“You can’t talk to the commander, he’s ahead temporarily,” I said several times, as I tried to contact Hrulf, the Quebecer in command of the Norman Brigade.
I finally reached the soldier with an encrypted messaging application. He agreed to talk to me on the condition that he not reveal his identity or whereabouts. There’s a bit of silence at the moment, but it’s moving last night and this afternoonhe said to explain our communication problems.
The Canadian Armed Forces veteran traveled to Ukraine at the start of the Russian invasion. He now leads a group of former servicemen from Canada, the United States and Europe who are fighting alongside the Ukrainian army. Hrulf baptized his brigade in honor of the French ancestors of some Quebecers who were part of it.
He described what he lived for two months as hell on earth.
” When the Russians entered, they bombed us with everything they had. Surprisingly I haven’t lost a man yet. “
If some elements of the brigade have Ukrainian origins, everyone is there to defend the values in which they believe, Hrulf said. This is not a clean war. We are here to stop a genocide, but also to give Ukrainians the opportunity to have the freedom they want. The Russians are not on the right side of history.
The veteran explained that all members of the brigade voluntarily resisted and were included in a battalion of the volunteer branch of the Ukrainian army. They therefore report directly to the Ministry of Defense. This is the only way to not impose a contract on my men, he says. We are not mercenaries. A fighter can only stay a month if he wants to.
Hrulf made no secret that there had been contention among his troops since his presence in Ukraine began. Former members of the brigade also questioned his leadership this week in an article by The Press. (New window) They blamed him primarily for neglecting to provide the necessary protective equipment for his staff.
The commander admitted to redirecting about sixty fighters to other units. But he insisted he never spared safety. All have helmets and ballistic plateshe said.
Russian baptism of fire
At the beginning of the conflict, Hrulf and his staff were asked to participate in a briefing of the Ukrainian army. Instead, they found themselves recaptured a village once in the hands of the Russians, under a rain of shells.
Despite the surprise for expatriates, the attack resulted in success. Radio-Canada has not been able to independently verify these weapons acts.
” I think the Ukrainians want to try us. But I think we succeeded because I didn’t die and I didn’t lose a man. “
But they are not at the end of their problems. The next day, the Russians returned, doubling in strength. They took prisoners and all the civilian population who helped us were deported, the commander said. We are witnessing forced assimilation.
Hrulf believes his brigade offers a certain experience that some Ukrainian volunteer fighters from other units lack. In particular, they are provided with field training at the tactical and strategic levels. But there is still a lot of work, he agrees. Lots of losses to newcomers.
The veteran noticed that the Soviet heritage was still present in the Ukrainian troops. However, the training received by the Ukrainian army from NATO troops has borne fruit. Since 2015, Canada has assisted in training 33,346 military personnel as part of Operation Unifier, according to the Department of National Defense. The cost of this program is over $ 890 million.
Previously, you could not go to the bathroom without the general’s permission. The Westerners did a very good job of decentralized command to allow teams to take tactical initiatives on the ground. It was also one of the reasons why the generals lost the Russians, who had to go to the front line if there was a problem. It is corrupt and everyone is afraid to make mistakes.
If the commander is grateful to countries sending armament to support the war effort, on the ground, there is still a grim shortage of equipment for volunteer fighters.
We need Picatinny rails for the AK-47 and optics, he laments. Very hard to find. The priority is for the Ukrainian army and we take the rest. The Brigade is now trying to support itself by selling mugs and clothes. But that will not allow us to buy carsadded Hrulf.
Ready for anything
In the middle of the interview, the commander began to apostrophize one of his soldiers. Have a drone? Turn off your light and enter, damn it!he shouted, as an Orlan-10 craft flew over them.
Hrulf continued the conversation as if nothing had happened.
He now expects a larger Russian offensive in the Donbass region. We have a plan and patience. We have instructions to follow. We cannot do what we want.
If the Ukrainians have a chance to win from this battle, Quebecer is confident. Whether it’s blind or naive confidence, everyone is highly motivated. Concern is felt when you are bombed. The injuries were horrible. But the Ukrainians are ready to do everything to defend their land. If I were a Russian, I would be hesitant before coming.
As for the Norman Brigade, it has been there for a long time, even though the battle was chaotic, according to Hrulf. For me, as long as we are going to be useful, I will stay. But at some point, after two or three years of war, I will pass the torch on.
Source: Radio-Canada
