Residents of the Donbass village of Gladosovo, occupied by the Ukrainian military, appealed to the deputy head of the OSCE special monitoring mission Alexandru Hugu with a request to return them back to the DPR. Relevant appeal a war correspondent posted on Twitter Alexander Kots.
“Many residents of the village were arrested and taken away in an unknown direction. We call on you, as a guarantor of compliance with the Minsk agreements, to come to our village and document the lawlessness of the Ukrainian authorities. And also to fix the status of our village, according to the will of the residents, as the territory of the Donetsk People’s Republic,” the letter says.
Residents of Gladosovo called the actions of the Ukrainian security forces treacherous.
On the night of Thursday, November 22, units of the 54th separate mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the Aidar battalion captured the settlement of Gladosovo near Zaitsevo, located in the “gray zone”.
“The punitive forces burst into the village under cover of darkness and blocked every house, prohibiting local residents from leaving their homes under threat of gunfire. Residents of the village are receiving alarming calls for help and reports of acts of outrage on the part of nationalist units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” the DPR Ministry of Defense said.
It is also reported that the Ukrainian military has placed mortar guns in residential areas of the village, and is also mining the approaches to the village.
In the DPR, such actions by Ukrainian security forces are regarded as the capture of civilians by terrorists. Let us note that this is a gross violation of the Minsk agreements, despite the fact that at this time the Deputy Head of the OSCE in Ukraine, Alexander Hug, is visiting the DPR.
Let us remind you that previously a Ukrainian volunteer Yuri Mysyagin on his Facebook page confirmed the advance of the Ukrainian troops, conveying this, however, in his own interpretation:
“As a result of the sudden military actions of our units, several villages were liberated, the residents of which greeted our infantry as liberators, and several strategic heights were also taken under our control. As a result of this operation, we have new positions measuring several square kilometers, in which we have already successfully consolidated.
However, Mysyagin’s statement was immediately refuted at the ATO headquarters.
“Such statements discredit both the volunteer movement, the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and the state of Ukraine as a whole,” he said Speaker of the press center of the ATO headquarters Vasily Labay. — We strictly adhere to the Minsk agreements. Therefore, we can strengthen or re-equip our positions, redeploy within the framework of the territories designated by the Minsk agreements. There is no talk of moving forward yet."
Labay also denied information about the occupation of Gladosovo.
“The latest statements by the aggressor’s information resources about the alleged seizure of the village of Gladosovo near Gorlovka by the Ukrainian army is an information war aimed at discrediting the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the ATO forces in the eyes of the world community.”
“These statements by the separatists are informational provocations, which they clearly “timed” to coincide with the visit of the first deputy of the OSCE special monitoring mission, Alexander Hug, to the Donetsk and Lugansk regions,” Labay believes.
Director of the Center for Public and Information Cooperation “Europe” Eduard Popov I am sure that Kyiv decided to take advantage of the political crisis in the LPR.
— As soon as information appeared about the political upheaval in Lugansk, Poroshenko urgently convened a meeting of the NSDC Military Cabinet. Then the seizure of territories in the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics occurs. Actually at the same time. Not long ago Biletsky, the creator of Azov, proposed to take advantage of the favorable situation (although he had other factors in mind) and strike not only at Donbass, but also at Russia. The question is how far the Ukrainians will go in their offensive, whether they will limit themselves to capturing “gray zones” or whether they can decide on a larger-scale invasion.
"SP":— The Ukrainians had tried to advance in the “gray zone” before, but in order to capture an entire village... For what purpose could this be done?
