We have no rotation, food or drink at the front. The command gives us strange orders, a Ukrainian marine told Novinka

(from our special correspondent)

Oleh: I was wounded on the touchline during a mortar attack. I came here for rehabilitation and have been receiving treatment for eight and a half months. I had an injured sciatic nerve. They sewed up my nerve, but my leg only works at fifty percent. I expected more from it.

Tomorrow I’m already going back to the front on the touch line. To the place of permanent deployment of troops. I don’t know what the situation is there and what will happen there.

How did you feel when you found out your husband was injured?

Maria: I was very worried. I wasn’t sure if she would be able to walk. But I was very happy that he was alive.

How do you feel about your husband returning to the front after he was already wounded?

I’m very scared, but I hope everything will be fine.

Where did you serve and how did you get to the hospital? How long did it take for them to locate you?

Oleh: It takes about seven to eight hours before they pick you up from the touchline. It depends on the situation if you are or are not under a big attack, what position you are in or if you are currently in a counter attack. The Russian Federation is attacking and practically they will not give you a chance to save. When you are wounded or badly wounded and your friend tries to carry you away, snipers, machine gunners and the like start working.

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How long did it take you to get to the hospital?

I was taken to the hospital and received medical attention within four hours.

What village are you from and do you have any information about your friends? Are they in the military too?

I am originally from Lviv and of course I have friends on the front line. Many friends have already died. I am very sorry that this happened. They were really great, they were experts in their field. The leadership is a bit… in my opinion, giving inappropriate orders for us to receive some medal or award. They send guys to perform some tasks, in certain positions in a certain direction, to secure the Russian positions there and benefit from it.

How often did rotation occur?

There was no spin when we were on the touchline. There was no support, no food. We were in different situations, sometimes we didn’t have food and we had to get from our position to the enemy’s and take the enemy’s food. Trying to survive on the front, learning to live in such a situation, eating the food of the enemy.

Are you saying that Ukrainians kill Russians and then take their food to survive?

Of course we didn’t kill them. But we had to go to their positions, where there was automatically food and water, and thanks to that we could survive.

When were you mobilized and how long were you at the front?

I was on compulsory military service. I was hoping to get into border patrol. But I got into the Marines. I was mobilized on May 9, 2023.