Fighting For Ukraine

May 10th 2024

Yuriy illustrates the challenging journey of a veteran struggling to navigate the complexities of ordinary life after years of intense military service.

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TRANSCRIPT: (Apple Podcasts & Podbean app users can enjoy accurate closed captions)

It is May 10.  

Have you ever returned from vacation to work and could not remember what to do? It seems to me that it's a quirk of the brain- it quickly forgets even the most important things under the influence of emotions, and just a few days are enough to forget what seemed completely familiar. Now imagine that you did not go on vacation, but to war, not for a week, but for several years with emotions so powerful and overwhelming that they literally override everything you've experienced  before. How do you then return to normal life, what to do to regain, not only work skills, but even everyday ones? Honestly, I don't know. 

But I do know for sure that's exactly what happens- a person practically forgets what ordinary life is and how to exist in it. I've already mentioned that the specifics of a driving a car on the front line are in no way the same as driving in ordinary life. On the front line, no one would ever think of fastening seat belts because in case of coming under fire and serious damage to a vehicle, you need to leave the car as quickly as possible, and seat belts hinder that. On the front line, no one uses turn signals; everyone drives at the maximum possible speed. There is no chance of accidentally running over pedestrian or crash into a bus at a stop. And you quickly get used to this frontline driving style, almost instantly forgetting how to drive in other conditions. And when you have leave or vacation and you with your new skills, find yourself in the city and you drive there as if for the first time, constantly reminding yourself to use turn signals, keep distance, not exit speed. And it's really hard.

Let me take a moment from this conversation to thank those who write me messages with words of support and those who donate money to my Go Fund Me and Buy Me A Coffee pages. I'm still holding on. Thanks to you. 

Okay, back to it. I remember coming home for the first time after a few weeks in the Army. I was given a day to rest a bit and to clean my clothes. And here's the second task, I almost failed. I simply could not remember how to use the washing machine. My own washing machine, which I turned on almost every day for at least five years. I did it automatically without even looking, but just a few weeks in the Army, a few weeks of heavy stress, unfamiliar, powerful emotions, and that's all. The skill that was once automatic, vanished without a trace. 

I forgot how to use ATMs, forgot how to pay bills for electricity and heating. My language changed dramatically. Many previously common wars simply disappeared because were unnecessary in the Army, but new ones appeared, which  belong to military life. And they've become so ingrained in me that I use them even when it's completely inappropriate. 

You know, there are hundreds of thousands of people like me out there now. People who have forgotten how to live ordinary lives, who have become unaccustomed to simple things, who find it difficult just to be among civilians to communicate with them. I have a big request for you- don't laugh at the veterans who can't do things that seem simple and obvious to everyone else. In reality, war makes everything complicated and difficult. Several years in active duty completely changed a person. But even changed by constant stress, forged by heavy experience, a human being still remains a human being.  

May 8th 2024

Yuriy delves into the modern tactics of propaganda and the dangerous ideologies fueling the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Unveiling the twisted narratives and sinister intentions, he warns of the growing threat posed by the resurgence of fascism in a world on the brink of chaos.

You can email Yuriy, ask him questions or simply send him a message of support: [email protected]   

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TRANSCRIPT: (Apple Podcasts & Podbean app users can enjoy accurate closed captions)

  It is May 8th. 

Today is the 79th anniversary of the end of Second World War in Europe. For many years, it was celebrated as the day when fascism was defeated. But I have some bad news for you. Fascism is alive and kicking and even has plans on you and your home countries. Maybe you still have not noticed it, but it's only because this modern fascism is dressed in a propaganda attire designed to deceive you. 

Because there are no two things more dissimilar than, Russian propaganda aimed at foreigners and Russian propaganda aimed at its own Russian audience. What do Russians tell Europeans, Americans, Asians, and others? That Russia is peaceful, wonderful country full of spirituality, holiness and grace, and that evil Ukrainians have concocted deceitful plans to spoil this holiness and grace forcing Russians to start killing Ukrainians and destroying entire cities just to save themselves. It's idiocy, but many believe in it otherwise, they would have to face the horrific reality and  acknowledge that it's an unjust war aimed at destroying an entire nation.

What does propaganda tell Russians themselves? It's also a celebration of idocy, but of a completely different kind. Everyday television convinces Russians that Ukrainians are traitors trying to switch sides to the godless West, instead of fighting alongside Russians against this west. Newspapers write about it, films are made and thousands of books are written. Armies of propagandists talk about how Ukraine should not exist, that that state should only be an outpost for the future war against the West. But Ukrainians are actually Russians confused by the West. and they need to be brought back to become the vanguard of Russian army during its invasion of Europe. 

