Volunteer fighter: If Ukraine loses war, Belarus, Lithuania will be next attacked by Russia
A Belsat TV correspondent has met with Ukrainian Dmitry Goncharov who came to Lithuania to master the art of war.
As the West fails to rush into backing Ukraine’s army civil support comes to the fore. Lithuanian-base organisation Blue Yellow invited several Ukrainian volunteer fighters to attend the course of war instructors.
Why have you decided to join the course?
I wanted [to help] our fighters to hone their skills; volunteers are patriots but they are not aware of new standards, NATO standards. Lithuanians have already been learnt how to fight, they experienced Afghanistan, Iraq, they took part in the Bosnian conflict. We came to take combat skills from them so that we could train our boys in a proper way at home.
There are many volunteer fighters in Ukraine. How are they usually trained?
Training is conducted in accordance with old Soviet standards. For example, once a 65-year-old man came as a volunteer to a National Guard’s base. During the Afghan war he was an instructor; now he is not able to go to war, but he teached and trained us. We have had a crash course here, but all I have got very good knowledge and skills.
You are from Kharkiv [a regional centre in the north-east of Ukraine]. Is there any standoff between local Russians and Ukrainians in your city?
My mother is Russian. There is no problem and has never been. In Kharkiv Russians even a bit dominated by Ukrainians, e.g. if somebody was speaking Ukrainian in the streets one could say for sure that person was an out-of-towner. Some years ago our people started to switch to the Ukrainian language because they realised that some pro-Russian campaign and agitation was in progress. When Yanukovych won the elections, people became more wise. They saw that a former prisoner had come to power, that his policy was pro-Kremlin and he ruined our army and intelligence.
Europe attracted us as we wanted to form our nation and build our society. Even now such problem [of language] does not exist. My friends from Russia ask whether Ukrainian can beat you if you come to Ukraine, but do not speak Ukrainian or cannot sing Ukraine’s anthem. But it is a lie and nonsense! For me speaking Russian is easier. I have travelled around Ukraaine a lot; visiting Lviv [a regional centre in the west] I have always used Russian and never got into any trouble. I speak Ukrainian fluently, but I am more accustomed to using Russian.
Why did you take a decision to become a volunteer fighter?
When Crimea was annexed and the first Ukrainian soldier was killed I was listening news over the radio in a supermarket. A day later I registered at a local military agency. I can’t sit idly when my nationals are being killed. I saw those guys who were burning being shelled by Russian Grads, I just could not stay at home. I used to be a private entrepreneur and earned enough, but I gave up and became a volunteer.
Is the aggressor’s attack on Ukraine the country’s internal trouble?
No, if Ukraine loses now Lithuania and Belarus will be the next. It is the trouble of all Russia’s neighbours.
Nastassia Jaumen/MS
