Русский корабль - иди нахуй

[Gatorubet 30189]

11 minutes ago, Etexhorn13 said:

The struggle is real. He’s not a bad guy, per se, but he is an asshole. Love him (and definitely my nephews) but don’t always like him very much.

Oh, he’s a bad guy.  But he’s your brother. 

[Etexhorn13 3045]

4 minutes ago, Gatorubet said:

Oh, he’s a bad guy.  But he’s your brother. 

That’s why I said “per se” 🤷🏻‍♂️

[956 Worldwide 34705]

Ugh, it’s very hard to break through to the “supporting Russia cause of Orthodox” people.  Converts tend to be the worst. In a shitty situation, I ended up in a long car ride with one who just kept coming back to the subject no matter how I tried to duck it, and got cranky when I told him I wouldn’t be setting foot in a Moscow Patriarchate church so long as Kirill was around. 
 

He got super upset when I explained that Ukrainians shouldn’t be expected to care about the intricacies of canon law and who has the right to grant autonomy at a time when Russian priests were blessing the missiles that were blowing up in their hospitals and apartments. His response was “God’s laws must take precedence over earthly concerns.” 

[956 Worldwide 34705]

15 hours ago, Pescado_Rojo said:

I'd be more shocked to find out they’re WEREN'T 10th SFG guys knocking around the front than finding out that there were. Would love to know @InkaUtexas thoughts. 

I would be extremely surprised if there were any individuals currently on active duty anywhere near the front. The propaganda and political value to Russia of capturing or killing real, live “NATO soldiers” in Ukraine far outweighs any benefit you’d get of a deployment small enough to remain low profile. 
 

 

[GoPokes83 2240]

[mention=5728]956 Worldwide[/mention] and others. I promise this is my last post on the song (this time with a Latin flair!):
 

Carrying around a cello while playing it looks very difficult.

[texastough 1129]

2 hours ago, 956 Worldwide said:

I would be extremely surprised if there were any individuals currently on active duty anywhere near the front. The propaganda and political value to Russia of capturing or killing real, live “NATO soldiers” in Ukraine far outweighs any benefit you’d get of a deployment small enough to remain low profile. 
 

 

Agree 100%

[KYHorn 17017]

 

 

I'm just picturing Ted Cruz, Matt Gaetz, and Nancy Pelosi's grandson posing for a picture like this

[KYHorn 17017]

Comprehensive thread about considerations for the upcoming offensive.

 

 

 

[KYHorn 17017]

 

 

[Post Oak 20209]

16 hours ago, Etexhorn13 said:

I love my brother, i do, but this whole conflict has really let the cat out of the bag to me that he’s lost his mind. He has a good job and makes 6 figures and all that nice stuff, but he’s gone nuts when it comes to anything politics or religion and especially both in the last 5-6 years or so.
 

Out of nowhere today, he sent me a Twitter post from a user called “Truthseeker” (can you foresee what’s coming?) about the zelensky regime brutally arresting a ukranian priest in his war on Christian Orthodoxy. My brother recently converted to Greek Orthodoxy because of how conservative and strict it is, and claims that it’s the work of the Antichrist to pretend that this action is anything other than contemptible. When asked if I supported this, I said it was pretty low on my list of things I cared about, especially in light of, you know, war crimes and such. I learned that I am supporting the persecution of Christians by Jews and Pagans, and am being lied to about everything by normies (whatever those are). Me questioning his sources and saying that maybe these priests wouldn’t be under investigation if they weren’t loyal to Moscow was met with “Out of sight and out of mind is ok for those who’ve never actually experienced human suffering on any level other than worrying about if they’re getting the football tickets or not”, to which I just responded with an AP link to photos of Bucha. After 5 minutes or so of what I assume to be his brain pretzeling trying to figure out how to reconcile that, he sent a long diatribe that ended with the phrase “Jewish thugs and Pagan Nazi fools”.

so yeah, maybe my brother has joined the KGB.

 

15 hours ago, Etexhorn13 said:

Yeah I’ve learned through this that his tactic is to choose an ambiguous subject he knows (or thinks) no one will know about that he can use to shock you and make his point. I’d seen snippets here to at least know what he was talking about, and after a quick couple reads, it just really didn’t register enough with me to really care. He just knows now he’s preaching (literally in this case) to the wrong choir. It really is that movie scene where the guy is asking “maybe we’re the baddies?” But he can’t see it. Real shame for an otherwise “smart” person.

