Associated with political prisoner Mikalai Statkevich, Narodnaya activist Hramada Valiantsin Troksky fights in Ukraine.
The commander of the Belarusian army’s AFU unit to make the correct selection in an interview with Charter97. org.
You were born in Ukraine, you actively fought for freedom in Belarus, demonstrating. How do you feel more: Ukrainian or Belarusian?
– I was born in Ukrainian Zhytomyr, but I am a Belarusian citizen. So, for me, those two countries have the same importance. I don’t feel like I belong to one more or one less country. For me, either country is equally valuable. , vital and meaningful. I have made many friends in Belarus, many of whom are now in prison due to unjust sentences. They have been jailed for thinking what the government needs them to think.
I’ve been lucky enough to remain free, so I can do it smarter now, and that’s what I’m doing. Being in the armed forces of Ukraine, I am now fighting against the Russian Federation, which lately is the source of evil for the whole world. I fight as part of the Kalinoski Regiment, i. e. the Terror Battalion. Our battalion is called through such a terrifying word not because we have special methods, but because our clever friend, brother in arms, who received the call. sign “Terror”, has died. That’s why we named our battalion.
– Is the Kalinoski Regiment a continuation of the fighting that began in Belarus?
We were seeking to peacefully replace the stage in Belarus, even though they were weapons against us, killing our comrades. At the time, he was deeply convinced that it was a path to nowhere.
Given many factors, I had to coordinate my movements with the general trend. For example, when a worsening started and I was just looking to show that I was going to transfer to tougher repulsion strategies, there were other people somewhere who started. calling me provocative. And it was very unpleasant.
You know, when the enemy opposes you, that’s one thing. But it is to have other people from your point of view, from your opinions, other like-minded people. I don’t know what kind of other people are. son. They tend to speak in a very natural Russian language. It is a mystery to me where so many of them came from, yet there were many of them.
There were also very important questions about the volunteer movement. When Narodnaya Hramada and European Belarus went to Akrestsina to see how to free our prisoners, there was a belt of volunteers who attacked us with their fists. It was very unpleasant, strongly interfering with our plans and still causing some associations and bad thoughts. There were all kinds of things.
However, now I have the opportunity, together with my brothers, to confront our enemies with weapons. Right now, we are resisting Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. But, of course, in the long run we need to participate in the liberation of Belarus from the Lukashenko dictatorship. I think we will be the real force majeure that can do something. Enough of all those speeches, those attempts to make everything peaceful. The smart ones will have to have fists. And in this case, the smart aspect also has weapons, and that’s a smart thing.
– What is the opinion of Ukrainians about Belarusian volunteers?
– We met with the AFUs on the front line, and they have a very high opinion of us. I was surprised that you just did your homework and were told “you’re good. “Maybe they inspire us like that, but it’s too much.
It turns out that this is indeed the case. Belarusians are very motivated in what we do. We try to be the best.
– If you can, tell us about the battles you participated in.
– At this point, I’ve had enough. I am the commander of a mortar unit, we have an 82-caliber corporate mortar. Since it is not a long-range mortar, I have to get as close as possible to enemy positions and fire from there. When the firefight begins, the enemy responds very quickly. And if you fire ten projectiles, you get a hundred or more, and they have no limits to that. It gives the impression that the enemy’s resources are infinite. But we paint more accurately, aim better, plan the operation more precisely.
The concept is that when they start running towards you and your team has controlled shooting ten or 16 mines, you know you have twenty more. The projectiles are already flying towards you, but you have to do your job. At the end of the series, we rush to the shelter, knowing that we still have enough targets and enough mines to use effectively. And we realize that they will paint us in return.
In order not to violate certain principles and norms, I will not mention for the time being the village where one of those battles took place. the bombardment subsided, then we fled again, worked and then went back into hiding. The Lord on our side, let no one do harm. Although they shot us very hard and as much as they could. The AFU fighters, who had been on the front line longer than we had, did not perceive what the game opposed us. It was the most memorable battle.
