According to Kuparashvili, the authorities have not heard from the military for eight years.
Instructor of “Azov” Georgy Kuparashvili stated that it was difficult not only for the representatives of his regiment to convey to the authorities the information that this war could not be avoided, but also for all units of the National Guard and the Armed Forces. During a interview with ZN.UA policy editor Inna Vedernikova , he stated that the authorities had not heard of the military. > “Azov” has been preparing for war for eight years. And because of this we have always had problems with the government. They looked at us askance and did not trust us. This is how you looked at the radicals. But Azov didn't just want to fight. Azov has always understood that war is inevitable. And here you do not need to feel something, make astrological predictions and so on. The state simply needed to analyze the facts. As we did. We had a plan of possible defense ready, including Kherson, Berdyansk, and Melitopol, where part of the Russian forces went on February 24. We have updated this plan every year, – said Kuparashvili. – We were and remain a unit of the National Guard, which is part of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. That's why everything was handed over to the command of the National Guard. Most likely, there was no communication between the National Guard and the General Staff of the Armed Forces. The General Staff has always had its own vision. Why weren't we handed over to the troops and kept under the wing of the Ministry of Internal Affairs? Definitely not a question for me. I am not an expert in the political context. “
He believes that if the state had been preparing for war all these eight years in the same way as Azov did, the situation would be radically different now.
“Because when the state has a strong army, they start counting on it. They don't go to war on it, they agree on it. They came to us in 2014 and didn't start negotiating with us in 2022. Although Ukraine was eight years old To disagree with Minsk at the foreign policy level means to create a basis for such a position inside the country. This is an axiom. However, the second echelon, which followed the radicals of 2014, unfortunately did not cope with this main state task, “Kuparashvili said.
Read also: The capture of Mariupol will not end the war. Ukraine needs to unite in a family – Azov combat instructor
As you know, on the night of May 17, Deputy Defense Minister Anna Malyar said: “GUR Ministry of Defense, Armed Forces, National Guard and Border Guard Service launched a joint operation to rescue defenders of Mariupol blocked on the territory of the Azovstal plant. 53 seriously wounded were evacuated from the Azovstal catacombs to the Novoazovsk medical facility for medical care. Another 211 people were taken to Olenivka through a humanitarian corridor. >
Both settlements are located in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, in the so-called “DPR”.
An exchange procedure will be carried out to further return the soldiers home. As for the defenders who remain on the territory of Azovstal, joint efforts are being made by the above-mentioned agencies to save them. Unfortunately, it is impossible to unblock Mariupol by military means. The most important thing now is to save the lives of our military. “
Read more articles by Inna Vedernikova at the link.
See the special topic: Russia has stated that Kyiv has withdrawn from the talks The occupiers fired on Kharkiv region: two killed and ten wounded Russian troops in Kharkiv region are focused on holding positions and preparing an offensive in the Izyum area. Evacuation of the military from Azovstal: what is known The President noted that the process has just begun. He stated that Ukraine needs living heroes, meaning the entire Mariupol garrison. A humanitarian operation is underway on the territory of Azovstal – Vereshchuk The day before, 52 seriously wounded Ukrainian servicemen were evacuated. Law enforcement officers have identified another suspect in violence against women in the Kyiv region This is the second Russian rapist exposed – 20-year-old Bulat Fassakhov.