 

4 hours ago, 956 Worldwide said:

Ugh, it’s very hard to break through to the “supporting Russia cause of Orthodox” people.  Converts tend to be the worst. In a shitty situation, I ended up in a long car ride with one who just kept coming back to the subject no matter how I tried to duck it, and got cranky when I told him I wouldn’t be setting foot in a Moscow Patriarchate church so long as Kirill was around. 
 

He got super upset when I explained that Ukrainians shouldn’t be expected to care about the intricacies of canon law and who has the right to grant autonomy at a time when Russian priests were blessing the missiles that were blowing up in their hospitals and apartments. His response was “God’s laws must take precedence over earthly concerns.” 

A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject

[MissingInAction 25024]

Ukraine artillery:

 

 

[BamaATL 16593]

As for artillery, and the Russian report of it increasing, when was the last time we heard of a massed Himars attack?  I know they've done a few lately on high value targets, but nothing huge.   I'd bet when we get it trickling out of  mass Himars strikes that's when it's starting.   

[MissingInAction 25024]

Yep. It will begin with massive artillery and drone strikes used to move the orcs where Ukraine wants them. 

Out in the open. Then:

[WhatTheBuck 28775]

16 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

Those who reached a conclusion without regard for the truth sure as shit aren't going to change their conclusion when presented with the truth.

You can’t reason someone out of a position they weren’t reasoned into. 

[BamaATL 16593]

12 minutes ago, WhatTheBuck said:

You can’t reason someone out of a position they weren’t reasoned into. 

So after an hour of trying to explain it, Joe convinced them that he could talk to plants and that they wanted water.  

[BamaATL 16593]

Say do you think those T-54's are gonna do well against these?  I mean, they weren't designed to take on a tank for the 1950s after all, perhaps they are kyprtonite to them?

 

[locodos 5387]

38 minutes ago, BamaATL said:

As for artillery, and the Russian report of it increasing, when was the last time we heard of a massed Himars attack?  I know they've done a few lately on high value targets, but nothing huge.   I'd bet when we get it trickling out of  mass Himars strikes that's when it's starting.   

I don't want it to be true, but there could be fewer HIMARS attacks because there are fewer HIMARS in service.  Could also be that they have been told to use it VERY selectively because our ability to replenish ammo stocks is not as robust as we expected.  Also fuck Russia and it's oligarchs

[Schulz2.0 28951]

 

[Schulz2.0 28951]

3 minutes ago, locodos said:

I don't want it to be true, but there could be fewer HIMARS attacks because there are fewer HIMARS in service.  Could also be that they have been told to use it VERY selectively because our ability to replenish ammo stocks is not as robust as we expected.  Also fuck Russia and it's oligarchs

The reports have been that Russia has generally moved ammo stockpiles and other high value targets just out of HIMARS range.

[BamaATL 16593]

Looks like a standard DOT repair in Atlanta, but that's not saying a lot

 

 

[Born to Run 6569]

[mention=943]MagicSoccerSpray[/mention]was probably thinking of how Thatcher handled Argentina and the USSR, and not ... well ... the domestic stuff. Everything else. You know, the bulk of her legacy.

I was thinking he had inside info that the old bird was a freak in the sheets.

[Born to Run 6569]

Ugh, it’s very hard to break through to the “supporting Russia cause of Orthodox” people.  Converts tend to be the worst. In a shitty situation, I ended up in a long car ride with one who just kept coming back to the subject no matter how I tried to duck it, and got cranky when I told him I wouldn’t be setting foot in a Moscow Patriarchate church so long as Kirill was around. 
 
He got super upset when I explained that Ukrainians shouldn’t be expected to care about the intricacies of canon law and who has the right to grant autonomy at a time when Russian priests were blessing the missiles that were blowing up in their hospitals and apartments. His response was “God’s laws must take precedence over earthly concerns.” 

Laws like "Thou shalt not kill"?

