"The remnants of enemies are still revealed." National Guard Vitaliy Markov - about the liberation of Svyatogorsk, masking of invaders and collaborators. Interview
Video of the day - can you say what is happening in Svyatogorsk? There is a cleaning now? - The only thing I can voice you: Svyatogorsk surgery is still ongoing, I can not disclose the details yet. In the liberated territories, the work of our units is underway to restore the safety of citizens, which has a priority for us. Also, the detection of the remnants of the invaders who did not have time to go away, sabotage groups, delayed collaborators. The National Guard units assist humanitarian aid.
Among our main tasks are the construction of defense in the liberated territories, there are now involved units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard and TRO. - During this fantastic successful counter -offensive operation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Kharkiv region, the Russians ran so quickly that they did not even inform the collaborators: they woke up in the morning and understood that there were no more Russian occupiers there.
What is the situation with collaborators, can you tell you about it? -The situation with collaborators is difficult, because they are still dressed and when meeting our units, usually the first thing they say that they did not cooperate with any "Russian peace", they were waiting for Ukraine and we were waiting. But it is the work of special services that are already engaged in the identification and coverage of all their activities. I can say that we know everything.
And sooner or later we will get to everyone - even those who may now rejoice in our return, but when we were not when Svyatogorsk was occupied, they actively and voluntarily cooperated with the enemy. The Armed Forces, the National Guard and all units and special services know about it, we have information, so all the crimes they committed against their own population, our country, should and will be punishable by law.
- Does something about the mayor of Svyatogorsk Vladimir Bandura are known? Svyatogorsk was temporarily occupied by the Russians somewhere in the spring, that is, the bandura remained the Ukrainian mayor. Then he quickly moved to the side of the enemy, photographed with the Kremlin puppet in the so -called "DNR" Denis Pushilin. Pushilin himself said that "we have long been in touch, he was waiting, like many residents of Svyatogorsk, liberation.
" Is there something known about this bandura? - I cannot disclose information yet. I can only say that the operation to identify all collaborators continues. - Was you able to communicate with the locals who we do not know exactly in collaboration? What did you hear from them? What did they tell you how Svyatogorsk lived under occupation? - Of course, what was. These are people who sincerely believed in our return. For them, it was also unexpected.
They even admitted that they lost hope that we would return. But as soon as we said that the Ukrainian army was already in Svyatogorsk, people wept sincerely, they really thanked us and confess that they lost hope. Hope always is, it will be. The Ukrainian army will necessarily release all temporarily occupied territories. The enemy should understand it, know. They did not think that Izium, Balakliya and Kupyansk would fall, but still falling.
They did not think that our units would break the defense of Kherson and Kharkiv direction. We have one goal: we protect our land from the enemy who came with weapons to rob and destroy everything in our way. It will definitely not be unpunished and everyone who committed war crimes will be punished. I can be 100%sure of this. -What we know about the Russians: the first thing they do, occupying any settlement-torture.
In every city, settlement, small town there is always a torture where they hold, kill and torture Ukrainians. What is known about Svyatogorsk? - Some details can not be disclosed yet. The only thing that happened to me personally is the notes that the local collaborators passed - who lives, addresses, telephone numbers, and who did what. The invaders did not have time [to destroy them] because they were in a hurry. The locals were shown, the maps were drawn where those who were pro -Ukrainian.
All these lists were transmitted by the locals - they will be responsible for it. - You know exactly what the power of Russian propaganda is. How does it work in these territories, in Svyatogorsk? What did they tell them? - First of all, we were told that in the first days, as soon as we came to Svyatogorsk, that the Polish mercenaries came there. Even Petushin himself (Pushilin - ed. ) Spoke about it. Where they found Poles there, I don't know.
Regarding the frontline cities, the situation is a little better because there is absolutely no connection - light and television, from where they could promote their narratives, there are not quite these opportunities. A small number of people have generators. There were problems with fuel, as the invaders destroyed all civilian infrastructure, destroyed and robbed everything they saw on their way. This tactics of the marauders have not changed since the time they advanced in the Kyiv region.
Nothing: Sooner or later everything ends. - What did they leave behind? We know about the very valuable trophies that the Armed Forces received from the Russians in Kharkiv region. There is even an opinion that after these counter-offensive actions of Ukraine, Russia has entered the top 5 suppliers of weapons to Ukraine.
What do we know about Svyatogorsk? Were you in the positions of the Russians? - There were cases that they occupied our positions, which we still kept until their counter -offensive. It should be admitted that the positions were quite good. You can see that they were preparing. But did they expect? No, because it was a lightning operation, perfectly planned and very suddenly done. The enemy did not expect and escaped in a hurry, took away all civil transport from the civilian population.
What I personally noticed, what their tactics changed: they stopped painting their civilian vehicles with their gates ("Z" - ed. ) - recognition signs. They go on civilian vehicles without distinctive signs, so they are harder to detect. But we already know their tactics and know how to counter it. How exactly - I will not disclose. - Of course. - What did they leave? A lot of ammunition they could not bring with them.
They were able to take out the surroundings from the forefront, and from the leading positions there was simply no possibility [because of] the landscape of the terrain. Our artillery, our drones, together with the Armed Forces, were able to destroy [many] from the opposite shore. Therefore, the enemy has received a very significant blow on itself.
- What units on the part of the invaders were in Svyatogorsk? Was it a Russian army, or some Rosgvardia, or the so -called "Dnivtsi"? - It is known that in the beginning there were their regular troops, but, according to the local, they did not stay there. The so -called "People's Police of the LNR" came there. They were not long in shape, they immediately dressed in civilian. But they still stood on their checkpoints-in civilian, with weapons.
They moved the city too in civilian, because they know that the Ukrainian army on civilian population does not fire, does not shoot, so they hid. It is meanness, cowardice. They consider themselves a "invincible second army", and in fact, in my opinion, it is definitely not the second [in power] of the army. We have proven this to the world. - Svyatogorsk Lavra is located on the side of the Siverskyi Donets, who was always controlled by Ukraine. We know that the Russians fired at Svyatogorsk Lavra.
There is information that people, monks are killed. In what condition is it now? - Svyatogorsk Lavra was fired. To say that it is completely destroyed - no. There are significant destruction. The civilian population was hiding in it because there are very good cellars. The most important thing that surprised me: the people who were hiding there said that Ukraine was guilty of Ukraine, because it did not seem: "If Ukraine seemed, there would be no war.
" I do not understand how to think about what they were washed with brain? How could we surrender? We have no right to defend ourselves or what? But this is all the work of religion. We are the military, I will try not to interfere in this case. There are people who have to close this issue once and for all because we understand that propaganda works in all directions, including religious as well.
- Svyatogorsk Lavra is now controlled by the so -called Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. It is the priests who promote the opinion that Ukraine is guilty, did it seem to seem? So these people who are hiding there have such problems? - The priests did not say it. When we were near the Lavra, [people] came to us and tried to tell us the following stories: "If you seemed, our sacred place would not be fired. " I did not hear that from the priests.
They do not go into contact with the military, and if they go, they are very closed. They say that "we are religious and have nothing to do before war. " They do not say it directly. But if such phrases are heard from civilian phrases, they have heard it somewhere. The laurel is damaged, there is no surviving window. In some places, it is destroyed in some places, but it stands - the laurel (how old she is) is built very firmly.