“And the instability in Lugansk, and related issues, and the seizure of territories do not add stability and popularity to the Donbass republics. And, on the contrary, they play into the hands of Poroshenko and the Ukrainian Armed Forces. If the Ukrainians do not have plans to attack the republics in the coming weeks (and in my opinion, this attack is unlikely to happen), then the propaganda effect turns out to be perhaps the most important. Kyiv is concentrating troops along the perimeter of the borders with the DPR and LPR, these forces are preparing for an offensive, when it takes place is a matter of time. And here a favorable military-political situation has developed, which it would be a shame not to take advantage of. In addition, the Ukrainian army is not in the best condition; a long trench war has a negative impact on the discipline and mood of soldiers and officers. Not long ago, the DPR army dealt a very noticeable and humiliating blow to the pride of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, as a result of which 57 units were destroyed military equipment and armored vehicles and warehouses were blown up. By seizing these territories, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are, as it were, winning back and responding to an offensive defeat.
"SP":— What does the desire of residents to return to the DPR indicate? Do residents of other settlements in Donbass occupied by the Ukrainian military have the same desire?
— Reports about the capture of Gladosov say that the Ukrainians captured many local residents. It is unclear for what purpose: either to interrogate them as “separatists”, or with the intention of obtaining a ransom for them. From the border areas they regularly report the robbery of local residents by punitive forces from the national battalions. The practice of taking hostages and demanding ransom is also well practiced by Ukrainians. And even without these arrests, living under Ukrainian rule is an unpleasant experience.
The overwhelming majority of residents of the occupied settlements of the DPR and LPR, at a minimum, do not like, or at most, hate Ukraine. An indicator of this dislike is the importation of “patriots” from Ukrainian regions to celebrate Ukrainian national holidays. But a frightening trend should be noted: the Ukrainian authorities are carrying out forced Ukrainization, forcing children to come to September 1 and the last bell in embroidered shirts and memorize myths about “great Ukraine.” There is a very aggressive brainwashing going on, which is especially dangerous for children’s consciousness. And in socio-economic terms, life in Ukraine is worse than in the Donbass republics, especially in the DPR. Pensions and salaries are low in both places. But prices for food and basic types of goods in the Donbass republics are generally somewhat lower than in Ukraine (and for bread, potatoes and some other types of essential foodstuffs - noticeably lower). And most importantly, prices for housing and communal services tariffs are several times lower. High gas prices are especially noticeable for people living in private homes. If two pensioners (husband and wife) live in a house, and Ukraine is a country of pensioners, two pensions may not be enough to pay for utilities.
"SP":— How can Donetsk respond to this? And is it even worth answering?
- It's a question of questions. In the DPR and LPR, the entire ideology is built on the principle: “Do not respond to provocations!” Therefore, the front line does not respond to shelling from the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The recent defeat inflicted on the Ukrainians - the aforementioned destruction of a column of 57 Ukrainian vehicles and armored vehicles - is something out of the ordinary. Only the Donbass armies comply with the Minsk agreements on the front line. I think there is more reason to believe that there will be no answer. Although I could be wrong here.
- Even if the village itself does not have any special military significance, its capture for the enemy is justified due to the propaganda effect - “We are attacking! Peremoga!” explains senior lieutenant of the LPR NM, fighter of the OMB "August" Andrey Morozov.
“In addition, the settlement can be valuable as a step towards capturing a more advantageous and valuable position. Gladosovo is located next door to Zaitsevo, for which battles have been going on for a long time, determining starting positions possible future assault or enemy envelopment of Gorlovka.
"SP":— Has Kyiv really decided to take advantage of the political crisis in the LPR? Or is this a coincidence?
— The political crisis in the LPR could, to some small extent, influence the decision to make the next “leap” at this very moment, but the idea, I believe, was worked out in advance. This crisis is still not a military coup, but rather a palace coup, it has nothing to do with command and control, and it could not be expected that due to the political squabble in Lugansk, the troops of the NM LPR would be paralyzed, and half of the military forces of Donbass would “fall out” from the struggle.
I would rather bet that the Poroshenko regime is being gently pushed in the back to make further moves in the gray zone with the threat of changing it to the regime Saakashvili.
"SP":— It is reported that many residents of the village were arrested and taken away in an unknown direction. What will happen to them now?
