If the workers of the world want to win, all they have to do is recognize their own solidarity. They have nothing to do but fold their arms and the world will stop. The workers are more powerful with their hands in their pockets than all the property of the capitalists. --Joe Ettor (IWW labor organizer)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IASdERt3-m0
For those among our readers who read the recent posting of “The Donbass Diaries Part II: The Azov Battalions – ordinary Fascism ~~ Mehmet Perinçek”, here are parts 1 & 3 of that series. Perinçek writes that there will be one more final post, a part 4. There is an endless avalanche of Corporate Controlled Media reports from Ukraine. In which, typically, a correspondent from one or another of the Corporate News Companies poses wearing his / her helmet in the ruins of this-or-that-area and reads from a script prepared by NATO or Fascist Operatives from the Ukraine Regime. These reports by Perinçek, with their embedded photos and videos, present a radically different reality than what is constantly trumpeted by the Corporate Controlled Media or by NATO or U.S. military spokespeople. I want to thank Collectivist Action for finding and recommending the posting of “The Donbass Diaries Part II … ”
The Donbass Diaries, Part I: The Azovstal will be captured within two weeks
I visited Donbass and other operational zones upon invitation from the Russian Ministry of Defence, from April 29th until May 1st. I had the chance to meet with both Russian and the local officials in the cities of Mariupol, Donetsk, Berdiansk, Enerhodar and Melitopol respectively, and had the opportunity to have conversations with ordinary people.
I have learned about many issues, from the current state of the military operation to the problems experienced by the locals. As someone who has closely followed, read, written and attended meetings on Ukrainian crisis and the Donbass issue, I would like to remind that seeing events on the spot is always different from learning about them in other ways.
The only participant from Turkey
On the night of April 28, we meet in Rostov, a city on the banks of the Don River, on the night of April 28th, to cross into the Donbass Region. The officials from the Defense Ministry explain the purpose of this invitation as follows: “There has been a lot of coverage in the Western media regarding the Russian operation and the Ukrainian crisis. And we wanted you to see the region with your own eyes, talk to the authorities and the common people as you wish, and ask them any questions you want, record anything you wish. Then, compare what you have seen and what you heard from the West.”
UWI expert Mehmet Perinçek in the city of Mariupol
The delegation also included press members from countries such as France, Iceland, Germany, India and various Arab countries. Unfortunately there are no other participants from Turkey other than me.
Kiev has targeted journalists and intellectuals
We arrive at the border shortly after leaving Rostov. On the other side of the border, the Russian Colonel A. greets us by saying “Welcome to the Donetsk People’s Republic!” The Russian Ministry of Defense kept the tour program confidential and we were informed about the destinations only when we arrived. Some of the areas that are covered by this trip and the roads we crossed are very close to the Ukrainian military posts.
Entering Mariupol
Colonel A. says that Kiev administration blames the journalists and intellectuals who participated in this trip. Therefore, they expect all kinds of provocations from the Ukrainian side. Then Colonel A. lets the commander of one of the most elite units of the Russian Special Forces, who provided the security of the trip for three days, to speak. The team commander explains the security precautions:
If you hear a whistle…
“If we all want to get back home safely, we will follow these rules. When we get off the bus, our boys are going to form a circle that defines the boundaries you can walk within. And there is absolutely no way crossing out of that circle. Landmines laid by the Ukrainian troops cover the city. Second: If you hear a whistle approaching us from a far distance, you will do exactly what I tell you. When I say everyone to hit the ground, everyone will hit the ground it and cover his or her ears, and scream as loud as you can. There is absolutely no running inside the buildings, etc. The Ukrainians have laid landmines even inside the apartments. In any case, our boys will take you to a safe place. If you follow the rules carefully, nobody will get hurt.”
Foreign press members during the trip
“My mom says I am special”
Then they handed over bulletproof vests and helmets. The team commander and his subordinate stayed in our vehicle until the end of the trip. They are fully equipped with special goggles, masks, headsets, camos and arms. They are well built. If we express it in street-slang; they all look super-cool. Sudden, I notice a tag on the back of one of the commander’s subordinate: “My mom says I am special”
Russian artillery pounding the Azovstal
Our first stop: Mariupol
It is the Colonel A., who has been traveling with us throughout the entire journey, explains the first stop we will take with the assistance of armored vehicles: Mariupol.
Mariupol is the largest city around the shores of the Azov Sea. It holds a strategic importance with its seaport, its large industry and geographical location. It is one of the locations where the most violent clashes have taken place since the beginning of the Russian operation.
