Interview with a Captured Soldier

How did you get captured?

My buddy was climbing up to hang the flag,

he was hit by an FPV drone,

and then we were hit by mortar and gunfire and got surrounded.

I was holding the position,

burned the mic,

they pounded us with heavy fire for 12 hours,

then Baba Yaga dropped two TM mines on us, we got buried, and your soldiers pulled us out.

I ended up in the open, you could say, that was it, at the fortification,

guys from the 225th,

fired a burst and told us to surrender,

they offered,

they immediately fed us, gave us water, and took us from the front line. What was your mission anyway?

To reach the settlements using the map,

hang the flag, and mostly bypass the infantry,

if we locate any spotters,

then destroy them.

So you hung the flag and retreated, was that your entire mission?

Well, yes, we were

supposed to take down the flag we hung.

How is captivity, are they treating you well? Yes. Were there any incidents?

No, nothing at all, it's been fine from the very first seconds,

They didn't beat me, didn't do anything.

Have you heard about the 225th?

Before boarding, they told us to avoid close combat to avoid casualties,

bypass the posts, and that's it.

They say the special forces are well-trained.

Did they treat you, patch you up here?

They treated me, patched me up,

yes, they did the rounds.

Are they treating you well? Yes.

Do they feed you? They feed and water me. Is the food good? Yes, quite. Quite? Yes.

Do you want to say anything to your family?

That I'm alive and well,

everything is fine.

Are you saying this for the camera, or is it real that they don't beat you, everything is fine, they feed you?

Yes. Did they say anything to you about the 225th?

It was the command, they said,

that it's better not to get involved,

that they don't take prisoners,

that it's better not to engage in firefights, better to retreat. Have you heard anything about the 225th?

I heard they are well-trained, special forces, not to engage with them,

bypass, infiltrate some village that is occupied, hang a flag,

like, it's ours now, occupied, and return back. Slip through there. Slip through?

Maybe for the camera,

I don't know. Did anyone manage to go with a flag and return?

Some, of course, succeeded, some were captured,

taken prisoner,

some were killed.

What else did you hear about the 225th?

Well, that they're satanists,

sadists, better not to get caught, not to cross paths with them.

But you ended up with the 225th.

Well, yes, I completely refute what was said by representatives of the Russian Ministry of Defense.

Well-mannered, good guys.

In battle, they are experienced, they attack, they storm.

Well done, guys, nothing more to say.

And otherwise, in a civilian setting,

they are all good guys.

I didn't meet any scoundrels or bastards.

Subtitle Editor A. Semkin Proofreader A. Egorova