- If this is so, then they will probably “test” the process of “filtering” and checking for reliability. Theoretically, they can “groom” them for a while and let them go, putting on a good face, saying that no DPR spies have been found. But such things only work as long as they are useful for the capture of Donbass, after the capture everything will change - “Promise them anything, we’ll hang you later.”
"SP":— Will contacting Hug help in any way? Or should we try to recapture the village?
- I don’t think it will help. And it is unlikely that it will be possible to recapture the village under current conditions. Firstly, I believe that immediately after entering the village the enemy began to quickly and continuously “burrow in” in and around it. And in the rear, an artillery group is already ready to support the defense. As a result, it will be possible to recapture the village only during a major operation, guaranteed to develop into a full-fledged offensive along the entire front with the involvement of maximum forces. An offensive of this kind, given the current state of the military forces of the republics, is an original form of suicide.
"SP":— Can we be sure today that this will not happen again?
- You can be sure of the opposite. In anticipation of a political situation convenient for a general offensive in the Donbass, the Ukrainian Armed Forces will occupy everything they can at the first opportunity. If not for operational-tactical reasons, then for propaganda reasons. The military in the LPR and DPR have been warning the political leadership of the republics since the spring of 2015 that this is exactly what will happen.
We have already become accustomed to the fact that lately conversations about Russian sports inevitably move into the realm of politics. In Ukraine the situation is very similar to Russia. Yes, there are no problems with the IOC and WADA, but there are colossal problems with militant nationalists trying to impose on athletes an ideologically correct view of the surrounding reality.
“We stopped the bus to talk”
Those who refuse to follow the “right course” are openly threatened. This happened with the football players of Shakhtar Donetsk, who on the evening of November 28 found themselves in the warm company of Ukrainian Nazis.
Representatives of the Troublemakers & Ultras Action group published the following entry on their Facebook page: “Tonight, activists of the National Corps, including representatives of Kharkiv City Patriots and Donetsk The Club, stopped a bus with FC Shakhtar football players “ for conversation. The guys charged the team for strange actions and unclear position regarding the war in the east.
The players made excuses; Stepanenko personally promised to come out in support of the ATO soldiers at the next game.”
The recording is accompanied by a 15-minute video in which football players, surrounded by nationalists, are forced to justify their lack of patriotism.
“Otherwise you will play in Donetsk”
As mentioned above, representatives of the “National Corps” group, a civilian “branch” of the notorious “Azov” regiment, formed from Ukrainian Nazis, took part in the action.
Members of the “National Corps” accused Shakhtar players of “boorish attitude towards Ukrainians” and called their actions “educational measures.”
“We set the condition that they participate in all pro-Ukrainian actions,” one of the nationalists said at the end of the video. “If they do not comply with this requirement, then we will do everything to prevent them from playing in Ukraine.”
“We help a lot, you just don’t know a lot,” one of the team’s players, Taras Stepanenko, justified himself. He also promised that the team at the Ukrainian Cup match with the Veres team will hold an action in support of the punitive operation in Donbass, called “ATO” in Ukraine.
“Otherwise you will play in Donetsk,” the nationalists finally threatened.
Champion in exile
The Shakhtar football club is a team with a dramatic fate. Champion of Ukraine, participant of the Champions League, one of the best football teams in Eastern Europe, Shakhtar has been leading a nomadic lifestyle for three years now.
Owned by Ukrainian oligarch Rinat Akhmetov, the band played at the luxurious Donbass Arena, opened in 2009, before the outbreak of the civil war.
But when shells began to explode in Donetsk, the owner took Shakhtar away from his hometown. In May 2014, the club temporarily settled in Lviv.
A team from the east of Ukraine performing at their “home” Arena Lviv is complete nonsense. The Pitmen's matches turned into political action, because among the Lviv fans large number nationalists and Nazis. Selective insults towards the residents of Donbass, heard at the matches of the main Donbass team - this is how Shakhtar’s life has looked like since the spring of 2014.
"Sieg Heil, Rudolf Hess..."
