“The biggest victory is that people have faith in Ukraine”
Sonya Koshkina: Just an hour before our conversation we interviewed the mayor of Mariupol, Vadim Boychenko. Yesterday, the Russians issued an ultimatum to Mariupol. There is no doubt about the answer they received. Have you been given similar ultimatums?
Yes, during the first few days of the war there were some calls from Russian phone numbers and they offered to shift (to the side of the Russians, - LB.ua). After that, there were completely dumb and useless messages in a Telegram channel to the leaders of all levels (division directors, mayors, management of the regional administration, i.e. to all officials). It contained the following: “Semen Semenovich, stop the genocide and peace will come tomorrow”.
The threats were done mainly by phone. They were very direct: “We will give you 24 hours to make a decision”.
Oleg Bazar: Were there any attempts to bribe representatives of Ukrainian authority?
No, there were no bribe proposals. But if we are speaking about the promise to keep your position and work in the rushyst’s coordinate system, then yes, there were such proposals. And there were attempts to frighten people.
Look, the head of the military administration of Stanitsa Lugansk was kidnapped, after which he returned and proclaimed that he had been saved and all was great [The Office of the Prosecutor General accused the head of the administration of Stanitsa Luhanska, Albert Zinchenko, and two of his deputies of treason and that they surrendered the city to the Russian invaders, - LB.ua].
Source: novosti.dn.ua
The representative of Stanitsa Luhanska Albert Zinchenko and the head of so-called “LPR” Leonid Pasechnik [right side].
The head of the village council of Milovo betrayed his village quickly. Within a day, the head of Markarov village council also betrayed his town. He said he had been dreaming about the Russian world. So these are three cases we can indicate.
Let’s be frank, everyone thought of the Luhansk region as “separatistic”.
Oleg Bazar: Let’s say more pro-Russian.
And now after it had been occupied, not before, but immediately after, people arranged protests in Svatovo, Starobilske, Belokurakino, Novopskovsk. Frankly, I am touched to the bone, as I understand the circumstances in which it happened.
Ukraine invested a solid amount of funds into the renovation of roads, construction of schools, sports grounds, stadiums, hospitals. A huge amount of work was done. And the biggest victory is that people believed in Ukraine.
That is why they started those protests. And I should say that it was not a single person’s actions, people were gathering in masses. And not only once, but they did it until the Russians in Novopskovsk shot at people. I have thousands of messages along the lines of: “Please return, we do not want to live under these orcs”.
Oleg Bazar: You reported that there were arrests and kidnappings.
This is standard practice for them. Look, for me and my colleague in Donetsk, Pavel Kirilenko [the head of military administration of Donetsk region, - LB.ua] it is much harder to fight against these orcs as they don’t have young inexperienced soldiers on their side. We stand against “LPR” and “DPR”, people that have crossed all the possible moral lines. And they understand that they do not have a way back. They can only go forward. Look, they shot the volunteer who had no arm and leg! [on March 13 in Borovskoy settlement near Severodonetsk russian occupiers shot famous volunteer Alexander Kononov. He was shot in his wheelchair, - LB.ua]
I have another question. I do not doubt that regardless of how tough this war is, Ukraine will win. Because for Russia to prevail, they would have to annihilate all of us. But in any case, we will win. Hard, long. But where will these people go?
For example, mayors have clearly indicated that they will not collaborate [with “LPR” and occupiers, - LB.ua]. They keep saying: “We do not want to leave, this is our home, we will not move anywhere, but we will manage only humanitarian questions”. They are being threatened, but they refuse: “You may hang the Russian tricolour, but we will not work under this rag”. So occupiers are searching for some marginals to appoint them as authorities. But it is a complicated task to manage the city! It is all about housing and communal services, cleaning and garbage disposal, managing sewers, solving education questions, etc. By the way, an interesting point is that in Starobelsk, they forced teachers to switch to the “LPR” educational system. Most refused and stuck to Ukrainian.
Sonya Koshkina: They cannot force them, or the whole educational system will stop functioning.
This is Yanukovich’s approach. Meaning, thugs came to an IT guy, who used to earn money using his PC, and took his PC by force. And they have only one option to get money – to sell the PC, as they do not know how to use it. Or they will just get drunk the same day celebrating the robbery and smash it to pieces. There is the third option - come back to the same IT guy in a few days, return his PC and force him to give 50% of his earnings.
Source: Serhiy Haidai/Luhansk regional administration
“They have an assault rifle and 2 magazines, and our guys kill them by the dozen, 40-50 soldiers per attack”
Oleg Bazar: I thought the occupied territory is ruled by “LPR” and not Russians. Is it?
Yes. Russians usually say the following: “We will only capture the territory, and you will control it yourself. This is what they say out loud. Today “LPR” fights. They have some Chechens or Russians on their back, but they send freshly recruited men of all ages (up to 60+). They are equipped with an assault rifle and 2 magazines. Our defenders kill them, 40-50 people per attack. There was an instance when 150-180 died in one night. They do not have any training to fight.
