Russian troops are gaining ground in eastern Ukraine and are relentlessly bombing the last major towns that have escaped their grasp. Our special envoy met two North American fighters engaged on the Ukrainian side. They speak of highly motivated companions involved in an unequal struggle.
Five of them sat on a terrace in kyiv. Five bearded young men, dressed in green. They laughed very loudly. They were soldiers fighting the Russian occupier. The previous day, the two returned from the front.
Very tired, a sign of what I saw in the DonbassExplain Beaver. He was a Montrealer in his thirties, an experienced soldier, who wanted to be referred to by his nom de guerre.
We literally traveled almost all of Donbass. We have seen how far Russia’s positions have progressed, unfortunately. Positions that, every day, are approaching major cities such as Sievierodonetsk.
Montrealer befriended Ajay, an American of the same age, who had twice served in Afghanistan. He says he has eight years of experience in the U.S. military.
” My government has nothing else to do with foreign conflicts. I came alone to dedicate my experience and time to the Ukrainians. “
The two comrades spent several weeks in combat units made up of foreigners before joining the Territorial Defense, a type of Ukrainian reserve made up of volunteers.
They were in kyiv for a few days off after two intense weeks in the Luhansk region, one of the two regions that make up the Donbass and where Russian -speaking and separatists live.
The certainty that we will die there … The battle is fierce. Very dangeroussaid Ajay. Daily strikes by Russian artillery and air force. The windows [de notre hôtel] trembling as bombs fell nearby.
The fighters are based in Bakhmout, one of the towns targeted by the Russians and abandoned by civilians. They must carry out surprise attacks against enemy positions. But one night, they were surprised.
” We rescued some soldiers trapped in the Izium sector. We were on our way home when Russian artillery attacked. We were all convinced we would die there. “
The fighters dug into the forest in hopes of escaping the Russian drones sent to spot them. We all sat on the ground, not talking, He added. Around them, artillery explosions.
We see fire, smell smoke, smell gunpowder. And it’s very powerful: a decibel level that’s harsh. No one said a word. Everyone is praying.
Prayers are answered. A few days later, the two men returned to rest in kyiv. With their backpacks, they brought back this terror and lessons from the front.
Undisciplined troops
They are cowboys, launching Ajay. He thinks some of his armed comrades are less disciplined than professional Western soldiers. He provokes fighters who are sometimes drunk or drugged. Unaware of the risks.
At night, for example, they drive like crazy, sometimes with the headlights on. Same thing for their cell phones: they leave the screen turned on. That’s the kind of thing you shouldn’t do. The Russians will see us.
Some, Beaver explains, survived the war and fought the Russians. But this is often in paramilitary units that there are already major organizational shortcomings and no common standards of discipline.
Men have a good fighting spiritAjay’s teaching. But they need better tactics. That’s why there are so many victims: they’re not adequately trained.
Even Beaver denounces one of the methods of fighting that Ukrainians will use: attacking the enemy from areas where civilians live. The Russian responses in the heart of the city there is a risk of civilian casualties.
Western weapons with missing parts
Ukrainian troops will also lack modern weapons and ammunition. Moreover, as the two warriors observed, the equipment offered by the Western allies did not always reach the front.
The Javelin is definitely the most popular model of anti-tank weapon in this battle. However, according to the two men, it is not always available against Russian tanks.
For the Javelin, what we found out was that there was no CLU, the computer system needed to use the Javelin, which made shooting impossible, the weapon unavailable.Beaver sighed.
Ajay also noticed that the batteries that power the computer systems of these sophisticated weapons are often obsolete. Too old. However, if there is no source of energy, this weapon is useless.
There will also be user manuals written in languages not understood in Ukraine, equipment sent to places where it is not available. Or too close to the front, so quickly destroyed by Russian artillery.
As for the warriors who were quickly trained by the Westerners, Ajay believes they were quickly rushed into battle, where they threatened to die before they could train their comrades.
” The West thought help was coming there, but I didn’t see that. There are many logistical problems, many units that do not know how to use what is sent to them. “
Radio-Canada could not verify these comments, reflecting only a partial view of the Ukrainian military’s efforts.
Western countries like Canada provide millions of dollars in more sophisticated military equipment, but little information disseminates that these weapons are actually in use.
Reluctantly but based on their military experience, the two fighters came to a conclusion: not adequately armed, Ukraine would lose the Donbass in the next few days.
The enemy, they remember, is equipped with modern weapons, with more artillery and more planes. The fight was a bit lost.
Beaver agrees; however, like Ajay, Montrealer did not want to give up on the Ukrainians.
” People [que j’ai rencontrés] willing to die for Ukraine. It was a battle that was likely to be lost, but still, that was no reason to give up. “
The two promised to return to the front in early June. And if it’s not in the Donbass, it’s in the south of the country, which is also being attacked by Russian forces.
Source: Radio-Canada
