“Citizens of Donetsk People`s Republic, I address you with a quest. It`s the quest to protect your Motherland, your homes, your families, your people. I have to ask you to do the thing which by all human standards is not required to ask. As it was always an honor in Russia to protect your Motherland and your freedom. This call was always responded by those who considered themselves to be men. Nevertheless, I have to tell you the truth to straight in the eyes. I have to tell you words which are hard and maybe even insulting for your dignity.
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| Igor Strelkov |
During the past month we have heard many times a desperate call – give us weapons! Give us weapons to make it possible for us to fight for our freedom, for our right to read and speak our native Russian language, for the right to honor our ancestors as heroes of the Great Patriotic war and not the henchmen of Nazi criminals. Heeding this call we`ve got the guns. We have seized it in warehouses; have taken from Ukrainian military and police; have bought from the underground merchants for crazy money. And now we have weapon. It`s not in the deep rear – neither in Donetsk, Lugansk or Makeevka nor in Shakhtyorsk or Antratsit. It is on the front line of defense – in sieged Slavyansk, Kramatorsk and Konstantinovka. It`s here, where it`s necessary more than anywhere else. Here, where the volunteers cover all the rest Donets Basin and together Donetsk and Lugansk. And again here under the cities Slavyansk and Kramatorsk, KrasniyLiman and Konstantonovka, where our garrisons are located, Kiev junta has gathered its most capable and numerous forces. The two thirds of chasteners and the headquarters of so-called anti-terrorist operation are located nearby.
And so, the moment has come, when every Donets Basin resident fit to carry arms and use them against the enemies of his people, may arrive and get the weapon right in his hands. He may get it and join the ranks of the militia to drive the chasteners outside the native land. But what do we see? - Anything, but not the crowds of volunteers at the gates of our headquarters.
There is 120 thousands of population in Slavyansk; there are twice more in Kramatorsk. Generally 4.5 million people live in Donetskaya region. Yes, not all of them are men of capable age. Not all of them are healthy and not employed in the important for life productions. Not all can come to us due to family and any other justifiable circumstances. But frankly, I haven`t expected that there isn`t a thousand of men in the entire region who are ready to risk their lives in their city not on the neighbour to their house barricade from where it takes half a day by car to reach the first national guardsman rather on the front line where they fire every day.
Nevertheless, it`s so. I`ll give examples in order not to be unfounded. Three days ago the group of 12 heroes from Artyomovsk selected and recommended by one highly-respected man came. When they came to know that they would have to serve directly in Slavyansk and not in their Artyomovsk and that the term is not limited to a few days, they didn`t even get weapons.
The story repeated yesterday. From the 35 volunteers arrived from Donetsk, listened to the sounds of faraway mortar bombardment and found out that they couldn`t go home together with the received weapons in three days, 25 safely went home. Perhaps, they went to complain for hard conditions they hadn`t felt a minute and to tell about their heroism appeared in a passenger bus. And these are not the only cases. We face this regularly.
Still being in Crimea, I had to hear the stories from the activists of people`s movement that “as soon as miners rise, they tear everybody with bare hands”. Well, maybe once it was so. But now it`s still not observed. Dozens and hundreds of people have stood in line and fight. Tens and hundreds of thousands quietly watch this on TV, sipping beer. Perhaps they are waiting when the army capable to do everything for them launches from consanguineous Russia or when enough crazy volunteers come who a ready to die for their right to live a decent life instead of that they have been existing for 23 years under the power of Ukrainian nationalists.
Where are those 27 thousand volunteers, which magazines are writing about? I don`t see them. To come home and to tell excited women with a proud look, “I signed up a volunteer!” is it all you are able to do? In our volunteer rank there are more and more people who are more than 40. They grew up and got their education at the time of the USSR. But there are very few young people. Where are they all, young healthy guys? Maybe they are in those bandit brigades who feeling anarchy have rushed to loot the loot and to create chaos in all cities and towns of Donetsk area? Yes, the news about the next “feats” comes to us every day.
And many failed militiamen demand weapons first of all to protect themselves from bandits and criminals in their own houses. Well, their desire is reasonable. But the question is – how should militia commanders understand: who has come for weapons to them? Whether it`s an honest citizen or another bandit imitating a Donetsk patriot?
The answer we give sounds simple: only that one is considered to be a militiaman who personally participates in the battle activities against the troops of junta as a part of a combat unit in the place and at the time his commanders consider to be proper. Because there will be nothing without discipline – not only victory but order as well.
If everyone fights in the place he personally wants and as long as he wishes then Donetsk militia rapidly turns into something between a bunches of disparate deserters and the gang of “father Angel” (a character of the Soviet movie “The Adjutant of His Excellency”. – “NewsBalt”). But it won`t be this way.
