“Russia does not start wars, it ends them,” say Russian soldiers on the combat front

Camp of Russian soldiers, somewhere in the Donbass

By Ricardo Sánchez Serra

We entered a field of thick vegetation and before entering, Russian soldiers in a UAZ (Russian jeep) guided us to a camp. Some fighters welcomed us and we talked, while my companions gave them sweaters, chullos and wool shoes, coffee and Peruvian chocolates.

They were optimistic, with faith and hope and convinced that everything will turn out well. That they were there because the cause is just and so that the war does not reach their family, their homes. “Russia does not start wars, it ends them,” they remarked.

They also said that they have not seen their relatives for a year and a half and that they hope the war will end quickly.

Ukrainian bombs caused damage to Donetsk State University and even made the dormitories unusable for students.

They indicated that they are proud of their officers, who are not in the rear, but at the front and that, with their presence and attitude, they encouraged the troops.

Regarding the sending of French troops and other countries to Ukraine, they mentioned that they will defeat them again, “Remember that we defeated Napoleon, which had an army with a large numerical proportion,” they commented, in addition to reporting that there are already troops from other countries on the front. Europe has a part in this war. Since 2014, communications between Ukrainian soldiers and soldiers from other countries have been heard in English, French, German and Polish, they revealed.

College students

We went to Donetsk State University, where university delegates from various professional backgrounds were waiting for us.

They considered themselves victims of aggression by Ukraine and that is why they have many serious problems in their studies and in their daily lives, due to the continuous bombings of the university by the Ukrainians.

University students tell their way of the cross.

“Since 2014 we have suffered from the destruction of homes, schools, universities, hospitals, nests, state buildings, bridges, restaurants, libraries, youth centers, many people had to leave the city,” they warned.

For them the university was the second home, they were always there, but the Ukrainian attacks were against the center of the city and the university, where there were no soldiers. In February they attacked the library with rockets and mines.

The attacks

“On one occasion I was saved from dying, because I was late to the bus, which was later bombed and 20 people died,” said one.

Another said that a Himars rocket destroyed a university building and caused a fire that burned the graduates’ degrees.

Part of the university devastated by Ukrainian bombs.

Before 2024 there was water every three days. In 2022 many missiles destroyed water reservoirs and communication centers. People had to go out to look for water, today we are better, we have water from the Rostov region and they built a water canal from the Don River. Today we have water for three or four hours every two days. The buildings have more problems. There is no hot water and in winter the water turns to ice and destroys the pipes.

There are neighborhoods that did not have water for one or two years, or those that are under attack, it is impossible to repair the water centers in the meantime.

The students identified themselves like this: “I was born in Ukraine, my grandparents are Ukrainian, but I feel Russian. My roots are from Lithuania and Poland, my mother’s side is Jewish and my grandfather is Russian. I am Greek, from the Caucasus and from Ukraine. My roots are Russian and Ukrainian. I have German, Russian. I have Russian, Belarusian, Ukrainian roots. “We are multi-ethnic and multi-religious.”

Photos of successive Ukrainian attacks on a study center.

They do not plan to emigrate

Most education is in online format and we students do not meet frequently. Online studies are not very easy because we have systematic problems with electricity and the Internet. Ukraine directly attacked electricity sources on several occasions.

They said that despite the problems they suffer, they do not want to leave the region and they hope that peace will come soon, because they are working for victory. All the difficulties help us to survive and understand the possibilities that the Russian Federation gives us. “We are the heart of the Republic and we have to be here to defend it, restore it and rebuild it,” they added.

For obvious reasons, photographs of the soldiers or the Russian camp could not be taken. They were on the front so that the war did not come to their homes.

“We are in favor of the Russian army because it is fair. Before the special military operation I was looking to continue studying at a Russian university, but today I will continue in my city, defending it from wherever I am,” said one student, which everyone echoed.

“All of us who are here want two things: victory and peace,” they indicated.