The Ukrainian spy who disguises as a woman
We keep moving. We see a long queue of people standing before we get further away from the border. We are told that applications to cross the Russian side were made there. They are undergoing a serious inspection. Criminals, Ukrainian spies or saboteurs are carefully being searched. There have also been several Ukrainian officials dressed up like woman trying to infiltrate by saying “all my documents are burned down”. The most important problem: Many people actually do not have any documents.
We keep moving with the Azov Sea on our left. If you travel along the sea on your left like that, you will reach Mariupol. Colonel A. says “Just like Kemer huh?” and laughs. Turns out that he has been to Kemer and Side regions in Antalya at least 10 times.
The Russian artillery shells Azovstal
At around 7:00 a.m. we stop by the road in the outskirts of the city, at around 7:00 a.m. We are told to wait for some time here, so I get off the bus. But we are still not allowed to step on the roadside grassy area. Landmines could be basically anywhere here. All of a sudden, we hear artillery fire. Then thick black smoke rises from the horizon. Russian artillery is hitting the Azovstal steel works.
Smoke rising from the Azovstal
Civilian hostages inside
As the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the Azov Battalion lose more and more ground, they have retreated all the way back to the Azovstal steelworks, where they were eventually besieged. Of course they also brought many civilians with them either by deception or simply by force. It has been repeatedly covered that especially the Azov Battalion used the civilian population as human shields during the conflict. And they are implementing the same plan in Azovstal. Civilians are being held hostage in the steel mill. In fact, not a single civilian was allowed out, not even through humanitarian corridor for civilian evacuation during the three-day ceasefire.
400 Foreign fighters
Inside there are not only Ukrainian forces and civilians, but also a large number of foreign fighters. Some of them are high-ranking. Their “official” missions may have ended, but they are still carrying out some of their duties, still assigned by their governments. So far, they have identified, British, French, Belgian, Dutch and Polish military personnel. The intense interest in Azovstal from the West, actually stems mainly from that reason. There is also a rumour of a high-ranking Canadian general.
They have always wanted the humanitarian corridor to be opened towards the Ukrainian side in order to save these besieged foreign fighters, by hiding them from the public eye, but the Russian side kept refusing.
The Leader of the Donetsk People’s Republic Denis Pushilin also mentions about it and says that there are around 400 foreign fighters based on information they received from intelligence sources and the Ukrainian POWs, when we meet him in Mariupol. However, he also adds that he could not officially confirm the presence of foreign fighters but also could not deny it, adding “we will see when Azovstal is completely liberated.”
The bunker that goes 9 floors underground
Azovstal is a steel factory built during the Soviet era. A huge bunker was also built that goes nine floors underground, in case of nuclear war. Thousands of people can take shelter in that bunker. The Russian officials know that air dropped bombs will not seriously damage the bunkers. The offensive has also been paused to avoid harming the civilians. Putin also gave a direct order that “there will be no attack but not a single fly flies”.For now, they are content with air bombings and artillery barrage.
I ask, “Well, would not that hurt the civilians?”. They say they collect information through satellites, drones, and also from sources inside, and that they are also gathering intelligence from those who have escaped. The main purpose of these bombardments is to cause a psychological distress for those inside. They have left with only two weeks supply of water, food, and medicine. Azovstal is expected to surrender in two weeks at most. The only way out is to break the siege. And that does not seem likely either.
Each civilian is worth 66.6 kilograms of supplies
A new intel arrives as I am writing these lines. The Azov Battalion fighters at Azovstal, are offering to release 15 civilians from the steel mill, in exchange for 1000 kilograms of food and medicine. They are now trying to “sell” these civilians for 66.6 kg of supplies per hostage, that they used as human shields by deception.
This intel basically confirms that the supply stocks inside the steel mill, is starting to run out.
According to another claim, when the Ukrainian forces were under siege in Azovstal, they intentionally did not take the opportunity to leave the city. They planned to keep the Russians busy and waste their time holding civilians hostage in this highly fortified bunker. While the Azovstal front still going on, the Russians cannot completely close the Mariupol front and shift their power to the other regions.
The secret behind the white armbands
Finally, we take the buses that will take us to Mariupol. Meanwhile, soldiers from the Russian Special Forces wrap each other’s arms or legs with white duct tapes. Others wear a white armband band or simply tie a white piece of cloth on their arms.
I cannot help but ask myself, “Are they going to engage in combat or something?”. Because with the start of the Russian operation, most of the fighting took place in the cities, and the Russians wore white armbands while the Ukrainians were wearing blue, so that these parties do not confuse each other.
