From Moscow Times:
“With World’s Attention Locked On Gaza, Ukrainian Soldiers
Fear Being Forgotten”
(Aaron Chamski)
Kaneki, a 24-year-old soldier attached to the Ukrainian
Ground Forces’ Reco Kilo unit, sits behind the wheel of his pickup truck,
taking a long drag on his cigarette. Behind him, the tall factory chimneys of
Zaporizhzhia, blurred by the sun, vanish into the horizon. The sound of Russian
artillery pounding the Ukrainian lines several dozen kilometers away can be
heard in the distance. Kaneki steps on the gas, taking us through the southern
steppes on the road to Orikhiv. “This won't last long,” he yells over the
engine noise. “Israel versus Gaza? It’s going to calm down quickly.” Since the
start of the monthlong war between Israel and Hamas, much of the world,
including many in Ukraine, has turned its eyes to the Middle East. On the front
lines of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, some are optimistic about this new war’s
impact on Kyiv — others are less so. Ukrainian soldiers interviewed for this
piece asked to go by their nom de guerre to protect their identities.
Kaneki, usually cheerful, is among the skeptics. “Even though
I think this war will be quick, I’m still afraid the Russians will use the
media distraction to start doing dirty things,” he says. “Like using chemical
weapons against us.” His comrade Strika, 38, fears being forgotten by the rest
of the world. m“I’m just afraid that tomorrow Europe and the United States will
decide it’s not worth helping Ukraine anymore, and we’ll end up having to stop
endless waves of Russians.”
(Aaron Chamski)
Strika clings to his AK-74 between potholes. He says he is
concerned their fight will be forgotten. He fears public opinion will turn away
from the war in Ukraine and forget everything that has happened, from the
crimes committed by Russian forces and the Wagner mercenary group to the
sacrifices of Ukrainians. “I’m afraid we'll be forgotten, and Ukraine will
become a new Afghanistan,” he said. “I’m afraid public opinion will get tired
and think this war is futile. But what scares me the most is that they’ll
forget our courage and forget all our dead and all our comrades who sacrificed
their lives.” Both have their concerns about the impact of the war in Gaza but,
from their position near the frontlines, these geopolitical considerations seem
distant. “When you have your feet in the mud, you don’t think about that too
much. You don’t even think about Ukraine, or freedom, or even victory,” Kaneki
said. “The most important thing is your comrades, getting them out alive. You
don't think about anything else.”
'The West is too involved'
(Hussar (left) and Vlad (right))
Smiley, a member of the unit who had been a butcher in
civilian life, is less concerned. He said he believes the war in Israel will
have positive consequences for Ukraine. “The United States will never abandon
Ukraine. They’re not here for our pretty eyes, but because they have no
interest in us losing,” said the 25-year-old, whose long beard softens the
square features of his tattoo-covered face. “The West is too involved to
withdraw or reduce its aid.” He pauses before explaining that Israel and
Ukraine are vastly different in terms of the intensity of their conflicts and
their weapons and equipment needs. “Here, we need an astronomical number of
weapons, shells, men and ammunition every day to face Russia. Israel has one of
the best armies in the world and is facing Hamas, a small terrorist group.
We’re facing the Russian army — it's not comparable.” Smiley also believes that
the war in Gaza could force Israel to join the war effort and start helping
Ukraine. Israel, despite being a staunch ally of the United States, has so far
maintained a policy of balance and restraint in the Russia-Ukraine war,
refraining from sending substantial military aid to Kyiv. A key reason for this
is that Russia has controlled the Syrian sky since 2015 and implicitly allows
Israeli aircraft to strike pro-Iranian militias in the region. This
consideration has been enough for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to
refuse to help Ukraine. The latest outbreak of hostilities in Gaza could change
that, as the Israelis realize the importance of ties between Russia, Iran, and
Hamas.
Fear of being forgotten
Another member of the unit, Vlad, a 30-year-old drone
operator from the Kharkiv region, echoes Smiley's sentiment. “The Israelis have
realized that Hamas is also playing for the Russians,” he explains. “There's
really this Hamas-Iran-Russia triangle.” Vlad is convinced that after the war
between Hamas and Israel, which he says will be short, Israel will have no
choice but to provide Ukraine with all the assistance it needs. When asked what
equipment they would like to have, Vlad replies that he’s not sure. “Anything
is good,” he says before bursting into laughter. Smiley, a weapons enthusiast,
dreams of one thing: for Israel to provide Kyiv with its air defense systems. “If
they could give us Iron Beam, that would be extraordinary,” he says, referring
to a new Israeli weapon system that can shoot down rockets or missiles using a
laser beam
Sergei, a member of the unit who goes by the nom de guerre
Hussar, is more concerned. A former restaurant chef in Kharkiv, Sergei had just
returned from a mission in the Donetsk region. “My biggest fear is that the
world will burn, and this nightmare of blood, death, mud, dirt, and crap will
never end,” he explains, twirling the handlebar mustache that earned him his
call sign. “That this new war in the Middle East will derail and lead to a
third world war.” Hussar says he’s not afraid of Western aid drying up, but
rather of the world forgetting and turning away from them. “We’ve been fighting
for almost two years,” says the 30-year-old soldier, who enlisted on Feb. 24,
2022, the first day of the full-scale Russian invasion. “The Western aid we receive is drip-fed, but
it helps us survive. But we mustn’t underestimate the psychological aspect of
the support from Western public opinion.” Hussar is also afraid that he will
never be able to return to civilian life. “The more days go by, the more I hate
what I’ve become because of this war and because of the Russians,” he said. “I
hate this bloodthirsty beast that I’ve turned into, I’m afraid I’ll never
return to normal, and every day I have to fight against despair.” Hussar’s eyes
are filled with tears, and he nervously taps his right leg. He explains that in
any case, alone in his trench, he can never influence the course of the war,
and sometimes it’s better not to think about it too much. “All I can do is be
there for my comrades, be a good fighter, take care of them, save them. If you
think too much about politics, you can go mad,” Hussar says. “All I want is to go home, buy a bouquet of
flowers, lie in the grass, and gaze at the blue sky. But we’ll fight to the
end, to our last breath.”
^ We can NEVER abandon Ukraine! It is all inter-connected.
Russia is fighting to destroy Ukraine.
Hamas is fighting to destroy Israel.
Russia is an ally of Iran.
Iran is an ally of Hamas.
Russia is an ally of Hamas.
The US supports Ukraine.
The US supports Israel.
So, Russia, Hamas and Iran are on one side (the Terrorist
Side) and Ukraine, Israel and the US are on the other side (the Correct Side.)
^
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2023/11/08/with-worlds-attention-locked-on-gaza-ukrainian-soldiers-fear-being-forgotten-a83033
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