[REGNUM] "We often take prisoners, and they are mostly Ukrainians. We always find foreigners only dead - without arms and heads. The Nazis themselves cut off the heads and hands of the killed mercenaries so that we can’t identify them later," the deputy commander of one of the assault units “working” on the front line in Artyomovsk tells a REGNUM correspondent. The interlocutor's name is Andrey, he comes from Perm.
"At the same time, we often hear the voices of Americans and Poles on the air - they all come here for easy money, like on a safari. And as soon as we give them a light, they are the first to escape with the Nazis, and inexperienced conscripts, drivers, everyone who is not sorry for them are left to cover their escape," continues the fighter.
Many VSE soldiers who were taken prisoner were forcibly mobilized, Andrey says.
"They don't want to fight against Russia. And even though they scare them that we are treating them cruelly, mocking them, it’s all not true. Just the other day they brought one - we bandaged him, gave him a smoke, fed him. And then they were already transferred further, to the rear," says the deputy commander of the assault unit.
The Russian military is stationed in the basement of a local winery, which is located under a gypsum rock arch up to 90 meters deep. A safe haven, created in Soviet times in case of war, has come in handy now for the Wagner fighters. Next to the industrial facilities of the silent champagne factory, there are rear services, a medical unit, kitchens and even a shooting range.
The bulk of the wine stocks were taken out by Ukrainians by trucks, while abandoning ammunition depots, our military say. The rest was described and taken under protection until the production workers come here to restart the enterprise. At the same time, our fighters themselves, referring to the firm rule of the "dry law", did not personally touch the wine. Only on March 8, several trucks of bottles were taken to Lugansk to congratulate women on the holiday.
A special place in this dungeon is the observation post, where the "eyes" of the copters are located, which constantly circle over Artyomovsk. Each house is carefully checked by ground reconnaissance and "birdies," after which point artillery preparation takes place at given coordinates. After that, attack aircraft go into action.
"Each 152mm shell flies into a trench or loophole in our country, we don’t waste time and resources blindly digging fields," Andrey continues his story. "Yes, there is, of course, some shortage of shells. But our leadership successfully solves this issue. Therefore, we are steadily moving forward. A year ago we were in Pervomaisk, and now we are in Artyomovsk. It is more than 45 km. Is it progress? And we never lost a single position!
- Volunteers in the rear are often interested - are there people here who need help?
"There are still a lot of them left in the part of the city controlled by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. And as the city is liberated in the basements of houses, we find almost every day several local residents. We send them as far as possible immediately to the rear."
"Many of them remained to endure all the inconveniences in order to wait for us. Those who wanted to leave for Ukraine have already done so long ago. And those who remained serve as a “human shield” for the Ukrainian military. They understand that we will not fire artillery at people, and therefore they put their firing points next to them. The snipers have to work in jewelry, and the attack aircraft take additional risks."
TALK TO LENIN
Having discussed the pressing issues, we are going to consider the new possessions of the assault units. Particularly impressive is the organization of the medical unit, created in accordance with all the rules of field medicine. Primary care tents, a full-fledged operating room with modern equipment. The duty officer near the medical unit says to me: “You can talk to Lenin there.” I walk in in surprise, thinking that I won’t see anyone there, except for the bust of the leader of the proletariat. However, a stocky doctor named Anton comes to meet us. He is the same Lenin - Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Surgery.
— Where did you get such an unusual call sign?
- As a rule, it is difficult to choose a unique name for yourself. And I was also born on the same day as the leader of the proletariat. At the same time, I don’t feel much sympathy for him. I have a more modern outlook on life.
- Is it difficult to work here when the front line is almost nearby?
- Not at all! It's even good. We are well protected here, we are expanding the capabilities of our operational units more and more. There is an intensive care unit with a ventilator. The blood and plasma delivery service is working stably. Thanks to this, we can provide assistance at any level. It is very important that thanks to our close proximity it is possible to avoid unnecessary deaths or the loss of limbs that can be saved in the first moments after being wounded. This allows the fighters to get back on their feet faster and get back in line.
In confirmation of this, we are shown a fighter who was losing consciousness from blood loss a day ago, and today he was already quite consciously communicating with us. And he swore to us that he would soon recover and return to his brothers to avenge the enemy for the spilled blood. Faith in such fighters directly sets you up for victory!
SOLO WITH A SNIPER RIFLE
The moment comes when we rise to the surface, and against the backdrop of the brightest sun, we are met by an incredible picture of the ubiquitous apocalypse. Artillery shells constantly flew over our heads, somewhere nearby they were supported by a restless mortar. And to the stunning music of this Wagner counter-battery, a choir of numerous machine guns and machine guns methodically sang along. And sometimes the solo was bitingly performed by a sniper rifle.
Passing by the broken signboard of the winery, we suddenly heard the growing whistle of a mine and an explosion somewhere very close by.
- Is it for us? I ask the attendant.
— No, it's just a response to fire suppression. The enemy is trying to drown out the work of our mortar, at least for a while, - the commander with the call sign Dober answers calmly.