[atomheartbevo 89630]

Keep an eye on this - Iranian backed groups are using Iranian-produced rockets and drones to attack US troops, and have killed a contractor and wounded US service members

There is chatter that  in addition to the retaliation already underway or that has occurred, we may hit their production facilities in Iran, which would help Ukraine and hurt Russia. Or we may have “friends” do so.   

https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/23/politics/syria-suspected-drone-strike-us-contractor-killed/index.html

Quote

President Joe Biden emphasized Friday afternoon that the US will “forcefully protect our people,” a day after approving retaliatory airstrikes in response to a drone attack by an Iranian-backed group in Syria that left one American dead and more injured.

Quote

The president’s remarks marked his first public comments since the US carried out a strike Thursday evening on Iranian facilities that the Pentagon said were used by groups affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. The response – which the Pentagon said was “proportionate and deliberate action intended to limit the risk of escalation and minimize casualties” – came after a suspected Iranian drone struck a facility housing US personnel in the country, killing an American contractor and wounding five US service members. 

Quote

On Friday, another US service member was injured but in stable condition following a rocket attack near oil and gas fields known as Conoco in the vicinity of Deir Ezzor in Syria, a US official confirmed to CNN.

Quote

The official said a second attack occurred “at approximately 11:23 p.m. Syrian local time when three one-way attack unmanned aerial vehicles targeted Green Village. Two of the three unmanned aerial vehicles were struck down by coalition air defense systems.”

The attack on Green Village – a US base in northeast Syria – did not result in injuries but did leave one building damaged, the source said.

Quote

Earlier Friday, 10 rockets had targeted Green Village, where some of the 900 US troops in Syria are based. There were no injuries to US or coalition personnel, and no damage to facilities, the Pentagon said in a statement. One rocket, however, missed the coalition facilities by five kilometers and hit a civilian home, injuring two women and two children, a CENTCOM statement said.

TLDR Iran maybe about to hit the finding out phase.  

[BamaATL 16593]

15 minutes ago, locodos said:

I don't want it to be true, but there could be fewer HIMARS attacks because there are fewer HIMARS in service.  Could also be that they have been told to use it VERY selectively because our ability to replenish ammo stocks is not as robust as we expected.  Also fuck Russia and it's oligarchs

That's a possibility that can't be outright dismissed, that having been said, I think its far more likely they have been on a diet waiting for the right time.  I believe these will be instrumental in blasting open corridors for armor exploit.  

[956 Worldwide 34705]

8 minutes ago, Schulz2.0 said:

The reports have been that Russia has generally moved ammo stockpiles and other high value targets just out of HIMARS range.

This is more likely. It gets missed in the new capabilities every time another drawdown is announced, but they all include additional HIMARS rockets. Russia has been dumb, but they have learned and adjusted to HIMARS by dispersing ammunition dumps and making their logistics and command tail harder to get. 
 

HIMARS and every rocket that goes with it will be invaluable once an offensive starts and the Russians are forced to concentrate their defenses. 

[Born to Run 6569]

Looks like a standard DOT repair in Atlanta, but that's not saying a lot
[/url]  
 

The reports have been that Russia has generally moved ammo stockpiles and other high value targets just out of HIMARS range.

 

o

[atomheartbevo 89630]

6 minutes ago, 956 Worldwide said:

HIMARS and every rocket that goes with it will be invaluable once an offensive starts and the Russians are forced to concentrate their defenses. 

If they can force Russia to keep their logistics hubs out of HIMARS reach when an offensive starts, Russian troops on the frontline are completely fucked. They could shut down fuel and ammo supplies to Russian armored vehicles easily since it takes a lot to supply an armored group. 

[Born to Run 6569]

The reports have been that Russia has generally moved ammo stockpiles and other high value targets just out of HIMARS range.

I was thinking he had inside info that the old bird was a freak in the sheets.

it j

[WhatTheBuck 28775]

14 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

Keep an eye on this - Iranian backed groups are using Iranian-produced rockets and drones to attack US troops, and have killed a contractor and wounded US service members

There is chatter that  in addition to the retaliation already underway or that has occurred, we may hit their production facilities in Iran, which would help Ukraine and hurt Russia. Or we may have “friends” do so.   

https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/23/politics/syria-suspected-drone-strike-us-contractor-killed/index.html

TLDR Iran maybe about to hit the finding out phase.  

That was my first thought when I heard about the Iranian drone attack in Syria that killed an American contractor. They attacked us with a drone. They’re selling drones to Russia. What could be a more perfect retaliation than destroying the facilities where they produce their drones? 