It must be said that among Shakhtar fans there are many radical nationalists who at one time tried to prevent the creation of the DPR. However, unlike Kyiv and many other cities of Ukraine, this scenario did not work out in Donetsk. As a result, Shakhtar ultras either changed their registration after the team, or volunteered for punitive battalions, hoping to return to hometown winners.
In 2017, Shakhtar moved from Lviv to Kharkov, closer to their homeland, and the non-combatant ultras showed themselves to the fullest.
Here is the most recent example - the main one editor of the Ukrainian magazine "Football" Artem Frankov published a video filmed at the Ukrainian Championship match between Shakhtar and Olympic. It captures the moment when Shakhtar fans chant the following chant: “Sieg Heil, Rudolf Hess, Hitler Youth, SS!” This scene perfectly characterizes the modern realities of Ukrainian football, when this kind of thing has become the norm and is ignored by the bosses of the Football Federation of Ukraine.
Both yours and ours
But the fact is that the bulk of Shakhtar fans are civilians from Donbass. Some of them are supporters of the DPR, some simply stay out of politics and dream of ending the war. Nationalist themes, to put it mildly, are not close to them. Oligarch Rinat Akhmetov, owner of Shakhtar also dreams of returning Donbass enterprises under his control and restoring his business empire in full. Shakhtar’s open participation in “patriotic actions,” especially in supporting those who use mortars and artillery to kill and maim residents of Donbass, will clearly not add to Akhmetov’s popularity.
And for more than three years now, Shakhtar has been trying to sit on two chairs, existing in the Ukrainian field, but trying not to completely break ties with Donetsk. This position causes extreme irritation among nationalists, which results in regular scandals.
Without “Glory to the Ukrainian Army”
Three years ago, in November 2014, a conflict occurred at the Shakhtar - Karpaty match. Representatives of the Lviv club invited their temporary “countrymen” to go to the match wearing T-shirts with the inscription “Glory to the Ukrainian Army”, and were refused. As a result, only Karpaty players came out to the match wearing jerseys. Before the start of the meeting, there was also a “minute of silence in memory of the ATO soldiers,” which the Donetsk football players could not ignore.
But after the match, Shakhtar published a press release on the official website with the following content: “The match between Karpaty and Shakhtar on November 21 began with a minute of silence. It was dedicated to the ATO soldiers who died during the fighting in the East of Ukraine. During the war, according to the UN, we have already lost more than 4 thousand civilians, including old people, women, and children. Do they really not deserve even such a modest sign of attention as a minute of silence? This is a sad and revealing symptom that Shakhtar cannot come to terms with. There is a war going on in our home, innocent people are dying, the infrastructure of the region is collapsing. For every resident of Donbass, this is a personal pain... Colleagues from Karpaty lost their sense of proportion, choosing the theme of war for their pre-match plans. Speculation on human grief, deaths, blood - what could be more blasphemous?... On the only T-shirt that Shakhtar is ready to wear will be written: “Peace to Donbass, peace to Ukraine.” There is no more important goal today. Football should not split the country. Football should be outside of politics, it is designed to unite people.”
"Stop, war!"
Thanks to Akhmetov’s influence, the scandal that broke out was hushed up, but Shakhtar did not abandon its line.
In January 2015, Shakhtar held friendly match in Brazil with the Internacional club, and players from both teams took to the field holding the “Stop, war!” banner in their hands.
Not everyone liked the peacekeeping impulse of football players in Ukraine. I also don’t like the fact that a number of players demonstratively do not sing the Ukrainian anthem before the match, and generally stay away from all “patriotic” actions.
But time passes, a return to Donetsk remains a vague prospect for the future, and the pressure on the team continues to grow.
"Shakhtar" and "Hero Dads"
The current conflict broke out due to another “patriotic” idea of the Football Federation of Ukraine. Her bosses suggested that all clubs dress the children leading the players onto the field in “My Dad is a Hero” T-shirts. The action is aimed at supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine and, first of all, those who are fighting in Donbass.