And they are that serious about it. They are preparing to fight the whole world and want Ukrainians to join them, and not just join, but consciously and joyfully. The war against the West has become the main ideology of Russians, their religion, their God, and they sincerely don't understand why Ukrainians don't want to worship this god and march with Russians to conquer Berlin and Paris. While various politicians in the West talk about how to negotiate better with the Russians, the Russians themselves almost without hiding it are making plans to destroy entire countries in the West. And they lament that were forced to spend time and afford storming small villages in the Donbas instead of Brussels and London.

Ukrainians have no place whatsoever in the new religion of the Russians. We either have to become Russians and join the army or be destroyed together with the West, perceived as the main enemy to Russia. That's it. There are no other options. If I were are in the shoes of wars making decisions in the West, I would listen to all these Russian stories. They fantasize about conquering Europe dream of destroying the USA and openly talk about it. Prepare for the worst, these maniacs won't stop just like that. Perhaps at some point we might decide that taking Warsaw or Prague could be easier when capturing Kharkiv or Odessa and turn their war efforts towards you. 

May 3rd 2024

Yuriy heads to a frontline combat zone, where he captures a day in the life of the relentless battles, moments of respite in a peaceful town, and the stark realization of the thin line separating wartime chaos from everyday normalcy.

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TRANSCRIPT: (Apple Podcasts & Podbean app users can enjoy accurate closed captions)

It is 3rd of May. 

Full scale war in Ukraine has been ongoing for exactly 800 days now. These are 800 days of pain, despair, unbearable suffering, and incredible heroism. The Russians intended to conquer us within a month to subjugate and then destroy us. We've been resistant for a third year now and have no intention of surrendering.

Now, let me tell you a story that I find fitting to share on this bloody anniversary while you take a look at the description of this podcast there are GoFundMe and Buy Me A Coffee details to help me and my loved ones. Remember, the only monetization of this podcast is your support, which is always necessary and always welcome. Thank you. 

So the story, I spent some time with a unit holding positions on one over hot sports over front the guys' positions were in a semi destroyed building a few hundred meters from the Russian invaders. The battles there were constant; five people who could fit into this building fired several crates of ammunition and RPG shots per day. Every two days, the fighters were replaced. The exhausted five in the early morning while it was still dark, left the position and fresh five soldiers loaded with crates of ammunition, took over the position and began fighting the Russians. 

Those who were replaced, got into a Jeep and drove to rest. They had two days to recover and return to hell. They rested in a regular country house on the outskirts of a small town. From the positions where bloody battles raged, it took only 30 to 40 minutes to drive to this house no more, and it was truly impressive. Here you are in a ruined settlement, much of which has already been ceased by the Russians, where you can only move stealthily, where the gunfire never ceases for a second and just a half an hour's drive, you are in a town where cafes work, where a supermarket where people are busy with some ordinary things working: going on dates, buying ice cream for their kids. 

Shells from Russian artillery don't reach this town, so it leaves relatively peaceful despite the fact that the battles are region very close to it. Relatively peaceful because there are no longer any cities or towns in Ukraine where the Russians could not reach. We wear ballistic missiles. A shell from a howtizer can fly 30 miles and that's it. A missile flies thousands of miles and it's very difficult to intercept. But that's a story for another time. Now, it's about the guys who rested in an almost peaceful town and returned to the war hell every few days.

I will probably never forget the feeling that struck me when I rode with them in the dark to their positions. At first, we drove along a well lit street surrounded by billboards of pizzerias and Japanese cafes. The guys in the Jeep joked and laughed, but as soon as we left the town, the jokes stopped. The street lights disappeared, and the road became worse and worse- heavy military vehicles going back and forth had destroyed it. Soon the driver turned off the headlights and drove in the dark, as if guided by some sixth sense as if he were a Jedi, who felt the way even when he could not see it. If the headlights were left on the enemy would see us and try to hit us with fire from mortars and heavy machine guns. In an un armored Jeep, that would be certain death.

The last few hundred meters of the journey we covered on food hiding the Jeep in a small ravine. We reached the positions unloaded ammunition and replaced it with soldiers who had been there for the past two days. 

You know, it's unbearably difficult to sit on the fire, literally under the enemy's nose, and know that only half an hour separates you from ordinary, normal life. But if you don't sit there on the fire, don't hold positions right under the enemy's nose where won't be any normal life, where won't be life at all. 

April 30th 2024

Yuriy reflects on surviving the brutal realities of war in Ukraine, highlighting the devastating losses and the haunting presence of overcrowded cemeteries. 

You can email Yuriy, ask him questions or simply send him a message of support: [email protected]   

Buy Yuriy a coffee here: https://bmc.link/yuriymat 

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TRANSCRIPT: (Apple Podcasts & Podbean app users can enjoy accurate closed captions)

 It is April 30. 