[Born to Run 6569]

it j

Sorry fellas my phone fucked up. A bunch more so than my usual fuckery.

[SL Xpress 7513]

Here's a salient tweet from the Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs about why it's important not to allow Russian athletes to compete in the Paris Olympics even under a neutral flag:

 

[The Dog 44019]

 

[SL Xpress 7513]

This article is so heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. It's about a couple of combat medics deployed at a stabilization center in a dingy basement just a few clicks away from the front lines. Well worth a read:

https://kyivindependent.com/national/i-work-then-i-cry-exhausted-medics-near-bakhmut-fight-for-every-life

Spoiler

‘I work, then I cry’: Exhausted medics near Bakhmut fight for every life

by Asami TerajimaMarch 25, 2023 3:32 am

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Comat medics treat a wounded soldier at a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

Editor’s note: In this story, the Kyiv Independent is not disclosing the Ukrainian soldiers’ full names or their deployed positions due to security concerns amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Donetsk Oblast – At an abandoned building about 20 minutes drive from Bakhmut, wounded Ukrainian soldiers pour in from the front line to receive emergency medical care.  

One after another, the wounded are brought into a musty-smelling basement that is the 5th Separate Assault Brigade’s stabilization point for the soldiers fighting in the Battle for Bakhmut. Some soldiers can still walk on their own, while others are evacuated by their comrades from the battlefield.  

Some days are harder than others, the combat medics say. It all depends on whether Ukrainian or Russian forces launch an assault on the others’ positions. With the ever-changing battlefield situation, the medics are always on standby.  

“We sleep and work at the same place,” 59-year-old combat medic Serhiy, known by his callsign Kaplya (Drop), told the Kyiv Independent during a short break.

Anticipating a sudden influx of wounded soldiers at any time, Serhiy has taught his team to never let their guard down. Even when dealing with just a few light injuries, he emphasizes the importance of working quickly to be ready for all possible scenarios.

Once the wounded soldiers arrive at the stabilization point, the medics’ most important task is to stop their bleeding before transferring them to a hospital. But it gets especially difficult when dealing with serious cases like head injuries, which require more help and skill.

“The toughest moment is when you need to help many (soldiers with serious injuries) at once,” Serhiy said. He admitted that there were times when medics had to prioritize whom to help because they didn’t have enough hands. 

“There are laws of military medicine, and this is called triage,” said Serhiy, explaining situations when medics choose who to save first.

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Comat medics treat Vitalii, a wounded insantry assaut soldier, at a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

Comat medics treat a wounded soldier at a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

A Polish medic treats a wounded soldier at a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

Combat medics carry a wounded soldier on a stroller to evacuate him from a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast to a hospital on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

A Polish medic poses for a picture at a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

Comat medics treat Vitalii, a wounded insantry assaut soldier, at a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

Comat medics treat a wounded soldier at a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

A Polish medic treats a wounded soldier at a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

Combat medics carry a wounded soldier on a stroller to evacuate him from a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast to a hospital on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

A Polish medic poses for a picture at a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

Comat medics treat Vitalii, a wounded insantry assaut soldier, at a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

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Front-line medics near Bakhmut, the main hotspot of the war, are under enormous pressure as Ukrainian soldiers’ casualties mount due to Russia’s seemingly endless attacks. 

More than eight months into the Battle of Bakhmut, Russia has closed in on the city but appears unable to make the final push.

About 90 percent of all casualties come from shrapnel injuries, according to 42-year-old combat medic Dmytro. He estimated that another four to five percent are from bullet wounds, and there are “a lot” of concussion cases as well. 

Every day is “unpredictable,” Dmytro said. There are usually 30 to 45 wounded soldiers arriving daily. On some days, more than half of them have serious injuries, he added.  

Though most arriving soldiers have a good chance of recovery if they make it to the stabilization point, that’s not always the case, Serhiy said. He said that he puts his emotions on hold during work, to avoid getting distracted.  

“We keep working, and then, well, then I cry,” Serhiy said. 