Shakhtar, according to Ukrainian media, refused to participate in the event by hook or by crook. At the already mentioned match of the Ukrainian championship with Olympic, children brought out the football players in ordinary sports jackets.
A new wave of accusations fell on the team. Shakhtar General Director Sergei Palkin on his Facebook page he wrote: “I want to put an end to speculation and speculation regarding the situation with our supposed ban on children wearing patriotic T-shirts.
Two days before the match with Olympic, the club received an official letter from the Football Federation of Ukraine about an action in support of the armed forces of Ukraine at the cup match with Veres, in which children will have to wear T-shirts in support of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Shakhtar confirmed its agreement to participate on the same day.
Based on the above, we had no logical grounds to PROHIBIT children from wearing T-shirts at the match with Olympic. Why make a ban on this match, but agree to hold a promotion in three days?!
The ban on wearing T-shirts is the same blatant lie as the alleged “threat” of not going to the match...
In this story, I sincerely feel sorry for the children who were used as a screen, as a cover for their true motives. They were cynically used in the same way as the organizers of this action, the ATO Football Federation, whose intentions were exchanged for profit in an information attack.”
Two worlds
In general, Shakhtar is ready to take part in the action, but strictly officially. To reduce image losses in the eyes of Donbass residents to a minimum.
But sitting on two chairs is becoming increasingly difficult. For those who have been living for four years under the bombs and mines of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the well-fed and vibrant life of the football Shakhtar is as close as the Vienna Ball is to street children. Once upon a time, in distant Soviet times, Shakhtar really was people's team, and today he is mainly an expensive toy of the oligarch Akhmetov, who with her help solves his own problems. And the further you go, the larger this gap becomes.
Lately, Donetsk and Luhansk supporters of the United Sumerian community have been frequenting the blog, who are overjoyed by the negative news on the future of the Republics. For me personally, they cause great amazement with their desire to worsen their already difficult life and way of life. I’ve written about this more than once, I think it makes sense to put everything in one post.
Let’s say the Russian Federation leaked it and entered the territory of Donbass, no, not Ukraine, but NATO troops. I’m missing the fate of the militias, and, one way or another, those involved, I wrote a lot about this, and they will repeat that whoever doesn’t escape, nothing good will happen, there’s no point, let’s talk about the average person and everyday life.
The first surprise will be that no one will remove the checkpoints, and the ATO will continue for years and years, only the transition period, on the other hand, is planned for several YEARS.
Secondly, no one will return either Ukrainian banks, or trading networks, or other elements of pre-war life, until the end of that very transition period, which, subject to the closure of the Republican networks, will become quite painful for the population. Likewise, communications - neither Vodafone nor Life will instantly turn on again, and they will not rush into the area occupied by the peacekeepers, due to the enchanting chaos and mass theft of everything that is not under the direct protection of the peacekeepers. Of course, some kind of connection will be established, as well as minimal trade and humanitarian aid from Akhmetov, but in 2018 it’s strong to rush into the year 2015.
Thirdly, in the absence of Republics, Republican payments will end, yes, they are small and inconvenient, but it is they now, provided they receive a Ukrainian pension in parallel, that allow old people to survive and feed the younger generation. This is not to mention the fact that the flow of spare parts, utility vehicles and other items that are extremely necessary to maintain life in trashy cities will stop; restoration programs will also be closed; now they are just for show, but there will be no such thing. And with an industry that is still breathing, it will be inconvenient that it will be closed, that it will be plundered, or that it will stop on its own due to lack of demand.
