Many Ukrainian Soldiers Attended Same Military Schools That Russian Aggressors Did – OpEd

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There is one and only one characteristic of Putin’s war in Ukraine that resembles a civil war: because both Ukrainians and Russians were part of one country in Soviet times, many in the one nation attended the same military schools and served in the same military units as those in the other.

That means that many in each army know more about the thinking in the other than might be the case otherwise and it means that many Ukrainians now civilians remember their earlier service in the Soviet army and use it in unexpected ways to defend themselves and their country against Russian invaders.

Aleksandr Shvets, the editor of the Fakty internet journal, reports on one of the forms this has taken (gordonua.com/blogs/aleksandr-shvec/veterany-sovetskoy-armii-zhivushchie-pod-kievom-ubezhdali-rossiyskih-voennyh-uhodit-nazad-te-otvechali-chto-za-nimi-stoyat-zagradotryady-kadyrovcev-1607785.html).

He reports that one Ukrainian told him that along the line of the front, there were “veterans of the Soviet army” among the Ukrainians, people who “at one time graduated frm the same military schools as the Russian paratroopers who have come to Ukraine on what they assumed would be ‘a business trip.’”

“’It’s better to surrender to the Ukrainian army,’” his interlocutor said “they assured the boys in Russian uniforms, who did not fully understand what the hell they were doing here. ‘At least you will be able to save your life. Ukrainians will fight to the end, because this is our land these are our homes, this is our country, and we have nowhere to retreat.’”  

“’What are you doing here? What are you risking your life for?… Go back!’” And in response they heard one and the same thing from the Russians: “There, behind us, are Kadyrov’s detachments. They won’t let us out of here alive…’”

Paul Goble

Paul Goble is a longtime specialist on ethnic and religious questions in Eurasia. Most recently, he was director of research and publications at the Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy. Earlier, he served as vice dean for the social sciences and humanities at Audentes University in Tallinn and a senior research associate at the EuroCollege of the University of Tartu in Estonia. He has served in various capacities in the U.S. State Department, the Central Intelligence Agency and the International Broadcasting Bureau as well as at the Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Mr. Goble maintains the Window on Eurasia blog and can be contacted directly at [email protected] .

One thought on “Many Ukrainian Soldiers Attended Same Military Schools That Russian Aggressors Did – OpEd

  • May 21, 2022 at 8:37 am
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    Authors views because of his background affiliation to various Americans departments is generally projecting the Russians in poor light.INDIA and Pakistan army men had similar backgrounds and officers had similarly been trained in the same academies but both sides fought bravely with each other though the situation is different as explained by the author.Wonder such a reputed author should write on such minor issues or happenings though ‘m sure the incidents must have been corroborated as the author has the Int background aswell.

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