The interview is short and we edited it for obvious reasons – but I share it with friends with the feeling that everything coming from the frontline is precious.
Interview in Donbas with Igor — call sign ‘White Jack’ — a junior lieutenant in the Ukrainian army (in the Separate Assault Battalion “Carpathian Sich”, to be more precise).
His unit is currently defending this stretch of freedom that goes from Kostiantynivka to Toretsk.
DdN – What basic tactic do the Russians use to gain ground?
Igor – To put it simply, the pattern goes like this. Two Russians are sent toward our position. The goal is to take them out with drones, because drones don’t reveal our location. If, for one reason or another, we’re forced to open fire, then the whole mess begins: drones of all kinds strike us, artillery follows, and then the Russians send in their infantry — in greater numbers — to push us out.
DdN – Despite the Russians’ relentless efforts, the Ukrainian front hasn’t collapsed. How do you explain this ?
Igor – Well, it’s a kind of miracle, but, more surely, the product of our moral strength.
One thing is absolutely certain: theory doesn’t work. If we had followed the manuals, we would have lost the war in 2022. The key to everything is adaptation. Our soldiers have to accept multitasking, because it’s no longer possible to “specialize” in a single role and just stick to it. Knowledge and training become crucial.
DdN – Coming from abroad, I must ask you this: what do you make of European aid?
Igor – Europeans today cannot fully understand the needs of the Ukrainian army, because they are not at the front.
The rules of war and technology keep changing — every month, even every day. The Russians invent new technical solutions, and we invent them too. To fight effectively, we must learn every day. That’s why the presence of Europeans in Donbas is also important — for them. To learn with us, and to be ready for war in Europe.
If Europe cannot send its military to Ukraine, it should try to better understand the needs of the Ukrainian army. And there are many different ones: in particular, components for drones, antennas, and stations. We also need missiles to effectively destroy the Russian war machine and infrastructure.
Now, European countries are starting to produce weapons together with Ukrainians, and these are the right steps.
—
The interview lasted half an hour. White Jack had to leave. I was left with this fundamental truth: Ukraine holds because the front holds.
May 16, 2025, 10 a.m.