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A photo taken at a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

Combat medics carry a wounded soldier on a stroller to evacuate him from a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast to a hospital on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

A photo taken at a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

A photo taken at a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

A photo taken at a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

A photo taken at a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

Combat medics carry a wounded soldier on a stroller to evacuate him from a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast to a hospital on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

A photo taken at a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

A photo taken at a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

A photo taken at a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

A photo taken at a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

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‘Morally difficult’

Under immense pressure, the group of 20 medics is doing everything to support each other. But spending the whole day in the basement and not being able to get out in the fresh air makes it hard, Dmytro said. 

Many of the medics have not left the basement for a long time in more than a month. They are staying extra cautious to prevent Russian reconnaissance drones from spotting the stabilization point – one of the few in the area that haven’t yet been targeted. The indiscriminate shelling also makes it dangerous to go outside.

Dmytro said that he used to jump rope every day when his team was deployed near Toretsk – a town a few dozen kilometers south of Bakhmut. But now, in his current position, he never sees the sun and is worried that he will soon develop hypoxemia, due to low levels of fresh air.

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Combat medics work at a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

Comat medic Dmytro, 42, poses for a photo at a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

Comat medic Dmytro, 42, treats a wounded soldier at a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

Comat medics treat Vitalii, a wounded infantry assault soldier, at a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

Combat medics work at a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

Comat medic Dmytro, 42, poses for a photo at a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

Comat medic Dmytro, 42, treats a wounded soldier at a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

Comat medics treat Vitalii, a wounded infantry assault soldier, at a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

Combat medics work at a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

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His comrade Serhiy says his vitamin pills are helping him to stay energized. 

For Serhiy, who has over 30 years of experience working in an intensive care unit of a maternity hospital in Kyiv, the hardest part is that sometimes his patients are beyond help.  

Sometimes, the wounded aren’t brought to the makeshift hospital fast enough. When there is ongoing combat or intense shelling, soldiers can’t evacuate their comrades.

Even if the wounded make it to the evacuation point – a designated meeting spot typically 500 meters to 1 kilometer from the front line, combat medics are not always able to get to them in time.

“You see that there is a soldier with serious injury, and you could have helped him, but if they (the combat medics) couldn’t bring him to you on time, it’s too late to help him,” Serhiy said. 

“This is the most difficult thing when a person is dying simply because of excessive blood loss,” he added. “It's morally very difficult when there are severely wounded (soldiers), and you can't help them.” 

 

Read Also

Battle of Bakhmut: Ukrainian soldiers worry Russians begin to ‘taste victory’Read the story

 

Saving the wounded 

No matter how severely wounded the soldiers are, Serhiy tries to be honest with them. 

“I’m not used to deceiving people, and I tell the truth,” Serhiy said. “Maybe I don’t say everything, but I try to be real, and if a person needs surgery, I say, ‘you need surgery.’ If the (patient’s) condition is difficult, I tell them that.” 

But despite the pain and agony, soldiers usually find a way to remain positive and sometimes even exchange a few jokes, Serhiy said. 

Some are scared of doctors or needles. 

“It’s actually not that rare. A lot of people are just afraid of doctors from childhood… So they are afraid of doctors, but not Russians,” Serhiy joked. “It's so funny that we look at each other and just start laughing." 

For Serhiy and his team, it’s important that the wounded soldiers feel comfortable talking to them and relax a little. 

But the atmosphere is completely different when dealing with soldiers who just saw their comrades killed, Serhiy said. They don’t crack a smile and are still in shock.  

Just before speaking to the Kyiv Independent, Serhiy treated a young soldier whose friends were killed – and he laid on the table staring blankly at the ceiling, covered in a hypothermia blanket.  

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Comat medics treat Vitalii, a wounded infantry assault soldier, at a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

Comat medics treat a wounded soldier at a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

Comat medics treat a wounded soldier at a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

Comat medics treat Vitalii, a wounded infantry assault soldier, at a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

Comat medics treat Vitalii, a wounded infantry assault soldier, at a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

Comat medics treat Vitalii, a wounded infantry assault soldier, at a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

Comat medics treat a wounded soldier at a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

Comat medics treat a wounded soldier at a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

Comat medics treat Vitalii, a wounded infantry assault soldier, at a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

Comat medics treat Vitalii, a wounded infantry assault soldier, at a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

Comat medics treat Vitalii, a wounded infantry assault soldier, at a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

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“The guys who don’t joke are those whose friends were killed at that moment, and they themselves were injured – but their friends are dead,” Serhiy said of the young man and others who suffered a similar fate.  

