Defiant Ukraine soldiers play Cher songs to drown out Russian propaganda (JB: or, are we not speaking of an Armenian/Ukrainian alliance?) - Daily Mail
Mirrorman Chris Hughes goes inside the besieged special forces army base in Feodosya, Crimea to find that Ukrainian soldiers say they will never give up
Ukrainian soldiers are insisting they will “never surrender” to Moscow from within their besieged base close to the Russian border.
The troops in the town of Feodosya said they are preparing to fight off a Russian assault on their remote outpost after being surrounded for two weeks.
The Sunday Mirror broke through the Russian blockade to enter the base – the first time western journalists have go into a besieged Ukrainian camp.
They are still holding out and will be encouraged by forces at a missile installation in Sevastopol who defied a Russian attempt to take it over.
Feodosya was one of the first towns to be overrun, days before Vladimir Putin’s Crimea invasion hit world headlines.
Over the weekend we witnessed first-hand the tense stand-off between Ukrainian Marines within the base and a baying mob of pro-Moscow locals and militia.
Russians blasted the installation with propaganda from loudspeakers with the Ukrainians responding with hits by Cher.
We saw how terrifyingly vulnerable the Ukrainian troops are, cut off by Putin’s heavy weapons encircling them.
As we drove into Feodosya, 60 miles from Russia, we saw girls handing flowers to Russian forces patrolling the perimeter of the Ukranian post.
A middle-aged man screamed at us: “Go home – we don’t need you here. We love Russia and want these Russian soldiers here. They are welcome. You leave now – go or you will regret being here.”
As Russian forces looked on, elderly women joined a gathering mob, screaming: “Stop the western propaganda – stop writing lies about the Russians.
“This is not an invasion. The Ukranian troops are friendly and are happy the Russians are here. They are not being harmed by anybody.”
But we can reveal that despite the pro-Moscow propaganda Ukrainian forces are determined to stand their ground.
Desperate to tell their story, the trapped commandos contacted a sympathetic local who arranged to take us through the mob, past Russian lines and into the base.
Anti-Russian locals say Russian troops are turning up the pressure, keen to stop Ukrainian forces breaking out from behind their blockades until at least March 16 when a referendum will be held in Crimea on whether it should become part of Russia. Experts reckon the vote will go in Moscow’s favour.
Sneaking past the Russian sentries, we climbed a 10ft wall around the side of the base and met Ukrainian troops waiting to guide us into the camp.
Once inside, the commander, Lieutenant Colonel Dimitri Denisky, head of the 1st Independent Marine Battalion, said: “There will be no surrender. We are ready for an attack at any time. I can assure you the Russians outside this base are most definitely not welcome.”
He was forced to raise his voice above the Orwellian Russian propaganda tapes being blasted over the camp from loudspeakers – a noise he and his men have been forced to suffer for two weeks.
They hit back by turning up the volume of their own loudhailers, which belted out hits by American pop singer Cher.
But despite the bizarre noise exchange the Ukrainian marines are preparing for war. Armoured vehicles are dug in while anti-aircraft weapons – manned by tense-looking gunners – point at the sky.
Troops are armed and at the ready. Barbed wire and other defences are being rolled out constantly.
Asked if the stand-off could develop into an all-out conflict Lieut Col Deniskye said: “We are prepared for anything in this situation and will respond accordingly.
“The Russians are putting us under tremendous pressure, giving us an ultimatum every night, insisting that we surrender our weapons and agree to go to their side but we refuse to do so.”
As we spoke a Ukrainian Navy helicopter bringing in supplies flew in low, zig-zagging to avoid possible Russian fire, and slammed into the ground within the base.
Russian soldiers clambered to the roof of a building outside to spy on what was happening as Ukrainian troops ran to the chopper and took up protective positions, their weapons at the ready.
The Ukrainian commander said: “They cut off our electricity at night so the helicopter is bringing in a generator.” Lieut Col Denisky added: “Local militia are telling us to come over the other side but I am under direct orders from senior command in navy headquarters in Sevastopol and Kiev – that has not changed.
“We are never going to surrender. This is an invasion of our country – there is no doubt about that. We want to get our message out and the Russians do not want that.”
As we left hurriedly, helped over the wall by Ukrainian troops, a sergeant major said: “Thank you for letting us tell our story. Don’t listen to people saying we are happy the Russians are here.”
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/defiant-ukraine-soldiers-play-cher-3221563#ixzz2vUmOxqbd
Follow us: @DailyMirror on Twitter | DailyMirror on Facebook
No comments:
Post a Comment