A Russian paratrooper who wrote a detailed account of the war in Ukraine described ignorant commanders, looting for food and killing entire units by friendly fire


Eleven-year-old Tikhon Pavlov cleans up the interior as he passes by the Kramatorsk Institute of Technology and Design, where he was taking karate lessons after an early morning rocket attack in Kramatorsk, Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine, Friday, August 19. workers.  2022. According to regional officials, Russia continues to shell towns and villages in the eastern Donetsk region of Ukraine, with Russian forces still trying to overtake areas controlled by Ukraine.

Eleven-year-old Tikhon Pavlov cleans up the interior as he passes by the Kramatorsk Institute of Technology and Design, where he was taking karate lessons after an early morning rocket attack in Kramatorsk, Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine, Friday, August 19. workers. 2022.AP Photo/David Goldman

  • A Russian paratrooper who fought in Ukraine wrote a memoir detailing his time there.

  • Pavel Filatyev described looting for food and receiving little instruction from his commanders.

  • “I can no longer remain silent as I watch all this happen,” he wrote.

A paratrooper of the Russian Airborne Forces has written a memoir, the most detailed day-to-day account of the war in Ukraine yet, depicting a terrified commander, a desperate search for food, and Vladimir Putin. It speaks of confusion, including disdain for the president.

Pavel Filatyev has summarized his combat experience in Ukraine in a 141-page document. biography in August on the Russian social media platform VKontakte. paratrooper Based in Crimea, he served in the 56th Airborne Regiment of the Russian Army.

Washington Post I published an excerpt from the memoir translated into English on Sunday. At some point, Filatyev describes an incident in which an entire Russian army was killed by friendly fire, the outlet reported.

Towards the end of February, the 34-year-old wrote about preparing to go to war. no information Little did I understand about logistics and why the war happened.

He described an incident in which an explosion was heard 10 to 20 km away while a soldier was awake. Throughout the day the regiment moved towards the Ukrainian city of Kherson, but the convoy remained stuck in the mud.

“The commander tried to cheer everyone up. We’re moving on, leaving the stuck equipment behind, and everyone should be ready for battle.,” he wrote. rice field.

Filatiev said it took him some time to realize that his country was not under attack and that the war was a war. not provoked intrusion.

The next day, February 25, Filatyev said the Russian truck looked “a bit crazy”. Filatiev walked from car to car, asked how people were doing, and heard, “Damn, this is a mess,” “We wrecked all night.”

One of the 11th Brigade soldiers told him there were only 50 left.

“The rest are probably dead,” he said.

On March 1, the group marched on Kherson, an important port city in southern Ukraine, where soldiers searched buildings for food and water.

“We ate everything like savages. Everything there was cereal, oatmeal, jam, honey, coffee. … Nobody cared. was being used,” he wrote.

His description also deliberately described the Russian military shoot yourself Sent home from the war to receive a $50,000 payout from the government.

Filatiev was evacuated in early April after an eye injury.

He survived, but said the majority of people in the Russian military were dissatisfied with Putin and the government.

Read the full excerpt translated into English Washington Post.

Read the original article at business insider