Part 1: https://justpaste.it/2d3xy
Part 2: https://justpaste.it/7l2r1
Part 3: https://justpaste.it/4y5en
Previously...
This has been going on for a while in the Russian society - on the first place for the vast majority of the people in Russia are material goods - flats, cars, cottages, cruises abroad. Even though I was a child I very well remember how the people were in the early 2000's - it was a different society in Russia, there were many times more kind, humane, sincere people... These days you can be incredibly kind, decent, honest and sincere, but if you have no money, no success, then you are seen in the Russian society as a nobody...
Part 4.
Days before going back to Russia I spoke to one grown up man from Lipetsk. He was also a volunteer - a driver. I told him that many volunteers just sincerely came to help, and not for money, but for an idea... he said, kindly: 'So you are saying, for an idea? So what they've done to your idea? They just pissed on it...'. And sadly, this is true... This man knew very well how we were sent to attack in groups of 40-50-60 people. He said that 40 people is not an attack. He said that generally, everyone realised that you first need to destroy strongpoints of Ukrainian army with aviation, artillery, missiles, and only then send a mass infantry attack from multiple directions towards Dolgen'koye. Then it would be a success.
We've had different people, of course - there were cunning and savvy people who came just for the money and to receive a combat veteran's certificate. And they were coming being sure they'll be in safety - somewhere in the rears and checkpoints. There were also fine and decent people but they still came to earn 300-400,000 rubles in a month. There were also many of those who were first and foremost coming to help, and not for the money... It's obvious that almost everyone needs money, but for this category of people money and subsidies were of a secondary value, and in many ways not important or needed...
I was told how one of the volunteers who was in our first company (Pasha from Moscow region, he was attached to us on 19 April, before the attack), who at first joined all the attacks but after 2 or 3 he refused, and how he raged at our battalion commander: 'Do you think we are just meat?! You keep sending us to death, and never go into attacks yourself!!!'. It's important to note that Major Vasyura who was commanding in Suligovka was saying in front of the formation that he would shoot legs of those who refuse to go and attack. I shouted at him from my formation that it was illegal, that it was lawless. He didn't respond with anything and moved on from the topic of shooting the legs. It is just my opinion that battalion commanders need to be near their units - if the battalion is going to attack, then the battalion commander needs to attack and not sit it out in a BTR or a basement. For instance, together with us in Suligovka was the Sakhalin Motorised brigade. They had 40 people holding defence 500 meters from Suligovka. The Ukrainian army attacked them. They reported they were under attack. The battalion commander got into a BTR with 22 people and went there to help and stayed with them for two days... That is a real commander... When troops sense that the commander is with them, when they feel they are valued and protected, then they'll fight to death... What is there to say when our commander was telling us directly, swearing, that he didn't give a shit about us?! Proper officers and generals always cared and respected a simple soldier, since it's simple soldiers who bear the brunt and difficulties of the war... Zhukov realised that, and Suvorov, and Kutuzov, and Rokossovskiy, and many other decent officers realised it.
Right now, in my opinion, a good officer is the 'Vostok' Donetsk battalion commander Aleksandr Khodakovsyi. He can competently organise attacks.
I've heard a lot of terrible things from those who went into attacks after us... They said when you approach Dolgen'koye, very close to it there are bodies of our dead soldiers lying around... Some have already begun decomposing and swelling back then... Some also said they saw bodies of our dead piled up in shrubbery, some were also tied to the trees... Perhaps those were the wounded who were abused and tortured. Who will respond for this?! Who?! They said our wounded were in one of the trenches for three days and no one could pick them up. Even our reconnaissance couldn't pick them up. Then they heard how the banderites walked along the trenches at night, shouting - 'Russians, surrender!', and single shots could be heard. As I understand they were finishing off the wounded...
They also said that they saw how once our guys got captured and were walked across a field by the banderites. Ours decided to strike all of them with ATGMs - both ours and Ukrainians, just so ours wouldn't get captured and tortured. In my opinion that was the right thing to do, it's better to die instantly like that than be tortured for days in the hands of these inhumans.
It's important to note that despite the horror and insanity of our attacks in the 752nd regiment, still 10-20% of the volunteers have stayed. In my opinion these are very strong and courageous people. As a vivid example I can bring the Senior. Praporshik (from our company) Vladimir - he joined all attacks (he took part in five) and didn't get wounded. Moreover, he was 42 years old and he was far from athletic, he had a significant extra weight. At least, the last time I saw him. In my opinion - people like that are real men, and it's very sad they are used like that, sent into senseless attacks...
Generally, it's important to note that despite everything there were many people from the Western and Eastern military districts with whom I spoke and who had a high fighting spirit and the desire to fight till the end... The desire and readiness to crush this banderite scum till the very end... That's a fact.
I realise war and casualties are inevitable, I'm ready to join the attacks, but only when the attacks make sense. Yes, if a unit loses 20-40% as killed or wounded but captures the indicated position, as it was originally within the capabilities of this unit. The unit wasn't thrown at a position that was impossible to capture to start with! I understand when after a successful yet difficult assault the unit with many fresh newcomers is given several days (if not a week) to rest, recover, and not be thrown into another assault of another area the next day...
Another story I was told. Eight helicopters were given an order to strike the enemy positions. Only two of the eight helicopters took off. Others were either broken or had no fuel. Only one of the helicopters successfully fired at the objective. Not all the targets were hit. Or in fact, 80% of the targets were not hit. Yet this operation's commander reported to his leadership that all is well and all the targets were hit. I don't know if it's true or not. I think - yes (note: he probably means that the report to the leadership said all objectives were hit). And I understand how these huge losses of human lives and vehicles can happen. Do you want to know, how? The superior commander believes that if all the targets were hit then he can send infantry with tanks to assault this area. As a result, infantry with tanks moves out and gets shelled with every weapon possible...
As I figured out the Eastern military district is times more combat-ready than the Western military district. Their losses were much smaller when they were near Kyiv and Chernihiv, than what the Western district had in Kharkiv and Izyum. This is my understanding. They also have way more vehicles as I see it. Why is there such a stark difference in the ability to fight between the districts - I don't know that.
Although, again - I spoke to different people. The Eastern Military District also had significant losses. They are also thrown into assaults. But I don't think their attacks are as hopeless and insane as they were in our 752nd regiment...
End of Part 4.