The territorial defense battalion Kyivska Rus’ was founded on June 6, 2014. Its core is made by volunteers from the Kyiv region. The soldiers of the battalion fight in the Donetsk region, in particular, they occupied the Mount Karachun. Not long ago the battalion chief Oleksandr Humeniuk, or Papa, as the soldiers used to call him was killed by a sniper. However, the volunteers are raring to fight: for Papa, for their families, for the Ukrainian people. The Day has talked to two soldiers of Kyivska Rus’ who are undergoing the treatment in the Main Military Clinical Hospital of Kyiv.
“IF WE DO NOT HAVE WEAPONS, WE WILL BE KILLING THE ENEMY WITH OUR EYES”
Serhii Voronin is a Kyivite who has been living in Bila Tserkva for the past several years, married, has two children. In peacetime Serhii was involved into social work and headed production on different enterprises. Mobilized in March, he found himself on the frontline in June as a part of Kyivska Rus’. Voronin told The Day that his family did not know that he was in ATO area till the last minute. “I used to tell them that I was at maneuvers so that they did not worry. I did my military service when I had to and swore the oath, which prescribed to defend the sovereignty of our state. If there is no Ukraine, we will celebrate the holidays of another country.”
Voronin fought in Sloviansk. According to him, Kyivska Rus’ performs a lot of functions in Donbas: policing of liberated territories, organizing checkpoints, combat assaults, etc. The volunteer has experienced different attitude of the locals: some met the soldiers with smiles and tears, others – with stones and curses. Some inhabitants of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk handed over the information about the militants to the Ukrainian soldiers. “We are fighting against Russians, kadyrovets, and Serbians. It is a mercenary army that is paid for every killed Ukrainian military. Trash from all over the world are making money on Ukraine and it is politicized and called ‘separatism.’ There are some zombiefied people in Donbas, but not that many,” Voronin said.
He learned a lot during that month on the frontline and is hoping to use his skills again. Voronin is dreaming to get back to his sworn brothers and emphasizes that on the frontline everything is real: there is no lie or betrayal, and there are people you can always rely on, who will cover your back in a fight.
Voronin assures that at the front everything is right down the line: wakeup, breakfasts, lunches, morning exercises, if possible – no easing. The soldier told us how the guys relax: “Somebody is calling home, somebody is reading a book, somebody is having a coffee, somebody is doing the washing. Everyone is having fun on their own way. In our detachment it is forbidden to drink alcohol. Our chief, Papa disrespected drinkers and severely punished them. When you drink during the war you are likely to die and to kill your mates. Your coordination is poor and you might shoot your fellows.”
The soldier believes that what the Ukrainian militaries need the most are new weapons as the enemies have better equipment. However, Voronin adds: “Anyway, we have been fighting the enemy and will be doing so, even barehanded. If we do not have anything [any weapons. – Ed.], we will be killing them with our eyes.”
Voronin and his mates who are in the hospital ignored the military parade on the Independence Day. “Our sworn brothers are fighting tough in Donbas, they have very few weapons and everybody is only promising something. Why do they pompously go to Maidan and show how well-armed we are? There should be a parade, but it should be a parade of victory. Who did they support on this parade on August 24? Guys in Donbas do not have the Internet, television, connection with their families. It is wrong as for those who are fighting,” Voronin explained.
He was taken to the hospital because of an injury and he isn’t wasting his time there: not long ago he became an off-site student of the Military Institute and Taras Shevchenko Kyiv National University to become a military justice officer. When the war is over, Serhii Voronin will be helping his sworn brothers to get the status of participants in military operations, social assistance, etc.
Even in hospital the volunteer is wearing his ID tag. “I am a military and I can be ordered to return to the front any time. I am going to wear my tag as long as I am a Ukrainian military.”
ONE FOR THREE
Mykola Smyrnov from Brovary, social activist and member of party Svoboda, addressed the military commissariat to become a volunteer yet back when the occupation of Crimea began. Only a month later with help of a friend Mykola was offered to join Kyivska Rus’. During a week and a half the volunteer trained on a training center in Desna of the Kyiv region and then was sent to the front.
It turned out that it was not easy to reach Donbas. Smyrnov confessed: “The machines let us down. In 15 kilometers from Desna our BTR [armored vehicle. – Ed.] broke down. We were helped by ordinary people and the military from Desna could not help us with anything. Two kilometers further we came across a BTR with the same problem and helped the guys to repair it.”
Smyrnov fought shoulder to shoulder with the chief of the battalion Kyivska Rus’ Oleksandr Humeniuk. To some extent, Smyrnov took the bullet intended for Papa. The volunteer recalls: “We were coming back from Kramatorsk, from ATO headquarters. The chief of the battalion was shot by a sniper, it was the first attempt on his life as the militants were promised a lot of money for killing him. Our vehicle was jumping on the earth road, the sniper missed and the bullet shot the armor and rebounded to my head. Next time nobody saved Papa.” Smyrnov himself was saved by a miracle: the bullet passed 4 millimeters from the brain; his arm is also injured.
The volunteer is incessantly smoking and puts stubs into his hand as there is no rubbish bin nearby. “A pack of cigarettes used to last three or four days. Now it is like oxygen, it helps to calm down. You know, we have a joke: when you go for a smoke, those who cannot walk ask to smoke for them. Afterwards you come back and ask “Didn’t you feel anything? I smoked two cigarettes for you!” Smyrnov smiles.
The volunteer is eager to tell us about the heroism of his sworn brothers. “I recently went to see Kaban – he is in the neighboring unit. Kaban drove 18 people from under fire. Kaban was being shot from Ural, his arm was torn apart and was hanging on a tendon. So, he put this arm on his knees and was driving with the other one. When the other arm was shot, he drove with his elbows. He was driving and shifting gears. When he saved the guys, he was barely saved himself. Foma was saving the machines. At heights the machines are ranged in rows and the enemies do not have any problems shooting them. Foma managed to drive four vehicles out of a burning column under fire. He was seriously injured, but he survived. As for me, these are real officers and not those carrier officers.”
Two and a half months at the front have mixed into a lump – the time there is not divided into hours and days. According to Smyrnov, they do not even celebrate victories in battles, as it is their regular job. At the front Smyrnov was supported by letters from the Ukrainians. “You come back from a mission, machines and people let you down and you think: who am I doing this for?” And suddenly you read a letter from an orphan young girl who has a side job to collect the money for thermal scopes. You read and thank such people for defending them. It is like charging a mobile phone. If people give you everything they have, why the hell should you spare yourself?” Smyrnov asks.
Next to Mykola’s bad there is a picture by his six-year-old daughter. He is happy to finally see his parents, his beloved one, his daughter, but he will definitely come back to the front. Smyrnov is thinking about the future: “I have to get married. I promised the guys to celebrate the wedding. Now I am training my arm. Then I will definitely come back to the front, I promised. I have two brothers. The younger is studying, the elder is working and he has health problems, so he cannot fight. I will fight for all of us.”
