WEBVTT

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My name is Chernykh Vitaliy Vitaliyovych. Lieutenant, Armed Forces of Ukraine. Currently, Senior Lieutenant, Armed Forces of Ukraine.
My nickname was “Fitil.”

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The Unit Commander called and asked if we were ready to defend our homeland.  Of course we were ready.

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“You are murderers. But kill for your country, not for money.”

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The initial motivation was to prevent them for reaching our homes.  This was the very first motivation, to stop their advance.
Ukraine is by law a unitary republic. 

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Constantly moving.  Going to some train depo, to some village where an elderly woman reported a shell was lodged. Someone had to go get it. 

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I was sent from Ilovaisk to Hrabs’ke, to pick up the Azov Company.
I said “Guys, let me take you to the city, and show you around.” 

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Sometime before the 20th of the month…the 20th or the 19th maybe, and they tell me straight up: “Are you f*cked up? Go where? We’re going back.”

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I say: “Why?” He says it’s dark out already.  I say: “What do you mean freakin’ dark? It’s only 3 kilometers away. We’ll stick to our territory, no one will uh, flinch.” 

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The company commander comes by: “I got orders to retreat to Starobeshevo.” Everything happened so quickly, and they gathered their things and went back.

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Then later it turns out they were in the parade, these “Azov soldiers.” 

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I did, you can say, more than anyone so that Ilovaisk held out longer, that is, I blew up all the railroad track that could be blown up in Ilovaisk.

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Later we started butchering chickens. “Who cares,” I said, “no one’s feeding them anymore.”  Cooked on the fire, they were fine.

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“Soldiers, I’ve got jam…” “Shit!” says Vitalik, “it’s good jam. Let’s eat. These crappy biscuits will gobble up the jam.
“What sweetheart, they’re good?” I ask. “Good,” he says “better than at home.”

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We were getting hit from every angle. I just noticed the flashes overhead from the anti-tank guided missiles. 

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I only realized that we were being hammered when two anti-tank guided missiles flew over the road.

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I ran off into the corn field.
And here an APC (Armored Personnel Carrier – ed.) drives by.

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A soldier says to me: “Lieutenant, permission to fire!”
I reply: “Sweetheart, don’t shoot but blast their asses with whatever you’ve got.”

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I stop a BREM (armored repair and evacuation machine, tank track). I got on and the boys ran behind it. 

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I’m thinking: “Damn, I’m the commander, where have I left my boys?”
Valyera and I jump off the tank. 

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And the tank advances about 400 meters when it’s hit by something.
Everyone in it is dead.

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But all 5 of us men, with me being injured, were able to navigate using the stars.

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Our telephones were turned off, there was no sound.
Whenever one was turned on, we were immediately fired upon.

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I want for this war to be a lesson, that we should believe no one.  
Everyone should think about themselves and their country.

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So that our country could, at any moment, regardless of who our neighbor might be, be able to fight back.

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To preserve our independence and our territorial integrity.