Diana Makarova's FUND: THE FIRST COMERS

[nazavzhdy]

THE FIRST COMERS

A person remembers the events of their childhood better, than events that occurred three years ago.

Society is the same. Anyone can reel off a lecture on the events of the Second World War, but will struggle if

you ask which units freed Lysychansk and Kramatorsk from occupation in 2014.

And I’m talking about our Ukrainian society, let alone any garden-variety citizen of neighboring states, your

ordinary TV viewer or Internet user.

The case of Vitaliy Markiv, military officer of the National Guard of Ukraine, who was arrested in Italy,

https://tsn.ua/…/zakidi-u- nadzvichayniy-zhorstokosti- ta-tro…

has once again proven this lack of comprehension in other countries of what is happening here.

See for yourself. Vitaliy Markiv was arrested as member of “group unit of self-organized and irregular

militants” (a quote from the criminal charge).

Indeed, a shy statement was later added to the charge stating that these “militants” have voluntarily joined the

regular armed forced, but does anyone bother to read or listen carefully? The first thing that catches the eye is

words “self-organized and irregular militants”.

Forcing even the Ukrainian Ministry and Embassy to clarify to the Italian side this glaring mistake made either

accidently or deliberately.

We receive correspondence from Ukrainian sympathizers in Italy; we receive correspondence from the

Ukrainian diaspora. They have known about the war in Ukraine for quite a while, they've provide us with

assistance. Yet to our great surprise and shock we hear the same,

“You do understand, what is so troubling about the case. Since Vitaliy was a volunteer in irregular armed

forces.”

And those are the words of people, who have been with us from the very start of the war. Much less the others,

citizens of those states that do not follow the Ukrainian events and hear by chance and catch a glimpse,

“Oh, Ukraine! Yes! Pravyi Sektor (translator’s note: the Right Sector)? Sì! Nazi! Ja-ja!”

That’s it. And this is the best case scenario.

But it’s a sin to be offended. Take me for example. I’m a person, who since the first days of the conflict went

through the mill of our liberation war. I can easily recall how Aidar, Donbas, the First and the Second Reserve

battalions were created. But I will have no recollection of how Azov or Shakhtarsk were formed.

We cannot know everything even about OUR war, our country, hence we don’t have the right to be offended

by other world countries.

Hold it right there! We do know all the names, but what do the First and the Second Reserve battalions stand

for, we don’t. “And what are those battalions? Did they fight in the war?”, was the question I heard recently.

I heard it and I was stunned. You see what I mean?

And this was a question coming from Ukrainians, nay volunteers. You would assume they should have known.

Thus the issue has become pending. Let me tell about the glorious First and Second Reserve battalions since

those units are directly associated with the case of Vitaliy Markiv.

... Maidan was over (translator’s note: Maidan Nezalezhnosti, ‘the Independence square’, the street in Kyiv

where protests of 2014 took place).

Yet a war began. Our territories were being occupied by Russia supported by separatists, as a rule those were

experts in inciting civil unrest once again brought here from Russia.

And the very ‘militants’ from Maidan had to decide what to do next. And we are the ones, who know the

background of these Maidan ‘militants’. Those are your average citizens, who left lecture halls, office work,

lucrative freelance, business and whatnot, and came to Maidan to protest.

We are those, who know that there were no ‘militants’ there. It’s funny to regard as militants those boys facing

certain death trying to defend themselves with wooden shields against bullets of armed Berkut (translator’s

note: a special police unit) and snipers. It’s so funny that it makes us cry every time when we recall those

shootings of unarmed ‘militants’.

And what does the world knows in general, if we take an average TV viewer? So there was some ‘Maidan’ in

Ukraine. There were riots on the streets of Kyiv. And that’s that.

But Maidan has won, and it had to be considered what should be done next in the country that was being

dragged into a war.

According to the document that was given to me by the Battalion n.a. General Kulchytskyi (translator’s note: a

battalion of the National Guard of Ukraine),

and to the best of my recollection

here I give you the story of creation and first steps of the battalion, where from its very beginning served

Vitaliy Markiv, codename Italiiets (translator’s note: ‘Italian’).

