You are on page 1of 3

Pskov councilman tells about Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine

The rank-and-file soldiers know the truth: know that theres a war, that their
comrades-in-arms are in Ukraine, completely unprepared for the war, and dying
not only because its a military conflict there, but also because they have great
problems with battle-readiness.

< Lev Schlossberg

From Russian media sources as published by Euromaidan Press, Sep 5, 2014

Interview with Pskov councilman Lev Schlossberg, attacked because of his public
admission of Russian paratroopers serving and being killed in combat in Ukraine

Q. You are a very noteworthy and public person. A councilman and journalist. On one
hand, you actively participate in political life and, currently, the election campaign in the
Pskov region. On the other hand, you were one of the first to find out about the death of
Pskov paratroopers in Ukraine, the first to report that and then get evidence recordings
of the Pskov paratrooper division talks about the fighting in Luhansk region and their
losses. Do you believe the assault on you on August 29 is connected to that?

A. You should always talk about different versions. Its important that even when there is a
version that seems the most plausible you should always bear in mind that there may be
another one.

An atmosphere of hate and adversity of the highest level has been created in Russia. I
cant completely exclude the variant that some thugs just sensed it was the right moment,
took the decision and put it into action single-handedly. But, I believe its unlikely. Because
everything looked quite prepared and not spontaneous. These people didnt just meet me
by chance, they were well-prepared to carry out their task. They definitely knew who they
were waiting for. They knew how to beat people. I lost my senses right away, couldnt
offer any resistance and didnt see anyone. I dont think I will ever be able to recall the
event. Even if these people are found and shown to me and they exactly point out the
place it happened, my memory isnt likely to produce anything.

The main version of the assault stays the same its the reaction of people directly
connected with organizers of the clandestine sending of Russian soldiers to Ukraine. These
are the people that not only organized the operation but also were responsible for its
secrecy. Undoubtedly what we published was a great blow to these people. But I cant
suggest the possible level at which the decision was made. Were they from the circles
connected with our 76th division? The paratroopers command? The person who took the
political decision in this case wasnt the one who carried it out. I even think the
perpetrators were found by middlemen of the person who decided to do that; he might not
even know the perpetrators. Thats my hypothesis.

Q. If I may object I see that even now, in a hospital ward, you are actively involved in
the election campaign, political work, and there is an effort all over the country to cut off
Yabloko, your party, from election. You could be removed from the campaign that way.
Physically.

A. No, this isnt about elections. The governor elections have already ended before they
started. And no one would have an interest to influence former candidates that way. There
is no point in that. I believe the version everyone adheres to is closer to reality. It is
probably a political move and it was sanctioned by people, who, by definition, due to their
positions and statuses, are politicians. And thats more dangerous. No one is fool-proof.
But a planned political action is even sadder.

Im not considering any plot among the soldiers themselves. The rank-and-file soldiers
know the truth: know that theres a war, that their comrades-in-arms are in Ukraine,
completely unprepared for the war, and dying not only because its a military conflict there,
but also because they have great problems with battle-readiness. They are shelled right in
their quarters. They are taking huge losses. They understand they were deceived with the
talks of exercises. These soldiers need truth. They need protection. They need that if
God forbid something threatens their lives and they die, theyd be sure they died in a
war, died as soldiers and the state will pay all the required compensations to their
relatives. Honest soldiers cant be masterminds of an assault. They need political openness
of the military actions.

I will explain one thing to non-military people: the army is ready to fight honestly
anywhere. Lets imagine a crazy yet honest variant: Russia declares war on Ukraine.
Officially. The President, the Federation Council take the decision. And the 76th division
gets a combat objective: take Kyiv, take Donetsk. They are taking losses but they feel
official support thats right for the army. Now, theyve been not only deceived, but
humiliated. Many officers I talk to are outraged by exactly that. They are soldiers. They
have the Commander-in-chief, the Minister of Defense, the paratrooper force commander,
the divisions commander. And when theyre fighting and the whole chain of command is
publicly lying thats humiliating. Everyone already understands whats happened. But
Shamanov, the paratroopers commander, claims: We have no combat losses in our 76th
division. What kind of losses are the guys buried at Vybuty? Accidental? Or is all that
attributed to you cant make an omelet without breaking eggs? What are they, eggs?

But we do know that the paratroopers themselves called their wives and said: dont tell
anyone anything or tell everyone its ok, Im alive and well, asked for pages to be
deleted on social networks. How would you explain that?

Thats the effect of fear. When the soldiers are in a war-zone, they are in danger. I believe
special agents are working with them, they explain to the soldiers the illegality of them
being there, no matter if they sing the sham contracts or have already stopped thinking
about it. I readily believe that someone can sit there and put fake signatures for 25 people
that theyve already left the Russian armed forces and become volunteers, hired by, say,
Strelkov to protect the quasi-states. The soldiers know that they are outlaws and that any
proof of them being there may do them harm. They know the basics of the criminal code
and know that taking part in military actions abroad without a lawful order is a criminal
offense punished by up to 7 years of jail. I think thats how they are motivated to escape
the public view.

For complete text, link here:
http://euromaidanpress.com/2014/09/05/pskov-councilman-tells-about-russian-soldiers-
killed-in-ukraine-they-werent-just-deceived-they-were-humiliated/

You might also like