March 2-6: Wandering in the woods

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Filatyev’s exhausted convoy was ordered to push ahead to storm Mykolaiv and Odessa, though the Russian campaign had already begun to stall. Filatyev described how his unit wandered in the woods trying to reach Mykolaiv, about 40 miles away. He recalled asking a senior officer about their next movements. The commander said he had no clue what to do.

The first reinforcements arrived: separatist forces from Donetsk, mostly men over 45 in shabby fatigues. According to Filatyev, they were forced to go to the front lines when many regular Russian army soldiers refused.

A discarded military uniform remains by trenches that Russian soldiers dug to defend their position outside Vynohradivka, Ukraine, in late March. (Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post)

Diary of a Russian soldier.

 Feb. 24: Rolling into war with no plan

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At about 4 a.m. I opened my eyes again and heard a roar, a rumble, a vibration of the earth. I sensed an acrid smell of gunpowder in the air. I look out of the truck and see that the sky is lit bright from volleys.

It was not clear what is happening, who was shooting from where and at whom, but the weariness from lack of food, water and sleep disappeared. A minute later, I lit up a cigarette to wake up, and realized that the fire is coming 10-20 kilometers ahead of our convoy. Everyone around me also began to wake up and smoke and there was a quiet murmur: ‘It’s started.’ We must have a plan.

Feb. 25: Collecting corpses from the road

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Somewhere around 5 in the morning they wake everyone up, telling us to get ready to move out.

I lit a cigarette and walked around. Our principal medical officer was looking for a place to put a wounded soldier. He constantly said that he was cold, and we covered him with our sleeping bags. I was told later that this guy had died.

We drove on terrible roads, through some dachas, greenhouses, villages. In settlements we met occasional civilians who saw us off with a sullen look. Ukrainian flags were fluttering over some houses, evoking mixed feelings of respect for the brave patriotism of these people and a sense that these colors now somehow belong to an enemy.

Diary of a Russian soldier.

Aftermath: Remaining silent no longer

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I survived, unlike many others. My conscience tells me that I must try to stop this madness. … We did not have the moral right to attack another country, especially the people closest to us.

This is an army that bullies its own soldiers, those who have already been in the war, those who do not want to return there and die for something they don’t even understand.

I will tell you a secret. The majority in the army, they are dissatisfied with what is happening there, they are dissatisfied with the government and their command, they are dissatisfied with Putin and his policies, they are dissatisfied with the Minister of Defense who did not serve in the army.

The main enemy of all Russians and Ukrainians is propaganda, which just further fuels hatred in people.

I can no longer watch all this happen and remain silent.

Diary of a Russian Soldier.

Feb. 15: Gearing up before the invasion

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I arrived to the training ground [in Stary Krym, Crimea]. Our entire squadron, about 40 people, all lived in one tent with plank boards and one makeshift stove. Even in Chechnya, where we only lived in tents or mud huts, our living conditions were organized better. Here we had nowhere to wash up and the food was horrible. For those who arrived later than the rest, me and about five other people, there was neither a sleeping bag, nor camo, armor, or helmets left.

Feb. 23: Bracing for something serious

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The division commander arrived and, congratulating us on the [Defender of the Fatherland] holiday, announced that starting from tomorrow, our salary per day would be $69. It was a clear sign that something serious is about to happen. Rumors began spreading that we are about to go storm Kherson, which seemed to be nonsense to me.

 Diary of a Russian Soldier.

Feb. 26-28: Advancing on Kherson

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Filatyev’s convoy made its way to Kherson and surrounded the local airport, looting stores in villages along the way. On the third day, the convoy received the order to enter Kherson. Filatyev was told to stay behind and cover the front-line units with mortar fire if necessary. He recounted hearing distant fighting all day. The southern port city would become the first major Ukrainian city that Russia captured in its invasion.

Russian troops enter vital port city Kherson

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March 1: Acting like savages

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We marched to the city on foot … [around 5:30 p.m.] we arrived at the Kherson seaport. It was already dark, the units marching ahead of us had already occupied it. Everyone looked exhausted and ran wild. We searched the buildings for food, water, showers and a place to sleep, someone began to take out computers and anything else of value.

Walking through the building, I found an office with a TV. Several people sat there and watching the news, they found a bottle of champagne in the office. Seeing the cold champagne, I took a few sips from the bottle, sat down with them and began to watch the news intently. The channel was in Ukrainian, I didn’t understand half of it. All I understood there was that Russian troops were advancing from all directions, Odessa, Kharkov, Kyiv were occupied, they began to show footage of broken buildings and injured women and children.

We ate everything like savages, all that was there was, cereal, oatmeal, jam, honey, coffee. … Nobody cared about anything, we were already pushed to the limit.

 Diary of a Russian Soldier:

Into mid-April: Holding from front-line trenches

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From now on and for more than a month it was Groundhog Day. We were digging in, artillery was shelling us, our aviation was almost nowhere to be seen. We just held positions in the trenches on the front line, we could not shower, eat, or sleep properly. Everyone had overgrown beards and were covered in dirt, uniforms and shoes began to fray.

