A veteran of the Russo-Ukrainian war and former fighter of "Azov," Anatoly Leonenko, known by the call sign "Bison," shared his thoughts on donations to the Armed Forces of Ukraine and mobilization in Ukraine. This was revealed during the show "Dachny Dvizh" hosted by journalist Ramina Eskhakzai.
Many veterans returning from the front with injuries are struggling to cope with the dissonance of civilian life.
"We are fine here in Kyiv, the situation is calm, and the Russians are not coming. You are fighting somewhere out there, Donetsk-Luhansk, so keep fighting there while we live our lives quietly here," explained "Bison."
According to him, if the military retreats westward, Ukrainians will "start singing." Then the occupiers will create complete chaos, shooting and taking everything.
"People forget. Seriously, how can you forget that in Irpin, small children, two and three years old, were raped? How can that be forgotten at all? How can one drive around Kyiv peacefully without thinking about it?" — stated the defender.
Eskhakzai noted that comments on this would suggest that wealthy people have left and "the war is for the poor."
"That's true," — responded the veteran of the Russo-Ukrainian war and former fighter of the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who lost his leg during the assault, Roman "Dobrjak."
"Bison" suggested that those who dislike donating to the Armed Forces of Ukraine should mobilize and participate in combat after training.
"Let them live our life, and we’ll see if we need to contribute money or not. When he calls and says: 'Mom, I'm now near Pokrovsk, it's just nuts here,'" — he noted.
Veterans described that a hypothetical fighter would be fighting in sneakers that are falling apart, while tactical boots would cost 15,000 hryvnias. He would be sleeping in a fully wet sleeping bag. Every 15 minutes, bombs would be falling on the position, and due to disrupted logistics, everyone would be on dry rations.
"Bison" pointed out that during this time, men in Kyiv are sitting in restaurants and are completely unaware of the trials faced by soldiers at the front. He emphasized that the main thing is the commitment and thanked everyone who donates.
"Being a soldier in our time is a pretty serious step. You realize that you mostly have a one-way ticket. How can you get out of the army? How can you get out of the army in our time? The first way — on crutches, the second — death, and the third (option) does not exist," — added the defender.
Recall that the WSJ reported that Russian occupiers managed to overcome the "Achilles' heel" of their tactics in the Chasiv Yar area. Infantry Captain Rostislav Kasyanenko emphasized that now, due to one mistake, the city "could fall in a few days".
On the night of October 19, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukraine had returned 95 prisoners of war. Among them were fighters who defended Mariupol and "Azovstal."