Russian soldier with white armband
You may recall that in the case of Buçha, this armband issue was brought to discussion. The Russian officials denied the Ukrainian side’s allegations, showing the dead bodies lying on the ground were wearing white armbands.
That is why I thought a combat was imminent. But no, as we have seen throughout the rest of the trip, every single soldier have been wearing white, throughout the entire conflict zone, just in case.
What does the letters “Z” and “V” mean?
Apart from these white bandages, another symbol of the Russian side are the Latin letters of “Z” and “V”. You see these letters everywhere, from armoured vehicles to civilian vehicles, from soldiers’ backs and arms to the walls in the streets.
These letters initially appeared on armoured vehicles in the operation, but then was spread throughout all of Russia. It became a symbol of public support for this military operation. You could encounter it in the streets or all over the social media. But in the conflict zone, it has become a visual sight of everyday life.
At first, it was claimed that the tanks with these letters indicated the area they were assigned. However, the Ministry of Defense explained, in a statement, that the letter “Z” could stand for “for victory”(za pobedu), and the letter “V” could mean “strength is in truth” (sila v pravde) or “the task will be complete” (zadacha budet vypolnena).
With the sanctions imposed on Russia, many Western brands stopped using the letters “Z” and “V” in their advertisements, while the demonstrations with these letters present, were completely banned in Germany.
Tulips of the wrecked city
We are leaving for Mariupol now. The leveled buildings, overturned trucks and vehicles stand out as we enter the city. It is just like a movie set and props, but sadly, everything is real. The sight you see there, pictures those conflicts as it is happening right in front of you. When we get off the bus and go to the schoolyard where humanitarian aid is distributed, you see all traces of the conflict, shattered glass and the remains of burned homes on the ground.
Tulips are the only thing that changes this picture. Wild tulips are found everywhere, like garden weeds. From the gardens of houses, to the grass patches on the roadsides… Colonel A. realises that I have noticed the tulips and said “Of course not as much as in Istanbul”. In fact, it is not possible to see such wild tulips in Istanbul. But I still confirm him and say “Of course, it spread around the world from Istanbul”.
To be continued…
Donbass Diaries Part III: We managed to enter the power plant they called “the Second Chernobyl”
United World International expert Dr. Mehmet Perincek has been in the conflict area in Ukraine, where Russia’s military operation took place, between April 29th and May 1st, at the invitation of the Russian Defense Ministry. We are continuing the journal series about Perincek’s trip. This article will be followed by the fourth and last part with observations from the conflict area.
We leave for the city of Berdyansk, early in the morning on April 30th. Berdyansk is not a part of the territory of the Donetsk People’s Republic. It is located in the Zaporizhzhia Oblast. There was no armed conflict in the city; it seems that Russian forces have taken control of the city without encountering any armed resistance. Hence there is no destruction throughout the city. City life is much more alive compared to Mariupol.
“Russophobia was engraved in children’s minds in schools”
We first meet with the interim mayor of the city, Aleksander Salenko, in Berdyansk. Salenko’s is an engineer. When the former administration fled the city, he took things in his own hands, considering that “the city should not be left completely unattended”. Salenko tells us:
“As you can see, our city is peaceful and the city life is alive. Cafes and restaurants are still serving. The previous police department still continues its duty. There have not been any terror attacks, violent explosions etc. We are currently in a transition period. Our city had a population of around 100 thousand. There were some who fled the city. Those fleeing have not only crossed to the Ukrainian side, but also went to Crimea. Our population is now around 60-70 thousand. Nearly 10,000 people from active combat zones are coming here as well. Among them, returns to Mariupol have also begun. And we do not prevent those who wish to go to the Ukrainian side.
Interim mayor of Berdiansk, Aleksandr Salenko.
The people here have always spoken Russian. But Russian language has ceased to be one of the official languages. But the people never stopped speaking it on the streets. Pressure has been put on us for the last 8 years. Children were taught anti-Russian sentiment in school, and were taught to hate their neighbours.
We will now start to pay salaries in Rubles. But the Hryvnia will also continue to be accepted in daily life. Some of the former municipal staff are boycotting and not coming to work. Therefore we are restructuring the city administration.
Switching to Rubles does not mean that we are joining Russia. According to the developments in Ukraine, the people of the city will also make their own decision. The majority of the population is glad that the Russian Army arrived.”