THE NATIONAL GUARD IN QUESTIONS AND ANSWERES

“Natsyky? Those in the East of Ukraine? Ukrainian nationalists, right?”

Wrong. ‘Natsyky’ in this case is a short joint notion (translator’s note: in plural) used to define members of the

National Guard. This is our military slang. The notion does not refer to an ideology or a doctrine. Here we

have a play of words with the same root ‘natsionalnyi hvardiiets’ (translator’s note: ‘National Guard member’,

singular) aka ‘Natsyk’.

‘And what is ‘Natshvardiia’ (translator’s note: the National Guard)? Is it Pravyi Sektor?’

By no means. Pravyi Sektor never joined the National Guard. ‘Natshvardiia’ is simply a short name for the

National Guard of Ukraine. The acronym is incorrect but it stuck and is listed in the military slang glossary.

That is why we will continue to use these notions in such respective meanings.

ABSTRACT No.1

“... the National Guard of Ukraine was first established in 1991; however in 2000 it was disbanded. Members

of the Guard were given an opportunity to transfer to other army units.

13.03.2014 in the wake of foreign aggression in Crimea as well as tensions in the East of the country the

National Guard was once again mobilized and started to enlist volunteers willing to defend the sovereignty of

Ukraine.

Battalions of the National Guard are under the command of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine. In

accordance with the Law “On the National Guard of Ukraine” (15) the National Guard is assigned with

maintaining order and providing defense and assistance. That is why at first the members were equipped only

with light weapons.”

(Abstract from the document provided by the Battalion)

The National Guard also includes units of the Internal Troops of Ukraine, namely the National Guard

embodies the regular Internal Troops.

“That’s clear. And what is this First Reserve Battalion that you’ve mentioned? And why are we considering

this? This unit fought alongside with the Kulchytskyi Battalion?”

You’re wrong again. This First and Second Reserve Battalions are virtually the inception of the Kulchytskyi

Battalion.

ABSTRACT No.2

“...On March 13, 2014, 570 volunteers from Maidan Self-Defense became reservist of the newly reinstated

National Guard of Ukraine and traveled to the village Novi Petrivtsi in Kyivska oblast to the training camp of

Bars Special Operations Brigade.

Officially the First Reserve Battalion of the National Guard of Ukraine was registered on March 14, 2014, on

military base No.3066.

Military training and coordination of volunteers was managed by Major General Serhiy Kulchytskyi,

Commander of the Army and Special Training Department with the Chief Department of the National Guard

of Ukraine.

After training and selection of soldiers on April 6, 2014, 230 members of the Guard took the Oath of

Enlistment.

These men were the first to go into combat. They trained how to fight already on the frontline.

On April 15, the unit was deployed to the East of Ukraine, first to Pavlohrad, Dnipropetrovska oblast, then to

Sloviansk (translator’s note: spelled according to Russian pronunciation ‘Slaviansk’) to perform alert duty.

In a short while the reservist were joined by General Kulchytskyi, who was in the ATO zone (translator’s note:

the Anti-Terrorist Operation zone) for more than a month alongside with former Maidan activists until the day

of his tragic death.

April 16, the Second Reserve Battalion of the National Guard of Ukraine was created with the same Bars

training camp on military base No.3027.

On May 16, the training was completed and 270 volunteers took the Oath of Enlistment, and on May 28, the

unit was transferred for rotation to the Anti-Terrorist Operation zone to the city of Sloviansk.”

(Abstract from the document provided by the Battalion)

Thus these civilians, most of them have never served in the army, enrolled into the battalion and trained in the

camp for three weeks.

How much can you master in three weeks? It was hardly anything, how to assemble and disassemble an

automatic weapon. Well, and guys were given an opportunity to fire a few training shots.

Behold the scary ‘militants’.

These men took the Oath of Enlistment and from that moment they were officially serving in the REGULAR

Ukrainian armed forces. These armed forces were known to be the National Guard of Ukraine. And we can

with certainty regard the First Reserve Battalion of the National Guard of Ukraine the first volunteer battalion

of Ukraine of the year 2014, and the first volunteer battalion that immediately became a REGULAR and

official unit.

