by Andrea Nicastro
The most famous Ukrainian shooter: «If we have the opportunity to fight back, they will stop us from heaven. Give us the planes ».
FROM OUR REPRESENTATIVE ZAPORIZHZHIA Two days before the start of the war, Ukraine’s most famous sniper told Corriere that “no, it’s impossible”. She was convinced that a fullscale invasion would be ridiculous. “In Kiev? But it works. The Russians weren’t able to control a small country like Chechnya until they sold it to the Kadyrovs, let alone Ukraine, which is huge. But here in the Donbass, yes. They could try here”. And you Julia, will you fight? Even now that you have become a mother for the third time? Will you take your 300 Savash and kill the soldiers three kilometers away?
Exactly one month after this first call, Julia’s cell phone, called “Bilka”, squirrel, rings again. This is the first time in three days. Before it was always distant.
“We try to make as many appearances as possible, but we also need to rest. I started work on the second day of the bombing. I made a mistake, it’s true. But it remains an incredible, absurd thing.
where are the kids where is your husband
“He’s with me, on the front lines. let’s fight together The kids are with my mom and the ATM. I hear them, they’re scared, but they know we’re doing it for them. You are proud”.
What kind of war is this, Bilka?
“Compared to 2014, at the time of the Donbass invasion, it is very different. Not because of the guns or anything, but because of the amount of fighting. You have many soldiers. The more we eliminate, the more of them come. They’re like the ogres in my kids’ video games ».
And then there’s aviation.
“Already. Why doesn’t Europe realize that? Why don’t you close the skies? After us, it’s up to you. There were many occasions when we would have had the opportunity to counterattack and instead they stopped us from the skies. So in Mariupol. As brave as they are, how can they resist? ».
Didn’t you ever manage to break through the encirclement? Carrying supplies, ammunition?
‘Impossible, the Russians are too many. Even the mayor is here with us, now they have to do everything themselves over there.”
For sure? Is Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boichenko out of town?
“What he writes has long been known by others.”
And the Russians? how do they fight
“You know a great gentleman after he’s been robbed?” He has his coat on, but it’s torn. The wallet, but it’s empty. The broken hat. Here the Russian army gives me the impression that they have just been robbed. They don’t even have their uniforms in order. They can’t even fix a broken wheel because they miss the workshop truck and when it’s there they don’t have any spare parts. There must have been a colossal eater. The result is that soldiers on the front lines are demoralized and frightened. As soon as they can, they desert. They escape or make themselves prisoners ».
There are stories of tanks delivered to you Ukrainians.
“Russian soldiers often use stolen Ukrainian sims to call home, and our intelligence service inundates them with text messages. Give up, call this number and we’ll arrange the connection between our lines. You will not be harmed. Such things. Sometimes it works. You have pity on the poor. They come from afar, they are all amazed at our beautiful streets, beautiful houses. Some thought they had to come and save us, others didn’t even know they had to come here. We must give them all citizenship. You certainly cannot return to Russia ».
If they’re so disastrous, why haven’t you won already?
“Because there are so many and because we don’t have planes. Her movements are quite repetitive. They line up, with the tanks and the logistics. A mile long line. If you attack them from the ground while they’re in formation, you’re dead. On the other hand, if they attack, they’ll break into smaller units and be more vulnerable at that point ».
Don’t you have western weapons? The antitank spears would make a killing. Also in the column.
“Yes, we have them, but they are useful in close combat. If you manage with a team to neutralize almost all means before they discover and destroy you. On the other hand, if you have a kilometerlong column in front of you, you have to stay under cover. Miles away. They are tanks, not toys. They would need the artillery, but they have the planes and they’re destroying them. And you westerners, aviation, don’t give it to us ».
Then?
“We are content with Turkish drones, the Bayraktar TB2. Wonderful. Several times I happened to see one of us in the sky together with one of their hunters, and from the jet they did not see this mosquito. But when it fires its rocket, the tank is gone ».
Crossing the Russian checkpoints doesn’t feel like this army is in disarray like you describe.
“There are two kinds of soldiers among them. Those in the front line, who are also conscripts, and those in the background, the “karivovzy”, President Kadyrov’s Chechens. They don’t come forward, but they are always well dressed, with their beards combed back. They form the Zagrad Otriads (rear trains). They shoot when someone backs away. And they also kill the wounded. The coup de grace they say, but I’m not sure anyone could have been saved. In essence, the Chechens are acting as a bench behind the Russian soldiers with permission to shoot ».
Ever faced a Kadirovky?
“No. They are even further behind our range. We have raid plans behind their front line to cut off supplies. We attack the tanks, the logistic trucks, targets with a less powerful response. For the tanks it would need jets. Are You Europeans really sure you don’t want to close the sky? ».
March 22, 2022 (change March 22, 2022 | 23:02)
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