Sonya Koshkina: I saw the recordings with such prisoners. It was a night security worker or teacher.
Oleg Bazar: Russians or Chechens, who stay behind. Are they the anti-retreat forces?
Yes, they are! The only motivation is fear. They are told they will be shot. We captured one guy one day ago, who had not used a gun before. It was clear from his appearance that he had been some sort of office clerk. I understand that Russians who say they received training are lying. This is all bullshit. They were happy to go to kill some Ukrainians. I am 100% sure of this.
So when they say a few guys on the street pointed a gun at them and took them to the military enlistment office, where they signed some papers, then they were sent to the war, we know that they are not lying. That is why they do not know how to fight and die in hundreds. Only God knows why they send them to their death. To determine shooting points? Drones are usually used for that purpose, or something similar.
Sonya Koshkina: This is weird, as they are not in endless supply either. They are running out (physically). So what’s next?
Their tactic is very trivial: dumb shooting over the cities with all the arms they have. After the attack on Groznyy, there is a term – carpet bombing. We do not experience carpet bombing, we have carpet shelling. There is a block, it consists of residential housing, sports grounds, clinics, schools, kindergartens, administrative buildings. And it is just being levelled to the ground.
“They knew where they had shot before the bomb hit the kindergarten in Severodonetsk. Thank God I had moved children before that.”
Oleg Bazar: There has been a wild incident recently. Occupiers shot directly into a nursing home for elder people. Did they know what the house was for?
Sure. They are locals, they do understand where the military objects are located, and where the nursing house or a kindergarten is. They knew where they shot before the bomb hit the kindergarten in Severodonetsk. Thank God I had moved the children before that. They knew exactly where they were shooting.
I was asked by a Latvian media agency: “Perhaps they shoot as there are some Ukrainian army squads?” I have answered: “If you could locate a squad in every house that has been destroyed by the Russians for the last three weeks, it means our army is four times as big as the Russian army! What the heck are you talking about?”
Source: Serhiy Haidai/Luhansk regional administration
In Kreminna, there were 75 grandpas and grandmas with 14 employees. The tank shot them with direct fire. The 15 who were left alive were kidnapped and delivered to the occupied territory of Svatovo. Nobody clears the rubble and gets the dead bodies out. It is insane.
Sonya Koshkina: In the North, dead bodies of Russian soldiers are being delivered to Belarus. What happens here? You said they could lose 150 people overnight.
Usually to Pervomaisk or Luhansk. Here, loads of people have died, nobody comes for them. They just rot there. I wonder whether somebody cares about them? Russia claims itself as the successor of the Soviet Union. Let’s revoke Zhukov, who said women would deliver more children [“do not regret soldiers, throw more into a fight, women will deliver more after” ]. This is the same approach.
Sonya Koshkina: Almost 70% of the Luhansk region has been occupied. After Russia had recognized the so-called “LPR and DPR”, Russians said these “republics” should remain in administrative borders of regions.
They failed it. But what is the situation for now?
Our armed forces left from the broad territory, but it is mainly an agricultural area that is hard to hold. Also, there was a high risk to get surrounded because of the forces coming from the territory of Russia. That is why we took our defense on the line of Kreminna, Rubizhne, Severodonetsk, Lysychansk, Popasna, Zolote. All the defense line holds the positions.
Source: EPA/UPG
Two small achievements have “LPR” and Russia. They captured about 30-40% of Rubizhne, but you cannot call it the battle won. Our mobile groups keep driving and killing them. A day before the night fight took place. Orcs lost 40 people dead, tank, armored personnel carrier, IFV [infantry fighting vehicle]. Yesterday night our SOF [Special Operations Forces] detected and eliminated the reconnaissance squad. Dead bodies just stayed there, nobody came to get them. They have invaded the part of Popasna. We were evacuating civilians yesterday. Yes, it was dangerous, because of the shooting, but everyone remained safe, all 92 civilians.
I should say that they do not have any huge success, considering that they shoot us with everything they have. I even do not talk about hand weapons, but about artillery, tanks, MLRSs [multiple launch rocket system] “Grad”, “Hurrican”, “Smerch”, airplanes. Ballistic rockets “Dot-U” we managed to intercept.
Today [this interview was taken on March 21, - LB.ua] we have accomplished the very successful operation of delivery of humanitarian aid – we have received 200 tones of food products and delivered them to the communities. So to make it clear, only loading took us 8 hours. While the pauses between shootings were 15 min long. Once they had shot a new pack of rockets from “Grad” there were quiet 15 minutes while they were reloading.
Sonya Koshkina: And they knew that it was humanitarian aid?
They don’t care at all.
