- I am Smirnov Sergey Alekseevich. Born in the town of Kostroma. On 5th
of February. My personal number is X566225. I am currently on a military
service on a contract. 98th division, town Ivanovo. Military base #71211,
town Kostroma. First battalion, 331 regiment.
- Are You a Russian subject, citizenship?
- Yes.
- What is the purpose of Your arrival in Ukraine?
- Assignment. BTU [Battalion-tactical exercise] - exercise.
- On the territory of Ukraine?
- This is what we were told there.
- Who and where?
- Commanding officer.
- Name?
- ... of the regiment. Nemolyaev.
- One more time?
- Nemolyaev. Sub-colonel Nemolyaev.
- We were not told anything. We were escorting the convoy.
- Which [convoy]?
- With vehicles. Wheeled and tracked vehicles. BMD-2 and KAMAZ
vehicles.
- Where were You escorting it to? What was the destination?
- We were not told. We were just driving and driving on the fields.
- Did You know that you are on the territory of Ukraine?
- When we entered the village, the tank with Ukrainian flag drove [by].
Then, later, we understood and began to look for ours, along the road,
and later we were fired upon, shot at. We quickly got off the BMD and
the second shot hit the BMD-2.
- Sorry, so You did not know where you were led to?
- Yes.
- There was just an order and that's all?
- Order, just an order.
- Before the dispatch. What was the preparation process?
- Before the dispatch?
- Yes.
- Dispatched in echelons. We were moving during four days. Eating MRE.
Going to Rostov. For the BTU [Battalion-tactical exercise]. For two
weeks. Then we arrived and moved the vehicles. Put the patrols. On the
next day began to fix the vehicles after night-march. Making small fixes,
adding machine oil, water. Brushing our the [serial] numbers. We were
told to wear white clothes on the knees and ankles. So we could
distinguish each other.
- What does it mean "to brush out the numbers"?
- So that... Made the circles instead of numbers.
- Where exactly?
- On the BMD-2.
- On all of the vehicles?
- On all of the vehicles.
- So, as I understand, brushed out...
- Brushed our, painted over and put the circles.
- What kind of circles? Color?
- White ones.
- Just plain white?
- Yes.
- ... Documents?
- Documents were gathered the next day.
- So you have arrived here without any documents?
- Documents were left in the camp. In the safe. Along with the mobile
phones.
- Did You understand that you have arrived to war?
- Yes.
- Do You want to participate in it?
- No.
- What would you like to tell to your commanding officers, generals and
V. V. Putin directly?
- I can tell that ... everything ... at once ... that everything is a lie. Was.
- What exactly?
- That there are no exercises. Just vehicles. Wheeled, tracked. Tanks,
artillery. Like a party to the hostilities [combatants] here. On the
territory of Ukraine.
- Maybe You would like to address to Your family?
- Yes. I want to say hi to my mom, dad, my beloved one. Don't worry. It's
all fine. We are fed here. Received us well. Hope will come back soon. ...
That's all.