Military Testimony on Orders and Ethics

First, a clear order was given.

Those who, roughly speaking, had already taken me prisoner,

already in serious condition, they witnessed

that my own command, my command,

was literally destroying me.

Just because I refused to carry out a combat mission.

I clearly said on the radio that

I, the small Ukrainian groups coming towards me,

these ones, of two or three people,

maybe five, I refuse to kill them.

That's a fact.

And that's why, when I was brought to the unit,

I don't know whether to name it or not, if they'll scold me or not.

Listen, do you understand,

well, do you understand for yourself the difference between an order and a criminal order?

Of course, I understand.

Did they give, did your higher command give,

specifically criminal orders, I mean, to destroy unarmed people?

I think back then, back then there were no journalists.

Back then there were two of us.

There were two of us.

I'm from the Southern Urals.

Even against the background of the fact that the Marines, where I served,

for some reason, right at the beginning of the interview, I said

that I believe it was actually not just a criminal order,

it was a monstrous order.

Because I know for sure that even the Ukrainian army,

who are they mostly?

Plumbers, janitors, engineers, IT specialists, teachers, engineers.

So I said right away, "I refuse to carry out the combat mission."

That's it.

The Ukrainians who were nearby, they were standing three or four steps away,

in their patches, armbands, green electrical tape, with assault rifles, with a working radio.

They were just standing there with their mouths open.

They looked at me, wanting to understand

who they were giving this order to and who they were supposed to shoot.

After I turned off the radio,

I said, "Guys, we need to reach an agreement somehow,

this is about you."

They contacted their command.

The Ukrainian command told the Ukrainians, "Guys, well..."

I know their call signs, I know the commanders who know this story.

The story is real, it unfolded right before our eyes.

And where did this happen?

Well, the Pokrovsk direction.

This was recently, right?

Yes, yes, yes, yes, it was recently.

So these two...

So, that's how you were captured, right?

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

It was already the third day.

And on the third day, the command started trying to eliminate me personally

with all fire systems and small arms, roughly speaking, if that's the right way to put it.

Really?

The Ukrainians watched it themselves.

They watched everything.

I clearly heard one of the commanders say,

Wait, hold on, stop,

this is Zhura, this is Zhura,

this guy, he's a great guy, everything's fine.

So we parted ways peacefully.

And those who were Ukrainians, they reported, saying, the situation is such

that the Russian side, the Russians are being destroyed by their own command.

And they pulled you out?

I asked the Ukrainians...