I met a guy of whom we stood in line to enlist in the Army on the second day of the full scale invasion. He was greatly surprised because as it turned out, there are very few of us- those we are in service from the first days -who are still alive today. He said straight out, "look, we are still alive even for we were going to die back when we had almost no chance of survival and yet here we are." 

Indeed, looking back, you realize that we really walked on the edge, that through bloodbath of the first months of war we were pulled only by a miracle. And for some reason it was us and not the hours. A couple of days after meeting this guy, I was at a cemetery. It was the anniversary of a death of a person from the unit where I now serve. The cemetery is not in the largest city of Ukraine and there are entire alleys of graves of people killed by Russians since 2022. 

I cannot convey with feelings, this despair when you see endless graves of very young guys and girls, who were buried only because with stupid Russian fuhrer decided to destroy Ukrainians and his spineless slaves went to carry out his senseless desire of an old idiot. 

Every day, several war dead are buried in this cemetery, and I repeat, this is far from the largest city and this is not the only cemetery in it. It's so painful, it's almost unbearable, and this unbearable feeling grows more and more. I understand that the war could last for years. That means for years the size of cemeteries will grow. For years, the number of widow and orphans will increase. 

We won't lose, we won't retreat, we have nowhere to retreat. We either win or simply disappear and we don't want to disappear, but what to do with this feeling of horror from overcrowded cemeteries, from crying mothers and children? I don't know. For everyone lucky enough to survive over war and see peace, it'll be difficult because of understanding of the price of victory. 

God, how many people could have been saved, how many parents would have returned to their children? How many destinies would not have been ruined? If we had enough modern weapons, if it were the Russians, not us, who hit every day from a missile attacks and airstrikes. But unfortunately, this did not happen. And for the lack of iron, the best of us have to pay with blood. Pay literally, with the future of Ukraine, young guys and girls, brave and smart.  

April 22nd 2024

Yuriy gives an account of survival in the war-torn Ukrainian cities occupied by Russia for a decade, unveiling the struggles, atrocities, and resilience of the locals in the "Women's People's Republics."

You can email Yuriy, ask him questions or simply send him a message of support: [email protected]   

Buy Yuriy a coffee here: https://bmc.link/yuriymat 

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TRANSCRIPT: (Apple Podcasts & Podbean app users can enjoy accurate closed captions)

  It's April 22. 

Several people serving with me come from the part of Donbass that was occupied by Russia back in 2014.  Back then, they seized Donetsk, Luhansk, and several smaller towns. Thousands fled the occupation immediately. Some stayed, trying to adapt somehow, but later had to flee. The Russians did not admit at that time that it was their occupation of Ukrainian cities. Their official stance was that it was rebellion by local pro Russian residents who formed their own states, the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics. 

In reality, these pseudo- republics were just a cover for the occupiers. Russian military and officials ran everything there, quickly seized local businesses from the residents, throwing wealthy inhabitants out onto the streets and settling in their homes. Those who resisted were either killed or fled to the free part of Ukraine after beatings and abuse. My comrade, who is from Luhansk, told me he had spent several weeks in a basement where Russian FSB agents beat him daily just because he served in the Ukrainian army in the early '90s, which seemed suspicious to the occupiers. He was released only because the Russians brought in a new batch of Ukrainian prisoners and there was not enough space and some of the old ones were just thrown out. He immediately left the occupied city and joined the Ukrainian army. He's been at war for 10 years. 10! And he dreams every day of going home. Home which is still occupied by the Russians. 

What's happening now with the Ukrainian cities occupied for a whole decade is a complete horror. Russians don't really care much about their own cities. Except maybe Moscow and a couple of wealthy regional capitals and the occupied Ukrainian cities have turned into garbage dumps. Literally. Trash hasn't been collected for years, sewage systems aren't repaired, roads aren't built, and they've mostly engaged in looting and plundering. And human trafficking. Russians always have a shortage of cannon fodder, they put all reasonable healthy prisoners in their prisons into uniform, lured all the greedy fools with high salaries, but still they lack people. So, local gangs catch men on the streets of occupied Ukrainian cities and sell them to military unit commanders, who then drive these unfortunate souls in human waves toward Ukrainian positions. 

There are constant problem with electricity in the occupied territories because all the electricians were stolen from the streets and sent to war. Public transport hardly operates because drivers and mechanics are killed in human waves, and there are hardly any man on the streets who have not been caught by the patrols of human traffickers hide in their homes behind closed doors. Locals sarcastically call these fake Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics the Women's People's Republics, because there are no men left there.

Just imagine a town with only women and really old men in it. It's unbelievable, but it's true. No man's land in a very specific sense. Specific and horrible.