Next to the young man, infantry assault soldier Vitalii was receiving treatment on his left arm. 

While waiting for an evacuation vehicle to arrive, Vitalii told the Kyiv Independent that he only felt “anger” towards Russian forces and about the fact that he could no longer fight. 

“I need to be evacuated, and my comrades have to stay there and fight,” Vitalii said, showing his bandaged arm with a shrapnel wound. 

Vitalii said he was hiding in the trenches when the Russians attacked his position with mortars and tanks, and it was his second day of the two-day-long duty on the “zero line” before getting a day of rest. 

 

Read Also

Bakhmut-bound infantry assault troops: 'We are holding on, ready for any scenario’Read the story

 

Vitalii, who comes from western Ukraine, said the fighting was especially difficult that day. He explained that the Russians kept attacking throughout the night, not letting him and his comrades sleep. They did everything to hold onto the position they’d been clinging to for six days. 

Vitalii, who served since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in 2022, said it felt like abandoning his friends as he followed a doctor’s order to go to the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro for treatment.

The Ukrainian Defense Ministry on March 20 acknowledged that Russian forces had made advances in “certain areas” despite suffering heavy casualties.

Shortly after, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, claimed in a letter addressed to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu that his forces controlled "70% of Bakhmut."

Neither the Ukrainian nor Russian authorities reacted to Prigozhin's claim by publication time.

 Previous

Ukrainian serviceman from the 5th Separate Assault Brigade walk on the hallway of a basement of a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

Serhiy, a 59-year-old combat medic Serhiy, known by his callsign Kaplya (Drop), poses for a picture at a basement of a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

Serhiy, a 59-year-old combat medic Serhiy, known by his callsign Kaplya (Drop), cooks his meal at a basement of a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

Ukrainian servicemen from the 5th Mechanized Brigade walk on the hallway of a basement of a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

Ukrainian servicemen from the 5th Mechanized Brigade walk on the hallway of a basement of a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

Combat medics rest at the basement of an abandoned building near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

A serviceman from the 5th Separate Assault Brigade and 59-year-old combat medic Serhiy, known by his callsign Kaplya (Drop), talk at a basement of a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

Ukrainian serviceman from the 5th Separate Assault Brigade walk on the hallway of a basement of a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

Serhiy, a 59-year-old combat medic Serhiy, known by his callsign Kaplya (Drop), poses for a picture at a basement of a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

Serhiy, a 59-year-old combat medic Serhiy, known by his callsign Kaplya (Drop), cooks his meal at a basement of a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

Ukrainian servicemen from the 5th Mechanized Brigade walk on the hallway of a basement of a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

Ukrainian servicemen from the 5th Mechanized Brigade walk on the hallway of a basement of a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

Combat medics rest at the basement of an abandoned building near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

A serviceman from the 5th Separate Assault Brigade and 59-year-old combat medic Serhiy, known by his callsign Kaplya (Drop), talk at a basement of a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

Ukrainian serviceman from the 5th Separate Assault Brigade walk on the hallway of a basement of a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

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Postponing family life

The platoon from the 5th brigade had come a long way since the first day of the 2022 invasion when it was a lot more disorganized, and many of the combat medics were serving for the first time, Dmytro said.

But more than a year after Russia launched its full-scale invasion, Dmytro, who was also mobilized after Feb. 24, 2022, said he feels that his team is better prepared for hardships ahead.

Even though the team had spent months together, Serhiy said they barely talked about personal things, such as their family, because there was always so much going on. But Serhiy says the medics plan to meet after the war to get to know each other better.

“We write down each other's phone numbers, and we know in our head that after victory, we will meet, talk, and meet each other's wife and children,” Serhiy said.

“But it doesn’t always work out this way,” he added, scrolling through his phone to find the last photo taken with his comrade Maksym from the northeastern city of Sumy.  

On that day in February, Maksym, who usually remained in the basement, went outside to evacuate the wounded. He was killed en route to the evacuation point when Russian shelling hit his car.  

Serhiy remembers how Maksym told him how eager he was to see his wife and two kids.