The fate of the regions on which Russia established control
This last issue is really important. What will be the fate of the regions that went under the control of the Russian Army? I discussed this issue with locals and Russian officials everywhere I went. The answers I get are more or less the same. Firstly; this issue is not a priority for now. The main task now is to ensure security in cities and to rebuild social-economic life. Because the people do not want to leave their home; they are determined to stay in their own homelands. Later, they will see how the course of the events and the developments in Ukraine evolve. And in the end, the people will make the decision, not Putin or the Russian Army. They basically have 4 options:
1. Joining Russia.
2. To declare their independence, like Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics.
3. To establish a new Ukrainian state by merging with other regions that broke away from Ukraine. Just like the North-South Korea system.
4. And to establish an autonomous region within a federative Ukraine if a reasonable administration is formed in Ukraine.
The first option seems to be the most likely, and the second one to be the least likely. But the current transition period appears to indicate a process where they are more likely to act as an independent state. But it’s definitely temporary. Options three and four, as always emphasised, “depend on the future developments”.
At the wedding ceremony
After meeting with the head of the city in Berdyansk, we all go to the marriage registry office. We are about to witness the first wedding ceremony since the Russian operation began.
The first wedding ceremony in Berdiansk since the military operation.
The wedding of six couples suddenly turns into an international meeting. The mayor of the city does not miss the occasion to hold a speech on the wedding ceremony. He complains that the Kiev regime carried away municipal and administrative records or destroyed them, also trying to block administrative works. These marriages are now not being registered in Ukrainian records. They are instead formalised with the seal of the new Berdyansk municipal administration.
Of course, the issue here is not a simple wedding ceremony. This is just one of the most important indicators of the return back to normal life and looking at the future with hope.
Russian solider in front of marriage registry office.
The hype of “the grandma with the Soviet flag”
From the wedding ceremony, we leave for the place where the mural “Grandma with the Soviet flag” was painted. This “Grandma with the Soviet flag” became one of the most significant symbols of the Russian operation in Ukraine.
The Grandma with the Soviet Flag – mural of the symbol of the military operation.
The story goes like this: When the Ukrainian troops entered a village, an old lady thought it was Russian army and came up to them with a USSR flag she had in her house. Ukrainian soldiers recorded all these on their phones and made a mockery of the lady. When they were supposedly giving her food supplies, they took the flag away from the grandma’s hands and crushed it. And when the grandma realized that they were Ukrainian troops, she returned the supplies she had taken and reacted to the stepping over the Soviet flag with these words: “My ancestors fought for that flag, and you are stepping on it, give me the flag back!” Then, that grandma tried for a long time to take back the flag which the Ukrainian troops had stepped on.
This video, which those Ukrainian soldiers uploaded on the social media to mock her, soon became a trend all over Russia. Paintings of the anonymous “Grandma with the Soviet flag” began to appear everywhere. In the paintings, the shadow of the woman was drawn to look like the famous “Motherland Calls” statue in Stalingrad. Now we can see the “Grandma with the Soviet Flag” in many cities around Russia. There was even a talk of liberating that area from Ukrainians and bringing the grandma to the military parade in Red Square on May 9th Victory Day.
A Russian soldier carrying “the Grandma” on his uniform.
The Grandma is, of course, very famous in the operational zone as well. Mariupol’s interim mayor announced that her statue would be erected in the city. You also often see that the Russian soldiers wearing arm patch stickers with that grandma picture on it on their uniforms. And the mural you see below was also made in Berdyansk.
Humanitarian aid accompanied by WW II anthems
Right next to that mural “Grandma with the Soviet Flag”, humanitarian aid and supplies from Russia are being distributed to the civilians. And a Russian military vehicle plays the most famous Soviet anthems of the World War II period with loudspeakers. The emphasis of the Soviet front of the World War II, or as the Russians/Soviets call it, the Great Patriotic War and the emphasis on victory over fascism, make up the primary narrative of Russia’s military campaign over Ukraine. The historical references and propaganda tools always refer to that theme.
May 9 Victory Day was celebrated this year
Meanwhile, we also learn that the May 9 Victory Day celebrations will be held in the city. There will be no parade for security reasons, but a whole number of other events are planned. We should also note here that the celebration of the Victory Day against the fascism was not allowed in the city in previous years.
Distribution of humanitarian aid in Berdiansk.
Telecommunications issue
Then we visit a camp where the civilians, who fled Mariupol, are staying temporarily. This was originally built as a pioneer (Soviet scout) camp. During our visit, doctors were examining the camp population. Some of the people are waiting to go to Crimea, others are waiting to return back to Mariupol.