Source: Serhiy Haidai
“All critical infrastructure is destroyed – gas, water, electricity supply”
Sonya Koshkina: So, what is the state of infrastructure right now, considering such a heavy shooting?
They do not shoot at roads, as they understand that they need them in case of an offense. But all critical infrastructure is destroyed – gas, water, electricity supply. Our emergency service specialists are really good, they are brave. They fix all of it despite the shooting. But the problem remains, we run out of details to maintain energy supply stations.
Oleg Bazar: and what do citizens of the occupied territories have? Is there any water, gas, electricity?
Not everywhere. There are some areas, where for the last three weeks neither gas, water or electricity have been supplied. We cannot deliver even food to some areas because of shootings.
Oleg Bazar: Today you wrote in your Telegram-channel, that mentioned 200 tones of humanitarian aid helped to avoid hunger. Is the situation in the region so critical that humanitarian aid is the only option?
They are shooting directly into the food storages and warehouses. Because of that, I decided to arrange additional logistics centers in big cities (not one, but two). In case there is only one and if it will be destroyed, then people will hunger.
Source: Serhiy Haidai/Luhansk regional administration
The fire caught food storage after the shooting
Look, the Luhansk region is the beginning of Ukraine. And all the humanitarian aid goes from Western Ukraine. It is very hard to reach us. Orcs destroyed the railway connection, so no trains are coming to us. That is why the supplies are being delivered to the nearby region, and then we use trucks. Today we have unloaded 200 tones. Tomorrow we will receive 500 or 600 more. This is only food.
The huge problem is with insulin and drug-containing medicals for cancer patients. But we manage to supply those to hospitals.
We have enough diesel fuel, but we are very short on gasoline. Gas stations are either destroyed or empty. As we are located in the begging of Ukraine, fuel should be supplied through the whole country. That is why we get it in the last order. But the situation is more or less stabilized.
Source: Serhiy Haidai/Luhansk regional administration
Oleg Bazar: You were able to keep medical infrastructure. What is the condition of it?
All are kept working, despite the heavy shooting. In Lysychansk, we have one of the best children’s hospitals in the country. During the shooting, its oxygen supply system was damaged. Children in the emergency department use artificial lung ventilation apparatus 24/7. Very hard story to tell. They cannot be moved and there is no place where to move, and there is no equipment to move them. We have fixed it as we could, it works for now.
“A lot of people do not want to leave”
Sonya Koshkina: How many people have left the region and how many has stayed?
Lysychansk, Severodonetsk, Rubizhne it is 250 thnd people. Popasna, Kreminna, Gorsk communities account for circa 300 thnd people. Some part has left to the occupied territory but not because they support russians, they just decided to move to a place where are no bombs (bombs are dropped over here, but no bombs launched towards Svatovo). Some managed to move abroad by their vehicles. We have evacuated 12-14 thnd people up today. Twice we arranged the “silent” period when we were able to relocate 2000 people. But such “silent” periods are very rare. Every day about 400-500 people leave by the buses from Lysychansk, Severodonetsk, Rubizhne. It is very complicated to get out of Popasna. Today one family tried to escape from the city but their car was shot. But we evacuate people daily.
Source: Serhiy Haidai/Luhansk regional administration
Sonya Koshkina: Is evacuation your main priority?
We have to save people. Orcs are destroying everything to the ground. Today in Rubizhne the house fell apart, children remain there under the rubbles. We cannot get there because of the shooting. I cannot tell whether they are alive or when we will be able to reach them. Three days ago we dug out from the rubbles one-year-old boy and 5-year-old boy, both died. A few hours later we found a woman with a boy. The mother died, the child, God bless, was saved. This happens constantly, that is why people are leaving.
But a lot of people do not want to leave. They sit in the basements. When we find them we tell them: “look, why do you stay here without food and water? There is the point of food giveaway right after the corner.” They usually reply: “We will not make it, we are afraid to go there”.
Oleg Bazar: Is there any mobile network working?
It depends where. In Popasna – no. In Rubizhne – very low signal. In Severodonetsk and Lysychansk it is still working. On the occupied territories they have launched some sort of “russia-mobile”. In T2 [digital TV broadcasting network, - LB.ua] they broadcast russian TV channels “Pobeda” and “Red star”.
Source: Serhiy Haidai/Luhansk regional administration
Sonya Koshkina: How do you think the situation will develop in the Luhansk region?
They will throw all the resources to attempt the fast break through the defense and capture the Luhansk region. They need it to save some remains of Putin’s reputation, so he could show its electorate that the goal was achieved – “Donetsk and Luhansk republics” are captured in its administrative borders and Ukraine is demilitarized. I think it is the only chance for him.
But we are very grateful to Shoighu that he had been stealing money instead of spending them on training the russian army. And due to that, it demonstrates such poor performance.
Source: 93rd separate motorized brigade Kholodnyy Yar