Fierce urban warfare awaits Ukrainian forces in Sloviansk should they enter the garrisoned city in Donetsk Oblast held by Kremlin-backed militants, said 1st Special Battalion National Guardsman Andriy Antonyshchak on May 13 at the Ukraine Crisis Media Center.
“Sniper nests are situated in the upper floors of
residential buildings, and the city center is heavily fortified,” said the
former leader of a security unit that defended the EuroMaidan encampment from
hired goons and police brutality.
After spending two weeks manning a checkpoint on the outskirts
of Sloviansk in a unit that was formed with other ex-EuroMaidan security
personnel, Antonyshchak said the men in addition to possible house-to-house
fighting, face “an enemy that has up to twenty years of combat experience consisting
of mostly Russian military intelligence, Chechens, and mercenaries.”
He said the Kremlin-backed militants are armed with the
latest weapons that include up-to-date Russian-made AK-100 series rifles,
mortars and anti-aircraft missile systems.
Although the National Guardsmen with whom Antonyshchak serves
had only three weeks training, “we are fighting on our homeland and that gives
us an edge because they are fighting for money.”
According to local residents in Sloviansk, the trooper said
that “there is marauding and food shortages in stores…people are using up their
last food reserves.”
So far his battalion has had five wounded in fighting while
carrying out what the Ukrainian government has called a counterterrorism
operation that started in mid-March to rid the area of Moscow-backed militants.
The 1st Special Battalion is split into seven groups around Sloviansk with each
guarding a checkpoint.
When the group first arrived in a village three kilometers
from Sloviansk, local residents were hostile towards them. “By the third day,
though, we walked around the village unarmed after explaining to them that we
were there to protect them.”
Antonyshchak added that many residents “are brainwashed by
Russian media and there are some who are paid to spread disinformation among
them,” part of the reason why Ukrainian forces have faced stiff resistance in
the region.
He urged the government to engage with and inform local residents
better to counter Russian propaganda. “But now many are beginning to see that a brotherly nation and friend doesn’t come armed and terrorize the local population,” he added.
“The people (in Sloviansk) want the same thing we do and
that is peace and quiet, they want jobs, and to lead a dignified life,” said
the national guardsman.
Thus far, 11 National Guard battalions totaling some 3,000
troops have been formed consisting of former EuroMaidan security units, many of
whom, have military experience, stated Antonyshchak. Most are attached to
regional governments to provide added security. Altogether, 15 battalions are
to be formed, he added.
Kyiv Post business editor
Mark Rachkevych can be reached at [email protected].