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Serhiy, 59-year-old combat medic, known by his callsign Kaplya (Drop), shows a picture of his comrade Maksym killed by Russian shelling during the evacuation at a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

Serhiy, 59-year-old combat medic, known by his callsign Kaplya (Drop), shows a picture of his comrade Maksym killed by Russian shelling during the evacuation at a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

Serhiy, 59-year-old combat medic, known by his callsign Kaplya (Drop), shows a picture of his comrade Maksym killed by Russian shelling during the evacuation at a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

Serhiy, 59-year-old combat medic, known by his callsign Kaplya (Drop), shows a picture of his comrade Maksym killed by Russian shelling during the evacuation at a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

Serhiy, 59-year-old combat medic, known by his callsign Kaplya (Drop), shows a picture of his comrade Maksym killed by Russian shelling during the evacuation at a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

Serhiy, 59-year-old combat medic, known by his callsign Kaplya (Drop), shows a picture of his comrade Maksym killed by Russian shelling during the evacuation at a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

Serhiy, 59-year-old combat medic, known by his callsign Kaplya (Drop), shows a picture of his comrade Maksym killed by Russian shelling during the evacuation at a stabilization point near the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 10, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)

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Like with others, Serhiy only remembers that Maksym was in his 50s and not much more because they only had time to talk about their work during their few months together.

Serhiy and Dmytro try to separate their war life from their private life. Dmytro has not seen his 18-year-old daughter and 12-year-old son since evacuating them from Ukraine in February 2022.

But despite the challenges, Serhiy doesn’t regret voluntarily joining the army in 2014, when Russia started its war against Ukraine. He said that he did so after understanding that the combat medics he saw on television were a lot less experienced than him but deployed on the front line. 

He had served for one year. When Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, he went to the draft office again. He said he felt like it was his only choice.

“I am an extreme person somewhere in my soul,” Serhiy said. “When there is a situation that concerns me, my country, it’s boring for me to be on the sidelines, it’s not fun, and it’s bad.”  

 

Read Also

Brigade that spent 2 months in Bakhmut: ‘It was becoming harder each week’Read the story

 

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Note from the author:

Hi, this is Asami Terajima, the author of this article.

Thank you for reading my story till the end. I have spent most of February and March in Donetsk Oblast, spending time with Ukrainian soldiers to get a better grasp of what is happening on the battlefield. Unfortunately, the fighting is extremely brutal. But no matter the danger, I saw how hard combat medics fought to save the wounded soldiers' lives and took care of each other. To help the Kyiv Independent tell more stories of Ukrainian soldiers and continue reporting on the ground, please consider supporting us by becoming our patron. 

Asami Terajima

National reporter

Asami Terajima is a national reporter at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a business reporter for the Kyiv Post focusing on international trade, infrastructure, investment and energy.

 

[We’reTexas 1473]

Damning report on International Legion from NYT. Turns out James Vasquez was a fraud. 
 

 

[SL Xpress 7513]

12 minutes ago, We’reTexas said:

Damning report on International Legion from NYT. Turns out James Vasquez was a fraud. 
 

 

I think it's fairer to say he was a complicated person. 

But he was absolutely fraudulent. He's the Bob Wheeler of this war. He definitely put himself out there as something he was not, and he definitely stole money. 

[956 Worldwide 34705]

20 minutes ago, We’reTexas said:

Damning report on International Legion from NYT. Turns out James Vasquez was a fraud. 
 

 

Unfortunately unsurprising. I know @InkaUtexas can chime in here on how war zones attract the best, worst, and most complicated of humanity. 
 

In early March 2022, I was sitting with some acquaintances in a pretty nice, all things considered, hotel bar in Rzeszow. An American guy— fit but not the right type of fit, 511 pants, the whole deal— circulated around, telling us about his special skills and what his org could do. We’d listen, sip our beer, wish him luck. Because he was full of shit.
 

 Rzeszow only had a few bars where the newly arrived foreigners would hang out, and he’d make the rounds to all of them, telling his story. 
 

By the time I packed up in early April, there were a lot more 511 wearing bozos, each with a “better” story. And Ukraine wasn’t in a place to turn down help or do a lot of background checks. 

[Bevo 13570]

4 minutes ago, 956 Worldwide said:

Unfortunately unsurprising. I know @InkaUtexas can chime in here on how war zones attract the best, worst, and most complicated of humanity. 
 