And only in two years, for those who can stand it (and everyone who has arms, legs and a head in place will rush from THIS with fantastic speed, fortunately our people are thrifty - I know people who have received passports from the Russian Federation, and Ukraine and the DPR) benefits will fall full citizenship of Ukraine:
1. Mass informing. Now in the MGB and SBU (depending on the side of the front) EVERYONE knocks on relatives, colleagues, acquaintances... There are two reasons - jingoism and settling personal scores. If all this falls on fertile soil, it is clear that the most fanatical Gestapo members of the SBU, with a large proportion of careerists, will be sent to Donetsk and Lugansk. And the current Ukrainian laws make it possible to declare ANY resident of the Republics a “separate”, with the exception of homeless people and drunks. They won’t announce everyone, but selective seizures will begin, and the political preferences of this particular Untermensch will not play a role; at one time in Dzerzhinsk they seized and inflicted separatism on a local ATO volunteer, this is not an isolated case.
2. Conscription into the army. Many were indignant at the training camps in the DLPR, but when Kyiv comes, the question of the Crimean campaign will become acute, guess WHO will be driven in the forefront? I’m not even talking about HOW they treat conscripts from migrants now, I myself know more than one story...
3. Communal apartment. I'm not talking about prices, I'm talking about debts, those same ones, for five or six years, at the time of the full return of the nenki. No, something will be written off to someone, something will be forgiven, but what remains will be enough for the Donetsk Sumerians to remember with kind words and with light sadness, even the current, extremely messy government.
4. Banks. Already now the loan counter is ticking - there will be no ATO from the moment the well-known law is signed, there will be an occupation, and benefits for payments are not legally extended to it, so by the year 2020, kind collectors with tired eyes will become a popular profession in Donetsk.
5. Restriction of rights - formally, of course, there will not be one, but in fact... Frankly speaking, the Donetsk people were not loved anyway, for a long time and firmly, which was cultivated with feeling and love, since the beginning of the century, and only after everything that happened.. .And the state’s view is that he sat under the “occupiers” for three years, few recruited him there and what he picked up...
6. Work - but there won’t be any, no one will restore what was destroyed. For this matter, of course, they will give something from the Ukrainian budget (and immediately cut it down), something the West will allocate (for new labor exchanges and repairs of bus stops), and something the Russian Federation will contribute (possibly), but God forbid that this is enough for infrastructure, There are different channels and heating networks.
Speaking of the budget, the end of the war, strictly speaking, will be its end. Subsidies will dry up, the defense industry will stop, and about a hundred thousand men, having received a kick in the ass, will find themselves on the street with professions like “machine gunner”; imagine the level of their demand in a poor country...
Why is all this written? I have written a hundred times that the Republic, in its current format, is a dead end and the slow death of the region, as it is happening, but also a return to Nenku is... a dead end and the death of the region. Where does a small conclusion come from, which is obvious to me personally - it’s time to stop with cunning plans and other drugs, and start thinking hard, and not based on principle - I’m not involved, I don’t care (or Bandera/Putin/reptilians will come and clean it up), but in general, because there is no one else but us. No one will decide, or rather, they will decide, but in their own favor.
Although I understand complete pessimists very well - the exits from this fantastic ass in which everyone found themselves, on both sides of the front, are not very visible.
Employees Donetsk shelter for stray dogs "PIF"- the only large institution of this type in the DPR - despite the war and economic blockade, they were able to maintain the necessary base and continue to provide assistance to animals in need at the same level.
The shelter lives only on donations, but this did not stop volunteers from caring for about 600 dogs injured during shelling during the conflict.
As she said in a conversation with a correspondent. DAN director of the institution Victoria Afonina, wounded animals came to the shelter from various “hot” spots: Yasinovataya, Debaltsevo and even temporarily occupied Kramatorsk. Here the “patients” were provided with the necessary medical care followed by rehabilitation.
“Since the beginning of hostilities, we have received about 500-600 wounded dogs. There were cases of severed limbs, skull injuries, and those pierced through by shrapnel. The dogs simply miraculously survived,” recalls the agency’s interlocutor.
The director of PIF emphasized that in the war, dogs suffered no less than people. Each dog has its own story. For example, a pug named Mosya, which was brought from the “Debaltsevo cauldron” to the capital in the winter of 2015, is missing part of its head. The animal, according to experts, received a shrapnel wound.
