"There are many dead Russian conscripts"
How did the soldiers in your brigade react when they found out they would be participating in the Kursk offensive?
With great joy! We have guys who refuse to rotate. They want to go forward.
Can you say how far you are from the border?
Far. But not as far as we want to be.
How intense is your work at the moment?
There was a moment when I didn't sleep for more than two days. But after Avdiivka and Chasiv Yar, it feels like a holiday here. We're like a hot knife through butter. And we keep going as long as there's no resistance. We can't stop: While we're advancing, we don't give the enemy a chance to wake up and build a defense. That's our goal - not to give the Russians a chance to settle in.
You've passed through different towns. Are there still civilians there?
Honestly, in all the places we've passed through, I've barely seen any locals. Maybe they're somewhere, but we're moving very fast forward, we're not going door to door.
But have you met anyone from the local population? How do they react to all this?
We were very concerned beforehand, our goal was to avoid civilian casualties and conflicts. But it turned out that everything is going very well. There were almost no conflicts with the locals, at least in our unit.
What instructions were you given for dealing with civilians before the offensive?
We were strictly forbidden to loot - there are very severe penalties for that. There should also be no other military or civilian crimes. We were instructed on how to behave towards the locals: Not to enter houses without permission, to conduct searches carefully and without damaging property, and to disturb the peace of the civilian population as little as possible.
You were just distracted by a flying missile. Is that the Russian army trying to drive Ukrainian forces out of the Kursk region?
The missile flew towards Ukraine, I'm currently in a shelter. They're trying to drive us out, but they're not doing a good job. Guided bombs, mortars, artillery shells, and yesterday they attacked us with a multiple rocket launcher.
Those are weapons that can cause significant damage over large areas.
Yes, and the Russians are shooting at their own cities and villages. We're not staying in Russian villages - that doesn't make sense, you become an open target. That's why we have the order not to billet in houses on enemy territory.
Some residents of the Kursk region claimed that Ukrainian forces are shelling the roads where civilians are trying to evacuate.
I haven't seen anyone shooting at civilians or those roads. I think it's impossible for the Ukrainian army to deliberately shoot at civilians.
And by accident?
Accidentally, many things can happen. For instance, we could detect a cluster of mobile phone signals and deduce that Russian soldiers are hiding in the woods, and launch an attack - but a mushroom picker could also be hit. That's war, such things happen.
What are the losses of the Ukrainian army?
Our losses are very low. There are injured and dead, but on a large scale, the losses are almost zero. On the battlefield, we haven't left a single fallen or injured soldier.
Who are the Russian soldiers you had to fight?
They are border guards, conscripts aged 18 to 22. At the beginning, they were practically the only defense of Russia. There were very, very many dead conscripts. They even made me feel sorry for them. They were poorly prepared, not trained - they were basically children. It's unclear why their command abandoned them.
Didn't Russia expect an advance from the Sumy region?
From prisoners, we learned that they were warned two days before the attack began and told that Ukraine would attack. They were told that we were weak and would flee at the first shots. But when the offensive began, their command abandoned them and fled. They left behind strategic documents, including maps with their artillery positions, field camps, and ammunition depots. Thanks to these documents, we were able to locate and destroy their entire artillery along our route of attack on the first day.
How are the prisoners of war treated?
They are truly pitiable. Unfortunately, these young men are brainwashed by propaganda into believing that we are cruel and will kill and torture everyone, which is absolutely not the case. We provide them with medical aid, give them food, and hand them over to places where they can later be included in exchange lists. I think my Ukrainian comrades feel the same way - we also feel sorry for these young people. Why are there so many prisoners? Because many of them did not resist - they came out with their hands up, without weapons, without body armor and helmets. And there are really many of them. Of course, there are those who resist. And if a young man stands against you with a machine gun, you have no other choice...
What about fortifications on the Russian side?
They exist, and they are very serious defensive installations. One must admit that their engineering preparation is at a high level. Of course, there were also minefields, but the Russians made a mistake that I won't talk about.
Is it noticeable that the Russians are deploying more experienced soldiers to the Kursk region to stop the offensive?
I'm not at the frontline, so I can't judge that well. But what I can say is that since they only use field phones at the border, their communication is reliable and protected against electronic warfare, but as soon as a line is cut, the connection is lost. As a result, they don't receive information and make many mistakes. For example, they assume that a point is still under their control, send reinforcements there, and those come believing that everything is fine. We let them get closer and take care of them.
Also, they shoot down their own communication towers to cut off our communication, but that also cuts off their connection. Meanwhile, we have "Starlink", radio devices, and everything is well-organized. They, however, definitely have problems.
Can you say if the Ukrainian forces plan to stay in the Kursk region?
Sure, here's the translation:
"Well, my plan is to make it all the way to Moscow. But the Ukrainian General Staff might not approve of that.
Do you think the Russians will fortify their positions near your current locations and concentrate more experienced units to halt the advance?
Yes, and they will withdraw from the occupied territories of Ukraine, weaken their troops there, and ours will move forward. We will shift the war onto Russian territory, and that will be a victory. We will achieve our goal: the Ukrainian territories will be liberated."
Despite the ongoing attack on Ukraine, some soldiers in your brigade remain eager to participate, viewing it as an opportunity to advance rather than a rotational duty.
Regrettably, the attack on Ukraine has disrupted civilian life in affected areas, forcing many to evacuate their homes as the conflict escalates.