[Ukrainian forces] could clearly see us from the drones and kept shelling us so almost all of the equipment soon went out of order. We got a couple of boxes with the so-called humanitarian aid, containing cheap socks, T-shirts, shorts and soap.

Some soldiers began to shoot themselves … to get [the government money] and get out of this hell. Our prisoner had his fingers and genitals cut off. Dead Ukrainians at one of the posts were plopped on seats, given names and cigarettes.

Due to artillery shelling, some villages nearby practically ceased to exist. Everyone was getting angrier and angrier. Some grandmother poisoned our pies. Almost everyone got a fungus, someone’s teeth fell out, the skin was peeling off. Many discussed how, when they return, they will hold the command accountable for lack of provision and incompetent leadership. Some began to sleep on duty because of fatigue. Sometimes we managed to catch a wave of the Ukrainian radio, where they poured dirt on us and called us orcs, which only embittered us even more. My legs and back hurt terribly, but an order came not to evacuate anyone due to illness.

I kept saying, “God, I will do everything to change this if I survive.” … I decided that I would describe the last year of my life, so that as many people as possible would know what our army is now.

By mid-April, earth got into my eyes due to artillery shelling. After five days of torment, with the threat of losing an eye looming over me, they evacuated me.

Paratrooper Pavel Filatyev writes, “This is an army that bullies its own soldiers.” (Courtesy of Pavel Filatyev)

  HAPPENING NOW: Greenpeace demands stronger nature protections in Montreal.

Salomé Sané, Greenpeace Canada <greenpeace.canada@greenpeace.ca> Unsubscribe	3:40 PM (4 hours ago)
to me

      

Nelson,

How do you get a politician to listen to your demand for system change? You paint a giant mural right next to where they work. That’s what Greenpeace activists, volunteers and allies are doing right now at Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault’s office in Montreal. We’re taking to the streets to demand a strong Nature & Biodiversity Act in advance of the biggest nature protection event of the decade—the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

The best way you can support our activists on the ground is by sharing this Instagram post to your IG story and tagging @stevenguilbeault. We have proof that Steven Guilbeault checks his Instagram story mentions, so this is the very best way to draw his attention to our action.

Share our post to your story and tag @stevenguilbeault

Nelson, the decisions global leaders make at the CBD are existentially significant. We have just eight years to reduce emissions by 50% to prevent total climate chaos and the potential collapse of human civilization. [1, 2] Protecting vast swaths of ocean and natural ecosystems (which absorb carbon and stabilize the climate) will be absolutely critical to this effort. So why—when we have less than a decade to stabilize emissions—is Canada approving new oil projects in ecologically significant areas [3] and shoving pipelines through rivers during salmon runs? [4] Enough is enough. We need major system change that deeply respects the inherent value and limits of nature. A strong Nature & Biodiversity Act that shifts power from corporations to communities, creates permanent funding for Indigenous stewardship, and establishes an action plan to achieve nature protection targets is an important first step to creating this change. That’s why we’re taking to the streets of Montreal today.

You’ve already signed our petition advocating for a strong Nature & Biodiversity Act. Now, will you support our activists on the ground by sharing our Instagram post to your story and tagging @stevenguilbeault to ensure that our message is heard loud and clear? (Not on Instagram? You can also leave Steven Guilbeault a message at his House of Commons office: 613-992-6779)

Share our post to your IG story and tag @stevenguilbeault

Thank you for reading and thank you for caring.    Onwards,   Salomé Food & nature campaigner, Greenpeace Canada

Notes: [1] https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/06/220602095102.htm   [2] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/aug/01/climate-endgame-risk-human-extinction-scientists-global-heating-catastrophe   [3] https://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2022/04/06/2418066/0/en/Bay-du-Nord-approval-shows-a-lack-of-regard-for-sensitive-marine-ecosystems-WWF-Canada.html   [4] https://b98ee3e43c.clvaw-cdnwnd.com/0ddab7883313337bddc394249446ba5f/200000758-559a1559a3/Salmon%20in%20Danger%20Press%20Release%20August%2011%2C%202022.pdf?ph=b98ee3e43c

Greenpeace doesn't accept any money from companies or governments so we can be independent and challenge anyone who threatens the planet or peace. To help us keep fighting climate change, defending our oceans and protecting ancient forests, please make a regular donation or start a fundraiser. Thank you!   You can grow the movement for a green and peaceful future. Forward this email and share the signup link for our regular email updates and ways to take action.   This email was sent to: human4usbillions@gmail.com Are we sending too many emails? Click here to receive fewer emails.

Greenpeace, 33 Cecil Street, Toronto, Ontario M5T 1N1 Unsubscribe Manage preferences Time is not on the side of humanity.           We need government action. today!!           Greenpeace demands stronger nature protections in both Montreal and Laval where condo development is running out of control. By cramming thousands of people on a few acres of city land, Condo developers are asking for trouble! There will be traffic problems and sewage problems and without sufficient Green spaces for children, greedy developers are creating slums! Slums are breeding grounds for drug gangs and violence!  N.J.R.