“Her muzzle was torn off. The patch and most of the lower and upper jaw are missing. But she is very kind and affectionate. An owner has already been found for her and in a few days she will leave for new family to Moscow,” the manager noted.
Employees share: more than half of the dogs injured in artillery shelling have been placed with new families. About 12-15 pets are found monthly with the help of Donetsk volunteers. In 2016 alone, about 100 animals were taken into care.
“Many dogs are taken by residents of Moscow, St. Petersburg, and they are also taken to Germany, but mainly disabled dogs. We keep in touch with each family, and some still send photos of their pets,” the dog handler added.
The shelter has dogs of various breeds: from Pekingese and mongrels to shepherds and Labradors. Most of them were shot at. For some, this experience was useful in serving in the armed forces of the Republic. As noted in PIF, DPR military personnel contacted the nursery several times to take the animal “for service.”
“There were cases when dogs were taken by the military to guard their facilities. Agreements were drawn up with everyone, everything was formalized. In total, about 30 dogs were taken from us,” said Afonina.
The shelter is located in the Budennovsky district in the eastern part of Donetsk. Today there are about 800 dogs living here. Despite all the difficulties, the staff tries to create the most comfortable conditions for the residents.
As the correspondent told DAN livestock specialist Olga Zakorytnaya, on the territory of the shelter there are approximately 200 enclosures, each of which houses four to five dogs. Three people look after them every day.
“All our dogs are well-fed, vaccinated, sterilized. Every day we cook 2000 liters of porridge, which is about two liters for each head. We feed once a day, but give double the norm. We clean the enclosures twice a day,” notes an employee of the institution.
According to her, for proper feeding a minimum of 50 kilograms of meat is needed daily. Better - 100. In case of shortage, bread and other products are added to the brew. Mostly, food assistance is provided by enterprises. Ordinary citizens also help by donating money. Employees use them to purchase meat bones at a reasonable price.
“Last year we received humanitarian aid from Russia. We didn’t ask, people themselves found out about our existence. It was dry animal food and medicines,” Zakorytnaya said.
The area of the nursery reaches 1.5 hectares. On the territory there is a training ground where dogs are trained. Animals with illnesses, injuries or in need of special care are hospitalized. The clinic is equipped with an operating room where specialists provide medical care to their “patients”.
“We have a dog, Laifa, who came to us with sore legs. Apparently, her paws were tied with some kind of metal loop, and her blood circulation was disrupted.
We tried to save her, but, unfortunately, we were able to save only one paw. She’s been living like this for three years now, she’s used to it, she’s a very cheerful dog, she runs around, you know how,” the livestock specialist shares his memories with journalists.
Volunteers try to attract public attention to the problem and find a home for street animals through various events. For example, excursions for schoolchildren are regularly held. And for the coming fall, they have planned a social project “Friend”, within the framework of which employees will give lessons on animal training to children.
“Classes will be held on weekends for two months. Upon completion of the courses, the children will receive a certificate of acquisition of trainer skills,” the charity institution informed.
There are also 10 kittens living on the territory of the PIF. As the management noted, they were taken in out of the kindness of their hearts, since the institution specializes exclusively in dogs. However, the cats here are cared for no less: they are fed and, if necessary, provided with all the necessary medical care.
“We, of course, always need medicine and food. We had no funding before, we always survived on donations, but now, when there is war, we understand that first of all we need to help people and in many ways we have no time for dogs. But there are those who still bring us some food. The world is not without good people,” concluded Zakorytnaya.
The shelter for homeless animals "PIF" was created on July 22, 2005. It is located on the basis of a former motor transport enterprise. The staff consists of 26 employees and about 15-20 permanent volunteers. Before the war, 34 people worked in the nursery.
As before the war, they are engaged in catching stray animals with subsequent sterilization, providing medical care to injured or sick dogs, feeding and training their pets in various commands.
Due to the fact that the institution is located far from the contact line, its infrastructure was not damaged as a result of the fighting.