Only those who recommend themselves in combats with the enemy and recommend themselves in other combat tasks will receive the right to establish order at their own homes in the ranks of the militia. And we`ll establish this order, you may have no doubts.
Let those who today set “under the roof” stores and enterprises, who sell drugs and simply rob the defenseless population, let them all do not hope the game runs under the old rules and for the war emergency. An end of bandit Donets Basin has come. The new power will give the opportunity to refuse the criminal craft to everybody. But those who doesn`t want is given a fitting rebuff – such kind of a rebuff which is impossible to pay off with any money,according to the law of war.
I`ll return to the main. Donetsk land needs protectors and the militia needs disciplined soldiers-volunteers. If men are not capable to do it, we`ll have to call women. From today I have given the order to take them into the militia. It`s a real pity, that there are no officers among women – neither acting nor from reserve.
But what`s the difference if men-officers don`t come to us at all. In the entire region we haven`t yet found a couple of dozens military men ready to head the fighting units. It`s a darn shame!
For two weeks I`ve been asking to send me the chief staff and at least five companies` and platoons` commanders. There`s silence, there`s no one. Privates and sergeants of reserve command companies and platoons. Some of them command really not bad, but the further the more the absence of proper military knowledge is felt. Well, they learn after some time. But I warn no one of so-called officers sitting in their apartments like scared sparrows under the roof during thunder having not joined the ranks of militia, in our eyes is ever considered to be an officer. We`ll take care to make ordinary citizens share our opinion.
Perhaps, there are just a few days left until the battle activities still running without especial bitterness expand to a scale of a true battle with dozens and hundreds of killed and wounded.
The enemy is demoralized but still very strong. He has sponsors-oligarchs ready to pay enormous money for each murder, for each ruined house, for each crime against Russian nation. To win him we need to fight.
Let those citizens who are able to hear me and prove the faithfulness to his land and his people, arrive at the headquarters of the militia in the cities: Slavyansk, Kramatorsk, Krasniy Liman, Konstantinovka, and Gorlovka.
There the commanders appointed by me will form marching units, organize training and when they are ready send them to the army. And let it still looks as not large, not well-organized partisan detachment, it fights and will win.
Walk and yes hall reach. God and truth are together with us!
Thank you.
------- Translation by "E.K" -------
Citizens of the People's Republic of
Donetsk, I appeal to you. With a request to rise in defense of your
Motherland, your homes, your families, your people. It falls on me to
ask you to do the thing that shouldn't need asking. After all, to
rise for the Motherland and for the
freedom in Russia always was an
honourable thing. It is an honourable thing to answer the
call, to which people that count themselves real men always
willingly responded. Nevertheless, I should tell you the truth.
Straight in your eyes. To tell harsh and, perhaps, even offensive for
your dignity words.
For more than a month now, we, a small
group of volunteers of Russia and Ukraine, having listened to the
calls for help from the lips of leaders of the protest elected
by you , arrived here and in the armed fight we resist all the
Ukrainian army and the hired scum.
For the past month we heard many times
a desperate appeal – give us the
weapons! Give us the weapons so we could battle for the
freedom, for the right to read and speak native Russian, for the
right to honor our ancestors and heroes of the Great Patriotic War –
not the henchmen of Nazi criminals. Having heard this appeal, we got
the weapons. We took them
from warehouses, took them away from the Ukrainian military and
militia, bought them from underground dealers for unthinkable money.
And now we have the weapons. They are not in the rear – they are
not in Donetsk, Lugansk or Makeyevka, not in Shakhtyorsk or
Anthracite. They are at the lines of defense - in the besieged city
of Slavyansk, in Kramatorsk, in Konstantinovka. They are where they
are needed most. They are where volunteers defend all of Donbass, and
Donetsk, and Lugansk. And here, around the cities of Slavyansk and
Kramatorsk, Krasniy Liman and Konstantinovka – where our
garrisons are located – the Kiev junta gathered the most capable
and numerous forces. There are two thirds of castigators and the
headquarters of so-called anti-terrorist operation.
And there came the moment when each
Donetsk citizen, capable to bear arms and to use them against enemies
of the people, can arrive and receive the weapons directly in their
hands. To receive and rise in as self-defense (opolchenie) in
order to expel the castigators out of limits of the
native land. But what do we see? Anything, but the crowds of
volunteers at the gates of our headquarters.
The population of Slavyansk is 120
thousand, Kramatorsk has twice as many people. There are 4,5
million people in Donetsk region. Not all of them are men of capable
age. Not all of them are healthy and unoccupied in important
manufacturing. Not all of them can come to us – because of family
and any other circumstances. But honestly, I never expected that
there would be not even a thousand men , who are ready to risk
their lives even on the barricades next to their house, half a day
driving time to the nearest national guardsman – let alone being
on the front line where the actual shooting is.
