funeral. At least they pay us», the occupant replies. His wife says she found out more: «They give three million for a combat injury, and five or seven for death».
Wives of the occupants from the other military unit seem to care more about money than the lives and health of their husbands. A lady tells that to her relative during a phone call. «We’ve got some crazy women. They come to their commander, asking how much they will get if their husband is wounded. The other one asks: «How much do I get if my husband is dead?».
The occupants confirm that there are more than enough reasons to pay them. «I’m in hell, in Ukraine», says the russian invader. «We guard Grad missile launchers. We’ve got conscripts here. What do they say in the news?» – «Well, they say the losses are quite low». – «Ha-ha-ha. Over the first two days, they took some 500 bodies in pieces out of there. Our losses are huge». – «They say our boys are being captured. Do you shoot civilians?» – «Yes. We’ve taken a house, civilians used to live here. We kicked them out. And the frontline is stable. I’ll terminate my contract as soon as I get back. If I get back…».
Another occupant who talked with his father or brother doesn’t believe he will be able to survive, either. «It’s really bad here. Tomorrow, they will send us to the frontline. It’s impossible to even get there – they shoot at our convoys. Do you know how many dead people they bring here? Boys leave, and then they come back dead. Yesterday, they brought 30 people. They have no legs. There’s a small town some 10 kilometers away from here. The Nazis got entrenched there. Our boys bypass the town. Their negotiators came to us and told us we’ve got two days to leave. «If you don’t leave, you die», they said. The commanders are deciding what to do. Vladimir refused to go to the frontline at all. «I won’t go», he says. So they took the other driver. We had a checkpoint there. It is destroyed. What do we do now?» – «You‘d better be careful», – «Just don’t tell anyone», the occupant tells his relative.
Airborne assault troops from Ussuriysk (russia) who escaped from Kyiv region after committing war crimes in the villages of Demydiv, Kozarovychi and Dymer left their staff documents behind. In early April, the Armed Forces of Ukraine re-took control over these settlements that were occupied by russians for a month. According to the locals, russian fascists kidnapped and tortured peaceful civilians, and they looted a lot of stuff. They set an HQ in the ViknaLend factory. This is where their documents were found. It was a detailed list of personnel of the mortar detachment of the 83rd Detached Airborne Assault Brigade with the permanent location in Ussuriysk. In the russian army, this detachment is considered an elite one. Thanks to the documents left behind by the «elite force», it became possible to identify some of the occupants.