Such calmness, methodicalness in actions is simply shocking at every step.
- There is such a job - to defend the Motherland! - Dober recalls the Soviet proverb. "We are working here, fulfilling our duty to the country. And in general - after a few weeks, you no longer pay attention to this noise. There is a clear understanding of where and what flies from."
- How long have you been here?
- About a year, since the beginning of the special operation. At some point, he received a severe wound in the thigh, and then returned here again. I could not leave my guys - they are like brothers to me!
- Did you feel like you were stuck in battles?
- Well, let's be honest - as long as NATO countries are massively supporting Ukraine with weapons, a blitzkrieg will not work. But we still keep moving forward. The problem is that while we are grinding their forces here, they are already building new defensive works further. And you have to storm other cities again, because of which the local infrastructure is badly damaged.
- How do the people you evacuated from the basements treat you?
"It can be seen that they were waiting for us, they met us with hugs, like relatives, wept. As a rule, we found women and old people there, there were also children from eight years old.
"We pass near one house, and several stray cats come out to meet us. One of them, right with huge eyes, began to ask for Dober's arms."
"It's not their fault that there are fights going on here," he says. "We try our best to feed them. Dogs here are also constantly asking for friends. Many of them were shell-shocked after shelling."
Are you often rewarded for successful operations?
- Well, anything can happen. In addition to government awards, there are also internal ones. Here, for example, I have a "Bloody Wagner Coin" - one of the internal awards for success in battle and courage - 47 grams of pure gold! In general, I already have three awards, so far ... Because it often happens when you go on vacation after a six-month business trip, and new medals are already waiting for you at the headquarters.
Having climbed one of the high-rise buildings, we saw what is called the theater of military operations! Right in front of our eyes, the assault on another fortified area began. Everything was as if according to notes - after the formidable chords of aviation, artillery started working again. Mortars set the pace. And soon there was a curtain of smoke over part of the city. This action makes me want to watch it again and again. But for security reasons, we were taken back, as there was a danger of an enemy projectile arriving in our direction.
BLOOD FOR HONOR!
It is no secret that among the fighters there are guys who agreed to serve in order to reduce the prison term. They are no different from other colleagues - the same weapons, equipment and attitude. And this further brings them together - everyone trusts each other in battle, like a brother.
And on the way to the cellars of the winery, we met a fighter with the call sign Piano. A broad-shouldered soldier with a tuned "Kalash" and a very strong handshake looked extremely colorful.
"I am grateful for the opportunity to cleanse my honor with blood. I still had a long term in captivity, and at the end of the contract I would be a new person. Such a chance is given once in a lifetime."
- Will you then go "to civilian life"?
- No, I just want to see my relatives, and then I will immediately return to fight for Russia. I understand that the Motherland needs me here more. Therefore, I will further extend the contract.
Is it difficult to serve here?
— I participated in the Chechen war. But it was simple compared to what we encountered here.
Artillery is constantly hitting here, often just randomly. Getting a shrapnel injury is easy.
Did you have to use the first aid kit?
Yes, and more than once. And rescued his brothers. This often happens here. The main thing is to know how to provide first aid.
In the underground barracks, news was waiting for us - it turns out that today two men were evacuated from the basement of the liberated house, and it was possible to talk with them.
Forced march to the nearest checkpoint - and we meet with the guys who were waiting for evacuation to the rear. They lived in the same yard, and after the outbreak of hostilities, they hid in the basement of a local pet store, where they had been living permanently since September. Their families left for Russia earlier, but the guys - Alexander Mosin, 28, and 32-year-old Ilya Korobeikin, decided to stay.
"Our houses were completely burned down, so there’s nothing keeping us here anymore. Last week there were such fights that we were even afraid to go out into the street," says Alexander.
- How did you live here?
"At first we had our own supplies, later they gave us humanitarian aid. And then they ate only pasta and cereals that they could find. They also fed the animals - in the pet store there were parrots, fish, dogs in the yard. Everyone was fed as long as there was something. Now they have remained there - it is not known what will happen to them next. I had to drink everything I had to - somewhere they found a well, and at some point they even collected rainwater. I had to somehow survive."
— What can you say about the behavior of the Armed Forces of Ukraine?
- Nothing good. They took everything they could. Once they stopped my whole family under the guise of a check and wanted to shoot them. Maybe they scared us, but they only took our phones and let us go. And when active hostilities had already begun, the Veseushniks began to break into apartments, loot, and then set up firing points there.
- Still, why didn’t they try to get out of here during the evacuation?
- Yes, the evacuation was carried out, but then people returned. Because they were taken to some city to the railway station and thrown there. Where to go next is not clear. So there was no point in going there.
It was clear to us that the guys, most likely, did not want to become “meat for slaughter” for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Therefore, they decided that it would be better for them to live in Russia. And they risked staying in the cellars until our soldiers freed them.
We were returning to Donetsk, and armored vehicles were constantly driving towards us towards the front - to support the units on the front line. And this gave confidence that Artyomovsk would soon be liberated.
March 27, 2023
Alexander Dimitrovsky