To Understand The War - February 9th 2024

February 9th 2024

Yuriy expresses thanks for a thoughtful gift from Thomas, a Vietnam veteran, highlighting how such gestures serve as a reminder of support and companionship. He expresses frustration with individuals and media outlets who, unlike Thomas, lack deep understanding of military realities and the dangers of war, sharing instances where he was asked to perform menial tasks at risk to his own safety. And he notes the need for victory to ensure the survival of the Ukrainian culture and its people

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TRANSCRIPT: (Podbean app users can enjoy closed captions)

  It is February 9th.

I'd like to start this episode by thanking my listener Thomas from the United States. I received a package from him with snacks and a letter with very warm words. Thomas is a veteran who fought in Vietnam and he understands perfectly how important such things are. It's not just a package of snacks, it's a real holiday, a sign that you are not alone, you are supported and cared for. Thank you very much, Thomas. I'm delighted we have a package. 

And today I want to talk about people who are complete opposite of Thomas. People who simply don't understand what war is, don't see the tragic events that are happening here. I met such people in the very first days in the army. I remember one phone conversation during which I was telling an editor of one of Western media outlets about what was happening in Kyiv, which was surrounded by the occupation army. She listened to me and went, said, "okay, I need you to go and shoot on your phone camera, abandoned houses, checkpoints, maybe someone forgot to close the door in the apartment- go in and film what's going on there." 

It just infuriated me. I told her: "Listen lady, why did you decide what I work for you and you can give me tasks? Do you know what awaits someone with Knik who films checkpoints. And what about someone who goes around houses looking for open apartments? What do you think, armed people who are a mile away from the enemy, will they ask why I am doing this? Am I not a spy or a marauder, or will they just shoot me right away?" 

She was offended and didn't call me again. For her war is something but can be quickly and beautifully filmed by someone else's hands, and if it did not work out then there is no need to know anything about this war.  

A few months ago, another crew of Western journalists asked me to be via translator and assistant while they were filming stories in Ukraine. They knew, I'm in the Army and it did not even occur to them, that I could not just leave my unit on my own. That the Army is not a holiday camp where you can come and go whenever you want. 

And recently a European filmmaker asked me to help him prepare a film about the war. He wanted to record conversation with me about the things he was interested in, but I refused. Because I simply not interested in what he's interested in. The list of questions included, for example, "What kind of weapons do you have? What do you usually eat for lunch? Why did you decide to join the Army?" This would have been great questions. If we had been asked at the beginning of the war when the world simply didn't understand who Ukrainians are and why we are fighting so stubbornly with a much stronger enemy, but now everyone understands everything.

You know, excessive attention to small details is only harmful. In the talks about the calibers of weapons, about what the cook is preparing, what we are wearing and where we sleep, it is very easy to lose the main thing, that we are fighting against those who decided to eliminate us. Who have taken a course toward the complete liquidation of Ukraine and Ukrainians. Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems to me that this is what we need to talk about now, not about some trifles. These trifles will then be in museums and history textbooks, and everyone will be able to see them there, and our task now is completely clear -to make sure that this museums are filled with Ukrainians and these textbooks are written by Ukrainians and not by the Russians. And for this, we need to win. 

This is why I don't record new episodes as often as I used to. I really don't want main thing to be lost in a pile of small details, that we will all simply disappear if we lose. And we will be no one to be offended by, no one to ask about the food in the soldiers canteen, no one to ask to work as a translator. None of us will exist.