'Our sacrifices are worth freedom' — Ukrainian troops who have fought since 2014 look back

Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine four years ago today — Feb. 24, 2022. For many Ukrainians, particularly those from Donbas and Crimea, the war began in 2014.

To mark the anniversary, the Kyiv Independent spoke with three soldiers in the Ukrainian Armed Forces who have fought not just since the start of the full-scale invasion, but since 2014 — when Russia seized Crimea and began its war in eastern Ukraine. They described what keeps them going, the toll of years of sacrifice, and how they see their role as the U.S. ramps up its efforts to push for a peace deal.

"We have stood our ground and will stand our ground," said Ihor Mazur, a psychological morale officer in the 63rd Mechanized Brigade.

While hundreds of thousands across Ukraine stood up to fight in the wake of the full-scale invasion, many who have been in the army since 2014 also continue to defend the country at high cost.

Petro

Chief Sergeant with the 38th Marine Brigade fighting since 2014, from the Russian-occupied town of Huliapole

Our sacrifices are worth freedom! We understand that living next to a savage, barbaric country will bring nothing good.

U.S. President Donald Trump plays a huge role in our weakened position. His "misunderstanding" of who is to blame for the war and his refusal to help, despite America's guarantees of protection, significantly weakens us.

But to give up means signing our own death warrant!

I believe that the world still does not fully understand this war, otherwise the whole world looks pathetic. A world that needs to be constantly reminded that a war is being waged against us, that we are being killed, our children are being killed, our homes are being destroyed, and so on, looks pathetic!

Personally, this tells me that humanity has not become civilized; humanity was barbaric and cowardly then, and it remains so now.

Have we forgotten the period of war from 2014 to 2022? Yes, we have forgotten, and some people have been fed Russian propaganda and believe that it was a civil war.

Each of us plays a role in this war, and since there is still a possibility for negotiations, our role is enormous! If it weren't for the U.S., there would be no talk of negotiations!

Ihor Mazur

Psychological morale officer in the 63rd Mechanized Brigade who has fought on and off since 2014

As for my career in the military, it began after Ukraine declared independence, when similar regional conflicts were taking place in Georgia and Chechnya. Russia was trying to resolve its imperial ambitions in Georgia through the war in Abkhazia, using separatist movements. It was clear then that Russia was preparing the same scenario for Ukraine. Only Russia didn't have enough strength yet.

When Russia invaded Donbas in 2014, this led to volunteers who had been on the Maidan during the protests, as well as other citizens who felt a duty to defend their land, joining the Ukrainian Armed Forces. They supplemented the armed forces, which were weak and mostly unprepared for war. But with the arrival of volunteers, the Ukrainian army began to grow stronger.

The war was then local in nature, but from time to time, regular Russian troops also entered, as was the case near Ilovaisk and near Debaltseve. But it was clear that Russia was preparing for a big war. And unfortunately, the Ukrainian authorities did not really understand that during the time of former President Petro Poroshenko, and even with the arrival of incumbent President Volodymyr Zelensky. Poroshenko and Zelensky hoped that the war would be local, without the participation of regular Russian troops.

Unfortunately, war is one of the methods of politics today. Sadly, we are returning to the times when, even if you don't want to pay attention to the war, you can't hide from it anywhere, it will still come to your home. And so, if you are a man, if you respect yourself, you have to be a warrior. The fact that the full-scale war has been going on for four years now is hard. For many, it's nearing a breaking point.

Russia will not stop there, at the borders of the Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv oblasts. They will go further, they will go to Kyiv, they will go to Western Ukraine, to my native Khmelnytskyi oblast, then they will go further to Lviv and from there to Poland. Russia understands that its only chance to survive is to be in a state of war. On the other hand, this is their path to death. It's just a question of how long it will take for this empire to collapse.

Therefore, I try to find ways, through my work in the brigade, to help relieve the soldiers' stress so that after a reboot, they can return to the front line and beat the enemy.

If Russian troops move at the pace they are moving now, it will take them several more decades,  twenty to thirty years, to capture half of Ukraine's territory.

Peace is needed, but peace is needed that will be beneficial for Ukraine and Europe, not the kind that is beneficial for Russia and the United States, which are trying to do business in blood. Unfortunately, U.S. officials are trying to do business in the blood of Ukrainians.

We have stood our ground and will stand our ground. I hope that our allies will support us.

Yevhenii,

46-year-old French national who has worked with drones since the start of the full-scale war and has fought since 2014

What motivated you to defend Donbas in 2014, despite living in Mykolaiv?

To protect my family, protect everyone. When Russian troops or proxies crawl into your house. It felt as though they broke into my house, took everything out, and killed everyone. There was an understanding that I had to fight to defend the country.

Other countries won’t understand it until the war comes to them — until you live it, moment by moment, on the line between life and death. I’ve been through so much I've lost count.

Kyrylo Nedria

A war veteran who defended Donetsk Airport from August to October 2014

What should foreigners remember about the war in Ukraine? Everything is quite simple and clear here. Ukraine is a country that is located between foreigners and, strictly speaking, Mordor. That is, you need to understand that the war has been going on since 2014, and I would even say since 2013, starting with the Revolution of Dignity. And if you look further back, it began a century ago, because this is a permanent condition.

When it comes down to it, we are a war zone, with the prospect of the conflict spreading across Europe. If we are talking about hybrid warfare, in its current form it has already become global.

If you look at cyberattacks and cybercrime by the same Russian units and services behind this war — and at terrorist acts, and Russia’s support for what I would call terrorist organizations and terrorist governments — it has long since gone beyond even the scale of Europe. And Europe, as it happens, sits squarely inside Russia’s zone of direct interests.

It is essential to remember that this is not only our war. When the war in Ukraine ends, it could begin for them. The process of victory over this evil is universal.

This is a matter of collective security and collective support, whether through NATO or the EU. The Baltic states understand perfectly well that they could be next. So do the Scandinavian countries.

I would like to express my gratitude to foreigners who have stood up and supported Ukraine, including with weapons in their hands, to defend democratic values.

The Western world constantly declares these democratic values - freedom, equality, and so on. Right now, in my opinion, it is time to move from declaring these values to supporting them in practice, not only with words, but with concrete actions and real effectiveness.

The sooner this happens, the greater the chance of protecting ourselves from various forms of aggression, both direct and indirect hybrid aggression.