The most important problem is telecommunication, and not only in this camp, but in the whole area of operation. The Ukrainian operators no longer work in many areas. They have stopped providing mobile data service. And it seems to take some time before the Russian telecom systems are established. There are many people who have lost contact of each other, and who have not heard from their families for a long time.
This is one of the things we hear most frequently from the inhabitants of the region: “There was no difference between a Ukrainian and a Russian. We would never separate one from the other. And for us, this is still the same.”
War crimes against the Russian POWs
We leave from Berdyansk towards Energodar. We will spend the evening there, and the next day we will leave for the Zaporozhe Nuclear Power Plant. This is the plant that the West has made a constant fuss about, claiming a “second Chernobyl disaster” would take place here.
Again I use the time spent on the road with chatting. Russia has taken as many as 3,000 POWs so far. The prisoners are held in special POW camps. Those who surrender and those who are taken prisoner by force are not treated differently. Among them, there are also some who have requested asylum.
Prisoner exchanges have begun. “We once saw that all the Russian POWs who were returned back, were shot in the foot after being released from camps” says the Russian Defense Ministry official. Some images of such war crimes were also reflected on social media previously.
“The Ukrainian side sometimes publishes on social media images of Russian prisoners, apologizing to the Ukrainians and insulting Russian state and its officials. Are these people be subjected to a prosecution etc.?” I asked. “Absolutely not. It is very clear that they were forced to do this. So we completely understand the situation they are in”, he replied.
When these prisoners are returned, they are immediately sent home to rest.
From the PKK/PYD to the Neo-Nazi Azov Battalion
There is another important issue in regard of POWs. So, what happens when foreign fighters are captured? They are technically prisoners of war, but they are legally outside of the POW status. An exchange may take place in the future, but they will be prosecuted according to the laws of the country they are in.
The British citizens Shaun Pinner and Aiden Aislin, who have fought in Syria on the side of the PKK/PYD, are being questioned by authorities of the Donetsk People’s Republic. They are on trial, with the prosecutor demanding the death penalty.
Two of the examples of this are the British volunteers Shaun Pinner and Aiden Aslin. They were taken as “prisoners” while fighting alongside the Azov Battalion in Ukraine. It was also revealed that these two individuals had previously fought in Syria on the side of the PKK/PYD.
These two Brits are currently on trial in the Donetsk People’s Republic. Recently, the prosecutor has had their charges read openly. And the Military Prosecutor’s Office of the Donetsk People’s Republic said in a statement that the death penalty might be possible for the crimes these individuals have committed.
The status of the soldiers captured KIA
I ask what happens to the Ukrainian soldiers who are found dead. They say that all of them are first being identified and buried after the necessary samples are taken from their bodies for identification. For now, they report that the soldiers who lost their lives were sent back to the Ukrainian side, only through the Red Cross. But their relatives will soon be able to come and pick them up from the place where they were buried. And they will also be able to confirm their identities with the samples taken.
The military base established at the nuclear power plant
We spend the night in Energodar. The name of the city literally means “the gift of energy”. There are not only nuclear but also many other types of power plants in the city. The Zaporozhe Nuclear Power Plant, the largest in Europe, was built during the Soviet era. And a huge outcry was produced throughout the Western media when the Russian Army entered the city. It was even reported that the Russians had hit the power plant.
After a careful search with guard dogs, we enter the power plant zone. The plant has six reactors. The Ukrainian forces have also used the power plant as a military base. Again, snipers were placed on the rooftops. But then, they surrendered.
Mehmet Perincek in front of the first reactor of the Zaporozhe Nuclear Power Plant.
The Western lies about the nuclear power plant
The power plant was not damaged at all during the entry of the Russian Army into the city. We have seen that with our own eyes. The plant continues its ordinary operations. The previous employees of the power plant are also still at work. Those who had fled have come back. There is no change in the facility management. Only some experts from the Russian Nuclear Energy Agency (Rosatom) provide technical support. But they do not interfere in the administrative branches.
The power plant still continues to supply energy to the Ukrainian side. The energy needs of all regions under the control of Russia will soon be provided from here. And the new administration established in the city has made electricity free for residential use in Energodar.
Russian military vehicles on escort while we leave the plant.
“Let us sell energy to Europe”
We meet with the interim mayor of the city, Andrei Sheichik, who is also a former employee of the power plant. He strongly criticizes the Western campaign of lies. He also says the Ukrainian forces have tried as hard as they can to let something bad happen, but failed. He constantly emphasizes that no damage has been done to the power plant. He also says that they have contacts with the International Atomic Energy Agency, at an ordinary level.
He finally adds that they are ready to sell cheap energy to Europe.
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