Partly translated. Interesting. This guy actually makes sense. He says a lot of the things that I have noticed for a while now. The “evil” Berkutsky who were attacking those glorious peaceful Maidan protestors…are now fighting on the side of the Nazi government that those same Maidan protestors put in power. They are now fighting in the National Guard. They don’t have much ideology. Their attitude? I follow orders. They tell us to put down Maidan, we put down Maidan. They tell us to put down these rebels, we put down these rebels.
Also many Ukrainian Army officers and troops are fighting in the Novorussian Army. So is the Ukrainian army the good guys or the bad guys? Both. The Ukrainian Army is fighting on both sides. It is a civil war.
In addition, Novorussians were on the Maidan protesting against Yanukovich. I suppose they did not expect Maidan to turn so ugly like this…They were on the Maidan, now they are fighting the regime that the Maidan people put in. He also points out that there is no real Russian involvement. “You see the Russian Army fighting there?” he asks. Of course they are not. No Russian troops, no Russian involvement, real simple. What about Russian volunteers? “So what,” he says. “We have volunteers and mercenaries on our side too. What of it?”
E.S.: Who are these people you negotiate with? What is their character? Why they do this? You probably had time know them.
Colonel Ruban: Why does Ukrainian army take prisoners? Who are the people in Ukrainian army?
E.S. So, for you they are the same?
Colonel Ruban: And for you they are not? For you 6 million citizens of Donetsk and Lugansk all of a sudden become enemies?
E.S. No, peaceful residents are not enemies.
Colonel Ruban: And those who took up to arms – it is 15 thousand of them – are they enemies?
E.S. Well, yes, they threatened lives of innocent people.
Colonel Ruban: The army threatens lives of innocent people. It is created for this purpose. The officers graduating from military schools – they are professional killers, did not you know that? He is not a man with a banner at the parade; he is a man in trenches, which kills other people.
He studied this, like I did. I’m a pilot-destroyer. Take away the word pilot, and what do I have to do? To destroy.
I don’t think of these people – like you do – as enemies. It is easy for you from this position. But I know these people for a long time. There are among them officers, we protested together against Yanukovich at the Maydan.
E.S. What do you mean there?
Colonel Ruban: There –on the other side, behind the line in Donetsk and Lugansk Republics.
E.S: You mean they were with you at the Maydan?
Colonel Ruban: Yes, they fight Ukrainian army. They are on both sides.
E.S. Why do they do it?
Colonel Ruban: Why “Pravy Sector” was at the Maydan? Why people were at the Maydan?
E.S. If they were together at the Maydan, why do they fight those they stood together with?
Colonel Ruban: Because for people at the Maydan ousting Yanukovich was enough. No other demands were fulfilled. But those people decided to go the very end. They need real changes, not just replacing Yanukovich. And majority of their demands are those announced at the Maydan.
E.S.: But it looks absolutely different.
Colonel Ruban: Thank to you, the journalists, and the rest who called them terrorists and those why created the word “ATO” instead of word “War”
E.S. But Russia does not recognize it as a war…
Colonel Ruban: What has it to do with Russia?
E.S. In your opinion Russia does not participate in this conflict?
Colonel Ruban: Did you see Russian army there?
E.S. I have seen soldiers from Russia.
Colonel Ruban: Did you see Russian Army?
E.S. Officially – no.
Colonel Ruban: You will not see the unofficial either, because they are not there. If you met a Russian it does not mean Russian involvement
E.S.: So, how do you call it?
Colonel Ruban: Anyhow. You know, that mercenaries fight on both sides.
E.S.: Yes
Colonel Ruban: You know that Poland is fighting with us, and Switzerland? You know a saying: “Russia and USA will fight until the last Ukrainian” It is true. But this is geopolitics, and there are other places do discuss it. The national security is to discuss it. But we are working in the field, and with our knowledge and experience we call it by its name. If there are Russian weapons – it is a question who brought it. Can Putin prohibit it – it is another question. But this is not Russian involvement.
