The Russian spring in Lugansk from within

Vadim Petrovich writes …
Lugansk, from within. It is important.
I will tell about the camp of Mozgovoy below and now I will begin with how two weeks ago we crossed the frontier of the Russian Federation. In the Tarasovsky region of the Rostov region we agreed with local frontier guards and Lugansk militants about crossing. However that night there was any failure, frontier guards crossed us, transported by car more precisely, but instead of giving us to hands of militants transferred to hands of security officers (to one of outposts in a border zone).
We were four: three of us were the citizens of the Russian Federation and one — of Ukraine therefore interrogations were all night long. It was began by the local cad security officer who addressed to us on «you», supported some questions with vulgar slang, frankly enjoyed the power and obviously ego-tripped at our expense. Later the bigger companion came— from regional FSS (Federal Security Service) management.
This was intelligent: in a suit with the thin tie, brushed, with an accurate hair parting, he emphasized polite, addressed on «you» (however, at daybreak the hair-dress and a tie moved down, and its carrier already passed on «you»).
Generally, they played classical performance with angry and kind investigators that looked strange and ridiculously in these backwoods. Men obviously played a role in imagined cinema about exposure of the enemy of diversionary group thrown in the back. Therefore the most ridiculous in this history was that the officers of special services were the Russians before us, instead of Ukrainians (in a case with the last all these interrogations would be logical). One factor indicated to «sabotage» of our group that one of us was the veteran of operations with the relevant document, I was the frequent guest in Ukraine in recent months, and my last visit at the end of April ended with exclusion me with SBU with a ban to visit «not zalezhny» for three years.
«Don't you understand?», «angry investigator» asked me with irritation. «What is your purpose of arrival to Ukraine?», «kind investigator» (though we didn’t drive yet on any «to Ukraine») asked for the tenth time. At daybreak they issued any papers and took out back. This night there was a firing nearby with an outpost: Lugansk militants persuaded Ukrainian frontier guards to go home.
Eventually they persuaded them and the pass was open (we already got to know about it then).
Therefore it was twice offensive not to get then on that party where we were waited by militants. Following the results of night it became clear that security officers whether support the national team of Ukraine, or received the instruction of volunteers not to let us. One more interesting detail. Some days before it (as frontier guards told and militants confirmed later) near this check point the car approached to border with the weapon (Kalashnikov and guns) which began to transfer to that party.
The Russian frontier guards in cooperation with Ukrainian (!) tried to stop this action, but almost all freight managed to leave. The weapon, apparently, went to Mozgovoy. According to unchecked data, the help was given by Zhirinovsky.
Partially it confirms big presence of symbolic of LDPR at Mozgovoy camp (flags, t-shirts) and that in the same days Zhirinovsky’s «Tiger» went through border (which now is used by Lugansk militants). As for an obstacle in passing of the Russian border not only to volunteers, but also humanitarian freights (for example, shortly before my pass on a check point in the village of Uspensk the car with medicines didn’t pass as there were no documents), I heard about it already repeatedly and was convinced of it personally.
This situation, especially after night of interrogations of «native» FSS, cast us into despondency. The described occurred on May 8, and we fondly expected that the Russian Federation will decide on invasion exactly to the Victory Day. And after all in two weeks before, on April 24, I drove up to border with Donetsk area and in the direction of it there was a column of tanks and fighting vehicles, and in the sky there were the helicopters. At that moment I was filled very patriotic feelings, having seriously decided that now I will become the witness of introduction of troops to Ukraine.
As we know, this armada didn’t reach border, Shoygu assured the public that it was the doctrines only, and after army took away about what, in turn, Putin reported on OSCE (by the way, we looked his performance that night on a frontier post, and even the frontier guards swore the commander-in-chief very much).
The Russian spring in Lugansk
Having convinced that it is not to pass through a check point even by agreement, we decided to stop at nothing. At the same time we bathed. On that party we picked the militantsup and delivered to Lugansk. I began to breathe air of the Russian spring, already literally words. It was one of the most remarkable hours of my life. Here I saw that didn’t find in the Crimea (there I was at the end of February — the beginning of March). In the Crimea we worked with national self-defense, planned to undertake certain actions, the people just could take a situation in hand. If Russia didn’t interfere, it would be the same there as today in the Southeast (but it is good that interfered: tens, if not hundreds Russian lives) are rescued.
