Thirty Minutes Drive From Hell - May 3rd 2024

May 3rd 2024

Yuriy heads to a frontline combat zone, where he captures a day in the life of the relentless battles, moments of respite in a peaceful town, and the stark realization of the thin line separating wartime chaos from everyday normalcy.

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TRANSCRIPT: (Apple Podcasts & Podbean app users can enjoy accurate closed captions)

It is 3rd of May. 

Full scale war in Ukraine has been ongoing for exactly 800 days now. These are 800 days of pain, despair, unbearable suffering, and incredible heroism. The Russians intended to conquer us within a month to subjugate and then destroy us. We've been resistant for a third year now and have no intention of surrendering.

Now, let me tell you a story that I find fitting to share on this bloody anniversary while you take a look at the description of this podcast there are GoFundMe and Buy Me A Coffee details to help me and my loved ones. Remember, the only monetization of this podcast is your support, which is always necessary and always welcome. Thank you. 

So the story, I spent some time with a unit holding positions on one over hot sports over front the guys' positions were in a semi destroyed building a few hundred meters from the Russian invaders. The battles there were constant; five people who could fit into this building fired several crates of ammunition and RPG shots per day. Every two days, the fighters were replaced. The exhausted five in the early morning while it was still dark, left the position and fresh five soldiers loaded with crates of ammunition, took over the position and began fighting the Russians. 

Those who were replaced, got into a Jeep and drove to rest. They had two days to recover and return to hell. They rested in a regular country house on the outskirts of a small town. From the positions where bloody battles raged, it took only 30 to 40 minutes to drive to this house no more, and it was truly impressive. Here you are in a ruined settlement, much of which has already been ceased by the Russians, where you can only move stealthily, where the gunfire never ceases for a second and just a half an hour's drive, you are in a town where cafes work, where a supermarket where people are busy with some ordinary things working: going on dates, buying ice cream for their kids. 

Shells from Russian artillery don't reach this town, so it leaves relatively peaceful despite the fact that the battles are region very close to it. Relatively peaceful because there are no longer any cities or towns in Ukraine where the Russians could not reach. We wear ballistic missiles. A shell from a howtizer can fly 30 miles and that's it. A missile flies thousands of miles and it's very difficult to intercept. But that's a story for another time. Now, it's about the guys who rested in an almost peaceful town and returned to the war hell every few days.

I will probably never forget the feeling that struck me when I rode with them in the dark to their positions. At first, we drove along a well lit street surrounded by billboards of pizzerias and Japanese cafes. The guys in the Jeep joked and laughed, but as soon as we left the town, the jokes stopped. The street lights disappeared, and the road became worse and worse- heavy military vehicles going back and forth had destroyed it. Soon the driver turned off the headlights and drove in the dark, as if guided by some sixth sense as if he were a Jedi, who felt the way even when he could not see it. If the headlights were left on the enemy would see us and try to hit us with fire from mortars and heavy machine guns. In an un armored Jeep, that would be certain death.

The last few hundred meters of the journey we covered on food hiding the Jeep in a small ravine. We reached the positions unloaded ammunition and replaced it with soldiers who had been there for the past two days. 

You know, it's unbearably difficult to sit on the fire, literally under the enemy's nose, and know that only half an hour separates you from ordinary, normal life. But if you don't sit there on the fire, don't hold positions right under the enemy's nose where won't be any normal life, where won't be life at all. 

Episode Transcript

(00:02):
It is 3rd of May.
Full scale war in Ukraine has beenongoing for exactly 800 days now.
These are 800 days of pain,despair, unbearable suffering,
and incredible heroism.
The Russians intended to conquer us withina month to subjugate and then destroy us.

(00:24):
We've been resistant for a third year nowand have no intention of surrendering.
Now, let me tell you a story that Ifind fitting to share on this bloody
anniversary while you take a lookat the description of this podcast
there are GoFundMe and Buy Me A Coffeedetails to help me and my loved ones.

(00:45):
Remember, the only monetization ofthis podcast is your support, which is
always necessary and always welcome.
Thank you.
So the story, I spent some time with aunit holding positions on one over hot
sports over front the guys' positionswere in a semi destroyed building a few

(01:07):
hundred meters from the Russian invaders.
The battles there were constant;five people who could fit into this
building fired several crates ofammunition and RPG shots per day.
Every two days, thefighters were replaced.
The exhausted five in the early morningwhile it was still dark, left the

(01:29):
position and fresh five soldiers loadedwith crates of ammunition, took over the
position and began fighting the Russians.
Those who were replaced, gotinto a Jeep and drove to rest.
They had two days torecover and return to hell.
They rested in a regular country houseon the outskirts of a small town.

(01:54):
From the positions where bloodybattles raged, it took only 30 to
40 minutes to drive to this house nomore, and it was truly impressive.
Here you are in a ruined settlement,much of which has already been ceased
by the Russians, where you can only movestealthily, where the gunfire never ceases

(02:15):
for a second and just a half an hour'sdrive, you are in a town where cafes work,
where a supermarket where people are busywith some ordinary things working: going
on dates, buying ice cream for their kids.
Shells from Russian artillery don'treach this town, so it leaves relatively

(02:35):
peaceful despite the fact that thebattles are region very close to it.
Relatively peaceful because there areno longer any cities or towns in Ukraine
where the Russians could not reach.
We wear ballistic missiles.
A shell from a howtizer canfly 30 miles and that's it.
A missile flies thousands of milesand it's very difficult to intercept.

(02:59):
But that's a story for another time.
Now, it's about the guys who rested inan almost peaceful town and returned
to the war hell every few days.
I will probably never forget thefeeling that struck me when I rode with
them in the dark to their positions.
At first, we drove along a welllit street surrounded by billboards

(03:22):
of pizzerias and Japanese cafes.
The guys in the Jeep joked andlaughed, but as soon as we left
the town, the jokes stopped.
The street lights disappeared, andthe road became worse and worse-
heavy military vehicles goingback and forth had destroyed it.
Soon the driver turned off theheadlights and drove in the dark,

(03:46):
as if guided by some sixth senseas if he were a Jedi, who felt the
way even when he could not see it.
If the headlights were left on the enemywould see us and try to hit us with fire
from mortars and heavy machine guns.
In an un armored Jeep, thatwould be certain death.

(04:07):
The last few hundred meters ofthe journey we covered on food
hiding the Jeep in a small ravine.
We reached the positions unloadedammunition and replaced it with soldiers
who had been there for the past two days.
You know, it's unbearably difficult to siton the fire, literally under the enemy's
nose, and know that only half an hourseparates you from ordinary, normal life.

(04:34):
But if you don't sit there on the fire,don't hold positions right under the
enemy's nose where won't be any normallife, where won't be life at all.