In early March 2022, I was sitting with some acquaintances in a pretty nice, all things considered, hotel bar in Rzeszow. An American guy— fit but not the right type of fit, 511 pants, the whole deal— circulated around, telling us about his special skills and what his org could do. We’d listen, sip our beer, wish him luck. Because he was full of shit.
 

 Rzeszow only had a few bars where the newly arrived foreigners would hang out, and he’d make the rounds to all of them, telling his story. 
 

By the time I packed up in early April, there were a lot more 511 wearing bozos, each with a “better” story. And Ukraine wasn’t in a place to turn down help or do a lot of background checks. 

Which ones are the 511s?

[956 Worldwide 34705]

https://www.511tactical.com/eu-en/mens/mens-pants/cargo-pants.html
 

 

[Macanudo 12976]

5 minutes ago, Bevo said:

Which ones are the 511s?

The ones with the button fly in the back.

[InkaUtexas 25877]

17 minutes ago, 956 Worldwide said:

Unfortunately unsurprising. I know @InkaUtexas can chime in here on how war zones attract the best, worst, and most complicated of humanity. 
 

In early March 2022, I was sitting with some acquaintances in a pretty nice, all things considered, hotel bar in Rzeszow. An American guy— fit but not the right type of fit, 511 pants, the whole deal— circulated around, telling us about his special skills and what his org could do. We’d listen, sip our beer, wish him luck. Because he was full of shit.
 

 Rzeszow only had a few bars where the newly arrived foreigners would hang out, and he’d make the rounds to all of them, telling his story. 
 

By the time I packed up in early April, there were a lot more 511 wearing bozos, each with a “better” story. And Ukraine wasn’t in a place to turn down help or do a lot of background checks. 

Dubai, Terminal 2. Dad was SF, quite senior. He always told me if every limp dick he met who claimed to be in Group was truthful then US SF would be a million men. 

Fuck these pretenders. And for good measure, fuck aggy and OU still sux. 

[InkaUtexas 25877]

23 hours ago, Pescado_Rojo said:

I'd be more shocked to find out their WEREN'T 10th SFG guys knocking around the front than finding out that there were. Would love to know @InkaUtexas thoughts. 

Don't think they are active. Maybe some other elements. SF is there to train, not fight. Perhaps a forward team at the Embassy. In Poland? For sure. 

Just want to add this thread is amazing. Good posts, good analysis and thanks to all who are contributing. Been on the road for the past few weeks so just catching up. 

[DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt 12301]

Told y’all he was a shithead.

[statsman 5456]

16 minutes ago, InkaUtexas said:

Dubai, Terminal 2. Dad was SF, quite senior. He always told me if every limp dick he met who claimed to be in Group was truthful then US SF would be a million men. 

Fuck these pretenders. And for good measure, fuck aggy and OU still sux. 

Ha-ha! 
 
Dad was a combat marksman (sniper) in Vietnam. He ran the sniper training school in the Mekong Delta (interesting educational institution; there was also an “Ambush school” and a “Tunnel Rat school”). He said that he was so sick of war stories where a guy says he was shot at by a sniper. “Bullshit! Those weren’t snipers! Know how to tell a sniper shot at you? You’re dead, that’s how you know!”

[InkaUtexas 25877]

Just now, statsman said:

Ha-ha! 
 
Dad was a combat marksman (sniper) in Vietnam. He ran the sniper training school in the Mekong Delta (interesting educational institution; there was also an “Ambush school” and a “Tunnel Rat school”). He said that he was so sick of war stories where a guy says he was shot at by a sniper. “Bullshit! Those weren’t snipers! Know how to tell a sniper shot at you? You’re dead, that’s how you know!”

My dad may have attended. And damn right. 

[MillerEP 30448]

 

[Bevo 13570]

46 minutes ago, Bevo said:

Which ones are the 511s?

 

42 minutes ago, 956 Worldwide said:

https://www.511tactical.com/eu-en/mens/mens-pants/cargo-pants.html
 

 

Thanks. I thought we were talking about Levi's. So, maybe they were the skinny jean fit.

[MillerEP 30448]

 

[MillerEP 30448]

 

[MissingInAction 25024]

My first few years out I douched around in 511s  because I had no other identify. Didn't realize I may have been annoying the shit out of people. Oh well.

I think zelensky is some counter Intel strategery.

Edited March 25, 2023 by MissingInAction
Fuckit

[MillerEP 30448]