“Even Putin's death won't change anything.” The Ukrainian soldier does not believe that the war will end [WYWIAD]

Let's talk about you and your unit.

I personally follow the news and hear about the negotiations. But honestly, I don't believe in the end of the war at all. There is currently no real mechanism to put pressure on Russia: neither financial, political nor military. What is happening now is rather fiction. Negotiations are ongoing, but they will not produce results in the near future for many reasons that do not depend on Ukraine.

Vladimir Putin rebuilt the economy for the war and based his country's entire strategy on it. It is unlikely that he would want to end it. Even if he is forced to end the invasion in Ukraine, he will go further – to the Baltic countries or Poland. You can't just let 1.5 million wild people go home from the war. There they will be an uncontrolled herd.

Therefore there will be no peace. Russia, as Putin said, begins where its soldier steps. And I will say: it ends where he gets punched in the face. Until this happens, the war will not stop. Until Putin gets punched in the teeth so badly that he is forced to stop, we will fight. Therefore, the war will not cease in the near future, for example a year.

Ukrainian soldier: even Putin's death will not change anything

So the world is currently too weak to stop the Russian dictator?

Putin is currently suffering huge losses. But at the same time, in contemporary geopolitics, there is no one who would tell him: stop. He feels complete impunity. He does exactly what they let him do. This war is paradoxical. Many factors come together that were previously difficult to imagine. If it ends, it will either be in some unexpected way or as a result of an internal split in Russia.

Vladimir PutinSPUTNIK POOL / PAP

I think that even Putin's death will not change anything – not one person is fighting against us, but collective Putin. This is not the whim of one sick dictator. They are fighting because the country is collectively okay with it. We have a war called “we must survive one day longer than the enemy.” After all, everyone's resources are limited. Europe is not homogeneous either. There are many nuances. It is difficult to predict. However, I believe that all hopes for peace are in vain. I don't think this war will end soon. I am convinced that it will last and will not end in Ukraine.

What about your brothers in arms? What is the mood among them? “We stand until the end” or would you like to at least take a break?

The army is a cross-section of society. There are professors here and there are people who cannot write their own names without mistakes. That's why you can't say that “the whole army wants the same thing.” But I will say one thing for sure: the army is very exhausted. There is a lack of people, a lack of resources, a lack of strength. We are all very tired.

Imagine the working pattern: 15-16 hours a day, with no days off. Formally – 10-12 days of vacation per year. But I, for example, went to my daughter's wedding for only three days. War is a difficult thing. People obviously want it to end. Everyone would like to go home. But that won't be the case. There is no solution.

Of course, the army is exhausted. But do people understand that this will take a long time?

I've never heard conversations like “it'll all be over soon” or “I'd like to go home.” There is no expectation of a quick solution. Even if a truce begins tomorrow, no one will let us go home immediately. Certainly not within the first year. For example, Ukraine cannot maintain a million-strong army at its own expense. The only real option is to do it through Europe, which prefers to fight with money rather than with its own soldiers. But Europeans will have to fight one way or another. It's only a matter of time and they have to get used to the idea. War will definitely come.

Ukrainian soldiers on the front in the Pokrov sectorDmytro Smolienko / PAP

The only question is whether it will meet them unprepared or against the Ukrainian army, which is today the strongest on the continent in terms of combat experience. On our planet, we have a huge problem with people who can think even two steps ahead. Everyone went crazy for some reason and started liking very simple solutions, like “let's just stop shooting and that's it.” Unfortunately, there are a critical number of such people. But these simple solutions lead to even bigger problems. People have relaxed, they want to live peacefully and not take responsibility. There are very few adults left on this planet.

Ukrainian soldier: you can't be a hero 24 hours a day. per day

Does that mean you never talk about the future, about life after the war?

NO. We don't have such conversations. We don't even say goodbye to each other when we part. It's a military superstition. Sign. I haven't heard of any of my brothers planning a quiet life. The topic of negotiations, which is actively discussed in the political environment, is something distant for us, going beyond everyday communication. Of course, someone has hope – one needs hope. But there is no mass discussion on this topic.

Many experts say that Putin is now putting everything on one card. Has the intensity of hostilities changed in recent months?

I don't think Russia is operating at full speed right now. What is happening now is normal for Russia. They were always fighting someone. Everything is fine with them. And this is very bad for us. Putin does not feel any growing dissatisfaction or protest moods.

A building in Ukraine after the Russian attackMaxim Marusenko / PAP

We are currently at the hottest point. I didn't say anything had changed in recent months. It was very hot and still is. Putin is waging a long war.

And how much does the attitude towards war and motivation among soldiers change?

No psyche is adapted to such a war. The last time a war of this intensity took place was 80 years ago, and back then the pace of life was completely different. For decades, people remembered this horror and repeated: anything as long as there is no war.

We work 15-17 hours a day and they still want to kill us. You can't get used to it. You can't be a superhero 24 hours a day. around the clock, seven days a week.

At the same time, it is said from time to time that a temporary freeze may occur. But the key question is: what comes next? Will we be able to use this break to prepare for a new stage? I have doubts. It will be the choice of the majority, which will again hide behind the backs of the minority.