Entry into Lugansk
In Lugansk I saw the risen Russian people — those people of whom I dreamed all conscious life whom wanted to see in our cities. I saw it earlier, but only at distance, via the computer monitor. I looked at these historical videos from the SBU building where militants said goodbye to all of us waiting for storms and invited the opponent to fight by words «Welcome to hell!» And later for some time that building became the home for me and I experienced everything about what people on video (constant feeling of danger and attack expectation) spoke. I come back to the remarkable feelings felt after arrival to Lugansk. For comparison in which, as we know, everything is learned, I «will wind off» once again back.
At the end of December I was on Kiev «Euromaidan». There I observed everything that I would see in the Southeast later. This picture captivated me: the buildings seized by insurgents, smell of fires burning on the square, all these people inspired with idea of freedom, «held down by one purpose». At that time such people were still there and «Euromaidan» didn’t push away with Russophobia. I envied these Ukrainians, thinking that they are qualitatively better than Russians of Ukraine (who seemed amorphous and incapable on revolt). Yes, all this captivated, fascinated, forced to envy, but was strange, though the majority spoke the Russian there. In Lugansk I saw not amorphous «Soviet», but the risen Russians, and joined them, because, native.
Militant of Lugansk
The city lived and leads own life to this day. At first sight it seems that all events are on the periphery of consciousness of citizens. Only then, having accustomed to this strange atmosphere, you see how people totally are politicized, as the situation is deceptive, as the calmness is heated, and safety on streets is illusory. «The internal enemy» in the form of the members of the Right Sector and other criminals sits on apartments and suburban houses waiting for team.
Military formations with equipment whether are taken to the city or taken away. All these kept us in big suspense for two weeks. Apparently, calculation is made on it. Frequent provocations, incidental firings and hearings are directed on a psychological hassling of militants. Alas, it is an inevitable component of defensive tactics. Another thing is that militia plans don’t come to an end on it and we still will see new rushes of approach on the Lugansk region.
Militants
The first days we communicated with people from an environment of the national governor Valery Bolotov (already he is the head of the Lugansk People’s Republic), got acquainted with a situation and started working on the main planned direction: coordination of the volunteers, wishing to get on the Southeast from the Russian Federation, and deliveries of humanitarian assistance. Our safe arrival here became the evident certificate that border passing even is possible very much. After that we received a set of addresses from wishing to join us. Many already joined, someone went to the Donetsk republic, the others plan arrival for the next weeks.
SBU building
Later we got over in «izbushka» — the building of SBU occupied with insurgents, an outpost of Lugansk militia. Here high access control, the building surrounded by barricades from all directions, in which there is a camp with the armed militants. In «box» (one more pro-rank of this building), on the mattresses put on a tiled floor, with the forced boxes windows (that snipers didn’t aim) we stayed slightly more than a week, eating at Separatistochki restaurant, periodically being undermined on command «Alarm» and leaving the territory necessarily.
Separatistochki restaurant
Somehow I saw Bolotov leaving an office with Oleg Melnikov’s papers. Many of you heard about him. Melnikov is the leader of the Alternativa organization (which rescues people from slavery, including from well-known Dagestan brick-works), worked in several hot spots: South Ossetia, Syria, Dagestan. The person with reputation of the liberal, but on views he is the civil nationalist.
Here, however, Melnikov arrived not to release the slaves and not as the salary consultant, but of own will — feasibly to help the young democracy. That day, for example, he transferred to Bolotov the recommendatory list of prime measures for stabilization of a social and economic situation in the republic (as the journalist, I entered there point on need of competent information maintenance of these measures. However, my «political» role began and ended here as I arrived with other purposes)
Referendum
I give Oleg Melnikov as an example as the transfer of the Russian experts on the Southeast isn’t less significant, than rendering the military help. The Russian Federation, having been frightened of sanctions, doesn’t send soldiers to Novorossiya. But the assistance by military adviser and political consultants, at the due privacy, doesn’t threaten with any sanctions. However everyone whom I here met are, actually, Melnikov who arrived at own expense and voluntarily, and Zhirinovsky’s two advisers — absolutely young guy and not so young man, the advices of whom, apparently, concerned only LDPR t-shirts. Absence of the help was visible in preparation and the referendum organization.