Nevertheless, it is true. I will give
the examples. Three days ago, a group of 12 “heroes” arrived
from Artyomovsk, they were selected and recommended by a very
respected person . Having learned that the services have to be
conducted in Slavyansk, instead of Artemovsk, and are not limited
by several days, they did not even take the weapons.
Yesterday, same story. 25 out of 35
volunteers, arrived from Donetsk, went home, when they heard the
distant sounds of mortars and when they found out that they
wouldn't be able to go home in three days with the received weapons.
Perhaps they will complain about hard conditions which they didn't
feel for a minute, and about their heroic behavior during the bus
ride. It not only. Such cases occur regularly.
When I was in the Crimea, I happened to
hear stories from the activists, that when the miners rise, they
will tear everyone with their bare hands. Maybe, it did happen some
time. It has not been seen here, so far. While tens and hundreds
people rose for the battle – tens and hundreds thousand quietly
watch TV, sipping beer. Apparently, they wait when Russia moves
forward its army, or when there will be enough volunteers, who are
ready to die for their right to have a better life, better than what
they had for the twenty three years under the power of the Ukrainian
nationalists.
Where are those twenty seven thousand
volunteers the journalists write about? I don't see them. Is it all
they can do – come home with a proud look and declare to
admiring women: "I signed up in self-defense” ? Our volunteers
are mostly men in their forties, who grew and received their
education in the times of the USSR, but there are not enough young
people. Where are they, young and healthy guys? Perhaps they are in
those gangster brigades, they got the wind of anarchy and started to
"steal the stolen" and outrage in all the cities and rural
parts of the Donetsk region? The news about their "acts of
bravery" reach us daily. And many might-have-been self-defense
fighters demand the weapons in order to be able to protect their
homes from the bandits and criminals. Their desire is well-founded.
But there rises the question: how the self-defense commanders can
sort out whether it is an honest citizen or just another bandit
pretending to be a Donetsk patriot?
The answer is simple: the true
self-defense fighter is the one who personally, as a member of a
fighting unit, takes direct part in the fight with junta armies, in
that particular place and time which is deemed necessary by his
commanders. Because without discipline there will be nothing – not
only a victory, but even order. If everyone fights where he himself
fancies, then the Donetsk self-defense will promptly turn into
something in-between a gang of deserters and a gang of the Father
Angel. But this will not happen. Only those who prove in the fights
with the enemy and other assignments, will receive the weapons to
bring an order to their homes in the ranks of the self-defense. And
we will bring this order, do not doubt that. Let those who trades in
drugs and simply plunders the defenseless population – let them not
rely on old rules as in "war will write off everything".
The gangster Donbass came to an end. The new power will give the
opportunity to all to turn away from criminal trade, but those who
won't want this, they will be rebuffed. Such rebuff from which it
won't be possible to buy the way out with any money, under the
wartime laws.
To return to the main thing. The
Donetsk land needs defenders, and the self-defense needs the
disciplined soldiers-volunteers. If the men are not capable of that,
it is necessary to call the women. Starting today, I gave the order
to accept them in self-defense. It is a pity that there are no
officers among women, neither acting, nor in reserve. But what is the
difference, if there are no male officers? In the whole region,
there are not even twenty professional officers, ready to head
fighting units. What a shame. For two weeks I've been asking to send
me the chief headquarters and at least five commanders of companies
and platoons. Silence. Not even one. Companies and platoons at me the
Sergeants are in command of companies and platoons – and some are
very good at it – but there is lacking of necessary military
knowledge. They will learn, with time. But I warn you: not one of
the so-called officers sitting now in their apartments, as scared
sparrows under a roof during the thunder-storm, will be considered
as an officer in our eyes. We will make sure that ordinary citizens
share our opinion.
Probably, there are only few days till
the moment when the fighting becomes a large scale battle, with tens
and hundred killed and wounded. The enemy is demoralized, yet very
strong. The enemy has the sponsors-oligarchs, who are ready to pay
huge money for every murder, for every destroyed house, for every
crime against the Russian people. We have to fight in order to win.
Let those citizens who can hear me, who are ready to prove the
devotion to the native land and the people, come to self-defense
headquarters in the cities of Slavyansk, Kramatorsk, Krasniy Liman,
Konstantinovka, Gorlovka. The commanders appointed by me will create
fighting units, train and send them to the field army. The army
might look as a small and not well organized group now, but it fight
and it will win. Walk and ye shall reach. God and the truth are
with us. Thank you.