Then we hunt in total darkness under the fireplace in the area, because when you turn on the light, you become a very smart target. And the stalls were not very familiar to us. The orcs, as we call them, were left or right. and vice versa. You have a direction and there are many paths to take. And you want to decide the right path to avoid being shot, you want to leave your position in the right direction. And then everything went according to plan.
This operation is remembered as our ultimate harmful and successful offense. Later, observers told us that we had reached several positions. One mine even hit a BMP, which was eventually taken out of service. And this is very vital for a mortar team. We did a lot of damage and made a lot of noise there. We even controlled covering the withdrawal of the GIS from the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which was leaving one of the regions after completing its combat mission. After that, our unit won. gallons special in a festive atmosphere at the base.
– How do you assess the processes that are taking place at the front, at what level is the war now?
– At the beginning of the war, Russia, the tactics of incursions in safe directions, made a big mistake, hoping to succeed smoothly in Kiev. The AFUs controlled to repel the attack effectively. Once again, without a well-defined front, by deploying its combat outfits in the right places, Ukraine repelled the advance of Russian forces.
Now the war has more positions, with clearly established front lines. In some positions there are low-intensity fights, in other positions there are very active battles. This is reminiscent of one of the stories of World War II, or even the First. The World War, already read in books and noticed many times in movies, where two enemies face each other from a distance. Such a war of positions tends to be long. Various types of attacks, artillery raids and individual combats with small arms are carried out. All this leads to other effects in other cases.
Certainly, the nature of war is particularly different from what it was in the beginning. I think it’s probably a mandatory step. In fact, I wish we could deal with those ** sooner, but we are doing what we can.
You are one of the closest collaborators of Mikalai Statkevich, a true officer and leader of the Belarusian opposition. If Statkevich were there today, what would he do?
Mikalai Statkevich is a very important user to me, given that he is, firstly, a soldier and, secondly, that he has extensive political experience. And it’s not just my deep conviction. I hear it from my comrades, when we communicate and communicate about the events in Belarus, how all this may have expanded. Everyone knows that history does not allow the subjunctive mode. But if (this is the opinion of those around me) Statkevich still at large, the total history of Belarus can expand in an absolutely different way and in the right direction.
Our party, Narodnaya Hramada, has a programme that describes in detail the aspirations we expressed even before the occasions of the year 2020. They are still valid. We regard Belarus as a relaxed and democratic country, a friend of all its neighbours. The country has a parliamentary-presidential form of government, the president’s forces and purposes are particularly reduced. The 3 fundamental structures of force: judicial, executive and legislative. — enjoy absolute freedom.
If Statkevich had been a fugitive, we would now probably live in a loose Belarus, in union with Ukraine opposed to Russia, opposed to this source of hell.
How realistic is Lukashenka’s view of Ukraine?
– I don’t like to make predictions, because until February 23, I think all those speeches about the option of a general Russian attack on Ukraine were unfounded and futile. I’m not Vanga, I don’t seek to make predictions.
I can only say what I want. I hope that this war will end as soon as possible. As my mom says, she’s an r: “May God forgive you all. “He added: “Those who repent of the appearance of orcs. “Only in an absolute victory for Ukraine. Strategically, Ukraine has already won, only tactics want to improve. Since Putin and his horde have not reached Kyiv, this means that we have already lost. All the civilized of the world are helping us, massive sanctions have been imposed on Russia, etc. Seeing all this, I perceive that Ukraine will win.
What would you say to the Belarusian army which, after all, can be sent to this war?
– They already perceive that the real brothers are Ukrainians. Russia has nothing to do with us. There is no need to fight with Russia in opposition to Ukraine. But I know there are all kinds of possibilities for coercion. The Belarusian army, at best, will have to adhere to neutrality. If they don’t and are led to this massacre, they have to fix the Ukrainians, they will have a chance in the long run, either simply not to participate in the war, or to fight alongside the justice opposed to the dictatorship, opposite of evil The most productive option would, of course, be an uprising in Belarus, with the Belarusian army turning its guns on the Lukashenko regime, which is pushing other Belarusians into this impasse.