For comparison, in the Crimea during the corresponding period all was put in a big way: huge banners flaunted at every turn, the anti-fascist rhetoric actual for local population was adopted. Existence of the Russian specialists was visible to the naked eye. In Lugansk area there were no «polite people», the thought-over information policy. But it is simply the sketch — in peak to the opponents seeing a hand of Moscow in all that occurs here. These thoughts oppressed us on the eve of a referendum — we believed that without good propaganda many will be not aware simply, and only ideological «anti-Ukrainians» will come to vote. But the reality, thank God, disseminated the fears. The attendance was higher, than organizers assumed. Sites burst with the people, people came «to gain independence» as for a holiday.
Victory Day
And in two days before we celebrated the Victory Day. The Russian nationalists already it was told a lot on this site about exclusiveness of celebration on May 9 this year. Here, on «theater of military actions», this exclusiveness was felt fully. On this earth and for these people the war with fascists recovered literally.
As well as everywhere in the Southeast, the provocations were expected this day. Militants dispersed on all downtown, playgrounds were protected also. The big impression was made by the armed men in a camouflage behind the backs of whom the children play. People passing by shook the hands to them and thanked as «last defenders». Yes, I put on St. George's Ribbon here for the first time. Because I was handed it over on Lugansk barricades by the armed man protecting the earth from the enemy.
Antratsit, Donetsk
These days we visited Antratsit border city called in honor of coal and Donetsk. First of all, with the same purpose of negotiations on a transfer of freights and passing of volunteers.
Antratsit is controlled by the Don Cossacks who occupied the Administration building. Three weeks ago they broke through border on two KamAZ with the weapon, the Russian frontier guards for decency did some shooting in air, and Ukrainian pretended that they didn’t stand at all. In Donetsk, as well as in Lugansk, the big city lives «parallel» epoch-making events occurring there. The city, however, is more politicized, than militarized. Significant forces of a militia delayed the known already all to the world Slavyansk, Kramatorsk and Mariupol. Respectively, the Ukrainian security officers occupied with a siege of these cities, don’t disturb the center of DNR yet.
Donetsk
The political, administrative and agitation and propaganda work is humming in the building of former Donetsk Regional State Administration. Humanitarian freights coming here and volunteers are distributed in DNR cities depending on requirements what constantly change. For today, however, both material, and the human help is actual, first of all, for Slavyansk.
At Mozgovoy
With the corresponding purposes we visited also the camp of one of leaders of Lugansk militants — Alexey Mozgovoy. Some honeycombs of people under his supervision live and train in the fresh air, carry out local fighting tasks in the Lugansk region, separate groups go to the most hot spots. The camp of Mozgovoy is mobile and adapted for full guerrilla war. For these purposes, in fact, it is created. In case of storm of Lugansk and other cities of the republic the guys of Mozgovoy will spoil a lot of blood to the opponent. Plans, as well as the weapon befits taken in hand to Russians, are far-reaching.
«We will free Odessa, Kharkov, we will go to Kiev, and we will look further», the good-natured Cossack routinely told me who is heating after a dinner on the sun. Staff here is «motley crew»: volunteers from the Russian Federation, militants from almost all areas of Ukraine and Cossacks. The last go here with bigger hunting, than to defense of city buildings. Mobile camp of Mozgovoy is the real Cossack outlaws, but with high discipline and implicit submission to the commander.
Camp of Mozgovoy
During the period after a referendum the situation in Lugansk People’s Republic was heated. Provocations became frequent, in Lugansk and a number of settlements of the republic the members of «Right Sector» were noted by the attacks and robbery. On May 13 the encroachment on Valery Bolotov was made who moved to the Russian Federation. But attempt of the Kiev junta to decapitate the Lugansk republic didn’t crown with success: Bolotov got off with a slight injury in a hand. On the night of May 17, on a way back, he was detained by the Ukrainian frontier guards. For a further transfer the help was caused, but it was outstripped: early in the morning about hundred fighters from our «izbushka» hastened to the leader on revenue and beat him off with fight.
On May 19, at last, one of the main tasks of the last weeks was executed: militants freed the building of the regional Department of Internal Affairs. In the same day the Lugansk People’s Republic Constitution was adopted. Today the term of our stay here came to an end. We wait for approach of big group of volunteers (from Moscow and Ural) and, responding to an appeal of the colonel Strelkov, we go on Slavyansk. There is the war ahead.
P. P. S. Kind Russian people and people of other nationalities (Ukrainians, Belarusians, Georgians, Chechens, Kazakhs, Germans, Finns, Poles, Moldavians, Poles etc.) the ideology of fascism and its genocide to mankind to whom are not indifferent and who wish to take part in collective excursions across Novorossiya, can write to Alexander to the e-mail: agstrog@gmail.com