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I am Colonel Vlasenko V`yacheslav Viktorovych, codename, Filin, stayed the same.

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I knew that it was better for me to take up arms, rather than to walk around with an old coal minder’s hat collecting money on the Maydan.

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About three-four days before we moved out on August 29th, General Khomchak reached out to me.
He said that a decision had been made, and that negotiations were underway with the Russians so that we could safely retreat through a “green corridor.”

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I already knew that we were surrounded.
For three days, on a secure line, Khomchak and I discussed the best way to retreat.

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The last option, on which I insisted was that we retreat on foot in the direction of Mospyno. They would not expect us to retreat in that direction; we could overcome their positions and commandeer their vehicles.
Then continue the retreat towards Komsomols’ka-Volnovakha

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They convinced me that we’d make it out through this corridor.
I knew that on the other side the Bars Brigade from the Ukrainian National Guard had arrived, nearly 5,500 men.

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My plan was for them to open fire from their side, and we from ours.
The Avant-garde was to be the first to engage, then the infantry from the volunteer battalions finally, military sub-units were to create the rearguard.

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But then we found out later, that we had no rearguard. That is, those battalions, which we thought would join us, retreated several days earlier, by themselves.
We didn’t even know that they had abandoned their positions.

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When I arrived in Kyiv in the early days of September 2014, the first think I did was go to General Headquarters and the Ministry of Defense. I had a meeting with Heletey.
I demanded that he show me the combat operations map.

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The maps lacked any indication that there were Russians anywhere in all of Krasnosel’ske. He had no idea.

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I feel it is a real shame that Ilovaisk is viewed as a tragedy.
We forget, or can’t see all the courage and heroic deeds of our soldiers in Ilovaisk

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Yes, people died, others became prisoners of war or went missing in action. But we all knew why we were sent there, why we were there.
And this was a demonstration of heroism.

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Ilovaisk proved, specifically Ilovaisk, that firstly, we can inflict damage not only on the separatists, but also on the Russians.
Ilovaisk was a breaking point. Ilovaisk prompted the Minsk Protocols.

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Ukrainian soldiers, people, citizens can defend their country.
This is what Ilovaisk is for me.