Thus any association between members of the National Guard and so called “self-organized and irregular

militants” (the quote) is out of the question.

The First Reserve Battalion was one of the first units to be deployed to the East of Ukraine just outside

Sloviansk. The main assignment of the battalion was to guard the checkpoints, check vehicles and pedestrians,

who back than could leave/ return to Sloviansk.

Note:

Exit from Sloviansk on foot/ vehicles for civilians was already partly restricted by the end of siege of the city,

this was the decision of separatist and Russian detachments that managed to station in Sloviansk.

I cannot keep another fact to myself.

The First Reserve Battalion reached checkpoints around Sloviansk together with other regular units of the

Ukrainian armed forces. And it just so happens that the very first combat of our anti-terrorist operation fell to

the lot of these units.

ABSTRACT No.3

“...Procurement and equipment of volunteers remains very poor. Despite that these two battalions together with

‘Omega’ MIA (translator’s note: the Ministry of Internal Affairs) special operations detachment were the only

units that were immediately deployed to Sloviansk districts to block the terrorist base. Those very battalions of

the National Guard contributed enormous and invaluable efforts on the frontline while the country was

restoring army units that were being separately deployed to the frontline. There was no one else.”

(Abstract from the document provided by the Battalion)

These men were not ready to fight. A combat was not planned. Simply, as it often happens at war, a fire was

opened on our units from Sloviansk.

Soldiers had to stop and return fire.

The combat was not long and only small arms were fired, since, see Abstract No.1, soldiers that were assigned

to guard checkpoints watching entry/exit from the city were ONLY equipped with LIGHT WEAPONS.

Still this combat proved the main point that mixed detachments of Russians and Ukrainian separatists are not

to be trifled with. They’ve shown their determination by conducting an armed standoff to resist the Ukrainian

armed forces.

This combat proved yet another thing that Ukrainian army does not intend to be the first to open fire. But it

will return fire.

This combat also confirmed the key issue that nobody wanted to believe that a war has begun in Ukraine. And

Ukraine was NOT the party to start it.

A siege was imposed on Sloviansk. Members of the National Guard were stationed mainly on routes that led to

the city.

Some checkpoints here have already been occupied by Russian militants and separatists.

Also Karachun Mountain was besieged, where soldiers were dislocated mainly to guard the transmission

tower.

That was the departure area of a helicopter that on May 29, 2014 carried on board soldiers of internal troops of

the National Guard, Berkut military personnel, and General Kulchytskyi.

“So you’re saying that Berkut also served in the National Guard’s armed forces?”

Yes. Berkut officers that took part in shootings of unarmed Maidan activists were also enlisted in the ranks of

the National Guard. And former enemies have now joined forces to defend their country.

The helicopter with General Kulchytskyi and military personnel of the National Guard was shot down in the

vicinity of another checkpoint. Speaking of which, it was also encircled.

Almost all helicopter passengers died.

Onwards separatist and Russian instigators of Sloviansk occurrences took action (first and foremost Girkin,

Igor Strelkov, a Russian citizen, who initially took on leadership of the separatist movement in Donbas)

against the National Guard and other units stationed at other positions around the city area.

A tragic plight faced personnel of the Second Reserve Battalion that was dislocated to replace the First

Reserve Battalion.

ABSTRACT No.4

“... the 2-nd Battalion went through baptism of fire on checkpoints in the proximity of Sloviansk. Armed with

just light small arms and unbroken fighting spirit, military officers of this battalion confronted heavily-armed

enemy that at that point was already equipped with armored fighting vehicles, as well as tanks.

Special attention needs to be paid to the defense of checkpoint No.1. This is the combat report prepared by V.

Shapoval reconnaissance platoon commander of the Battalion:

Herewith I inform you that on 26.06.2014 during a military operation members of the combined operational

unit of military base No.3027 NGU (translator’s note: the National Guard of Ukraine) at checkpoint No.1 to

the city of Sloviansk near 7.00 p.m. an attack was launched on the checkpoint in question by illegal armed

groups under the command of the militant’s leader, a citizen of the Russian Federation Girkin (‘Strelkov’).

The assailants launched a surprise attacked on our checkpoint, they prevailed in numbers (about 600 men)

using heavy armored fighting vehicles (5 tanks T-64), mortars and small arms. There was a real threat of

checkpoint encirclement by the enemy and to the lives of the personnel.”

(Abstract from the document provided by the Battalion)

By all means, we don’t need to convince ourselves that first and foremost it was Russia waging a war against

us. We’ve known that for a long time, but does your average European know that like say a Frenchman,

German, and Italian...

Once again an abstract from the document, that members of the Guard discovered in one of separatists

headquarters after Sloviansk was liberated:

ABSTRACT No.5

“... were the first (members of the National Guard battalion) to come into the city on 05.07.2015, and to take

over the separatist headquarters and arsenal that was secretly set up on the premises of a local church as

follows:

1. 9K38 Igla (translator’s note: Man-Portable Air Defense System) - 4 units.

2. RPO-A Shmel (translator’s note: Infantry-Propelled Rocket Flamethrower) - 12 units.

3. RPG (translator’s note: Rocket-Propelled Grenade) - 12 units.

4. Anti-tank rocket-propelled hand grenades - 20 units.

5. Grenades for underbarrel grenade launcher - 50 units.

6. Antipersonnel fragmentation mines - a large number (estimates pending).

7. Anti-tank mines - a large number (estimates pending).

8. Small arms ammunition - a large number (estimates pending).

9. Documents of persons associated with activity of so called DNR (translator’s note: the Donetsk People's

Republic).

10. Field communication cable manufactured in Russia in hanks - 50 items.

11. Field communication telephones in Russia - 10 items.

12. Vehicle-mounted two-way radios - 10 items etc.

Four truck units were used to transport captured weapons.’

(Abstract from the document provided by the Battalion)

After the First and Second battalions returned to the home station in Kyiv (July 2014) mutual agreement of the

battalions and command was reached to merge both battalions into one.

That is how Battalion of the National Guard of Ukraine named after General Serhiy Kulchytskyi came to be.

And I could go on and on about how the Battalion return to the ATO zone. About how courageously the

Battalion held positions at Myronivka, Vyhlehirsk, Stanytsia Luhanska, and Debaltseve (translator’s note:

Spelled according to Russian pronunciation ‘Mironovka’, ‘Uglegorsk’, ‘Stanitsa Luganskaya’, ‘Debaltsevo’

respectively). Volunteers and adjacent units, the command of ATO zone and Ukrainians are well aware of that.

I simply intended to remind you the history of creation of Battalion of the National Guard of Ukraine named

after General Serhiy Kulchytskyi, one of the REGULAR units of the Ukrainian armed forces.

You do obviously understand that this post was primarily meant for the foreigners. And the English text will

be posted on the English version of the FUND’s website (translator’s note: Prompt National Assistance Fund

n.a. Diana Makarova aka Diana Makarova Fund).

That is why I’m asking you to assist with the translation of this post, since the events with Vilatiy Markiv have

once again shown that far from all citizens of other countries comprehend what happened and is still

happening in Ukraine. Namely what is happening in the eastern Ukraine, where right now fierce battles with

the RUSSSIAN army and separatist detachments are in progress.

And once again I’m asking you to repost this text. People of the world should understand the main reasons

why we protested on Maidan, and those are justice and independence of our country.

It was done for the sake of honoring all legal standards of our country and the international community, and

liberation of Ukraine from the Russian invaders.

And Ukrainians are just those people. The people, who are willing to give up their lives for freedom.

And they still do.







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Comments

[tranquiler]

А этот текст на итальянский переводили? Английский текст я расшарил, но у меня куча итальянцев среди френдов, они могли бы по своему сегменту фейсбука разогнать, но с английским у итальянцев традиционно плохо, а они ж основная ЦА...

[nazavzhdy]

Скоро повинен бути текст на італійській мові.

[nazavzhdy]

https://www.facebook.com/fondDMEnglish/posts/1901666533427681:0

http://lenta-ua.dreamwidth.org/482633.html

[tranquiler]

Дякую. Розшарю.