The apartment door opens on Saturday, September 28, to the anguished and tired face of a 24-year-old soldier. Seven days have passed since Serhiy Hnezdilov made a radical decision by publicly announcing his decision to“abandon without having been authorized to do so” his ’56 unitmy mechanized infantry brigade “until clear conditions of service are established” or up to 25my birthday, legal age to move. A desperate form of protest to draw attention to the lack of prospects for demobilization of soldiers committed since the beginning of the invasion, while the army is still struggling to recruit enough men to replace them. “We cannot continue like this: one man has to defend the country until the end of his life, while another simply continues living normally”explains Serhiy Hnezdilov.
The message, published on Facebook, provoked numerous reactions on social networks and in the country’s media. Some see it as a healthy gesture, while others criticize an irresponsible decision that could encourage other defections, as kyiv’s armed forces continue to retreat in the face of attacks by the Russian army on the Donbass front.
The scope of the event had all the more resonance as the young man, who volunteered in 2019 during the Donbass war to fight on the Pisky front, in the Donetsk region, already had a small reputation as an activist and soldier that he maintained. through his Facebook. page. Serhiy Hnezdilov was also known for his long interviews with Ukrainian personalities, often politicians or activists, which he produced as a journalist for the Ukrainian media Hromadskeas well as for his participation in the organization of a festival on national culture, in the south of the country. Activities that have now earned him numerous criticisms on the networks about his legitimacy as a fighter. “I always did it on my vacations”explains calmly.
“They are looking for me”
Since his return to the capital, Serhiy Hnezdilov has periodically changed telephone numbers and apartments for fear of being detained by the authorities and sent back to the front. “They are looking for me,” says, rightly or wrongly, the one who smokes cigarettes while he watches with concern the comings and goings in the parking lot. He hopes a high-profile trial will continue to draw attention to the issue. Proof of the sensitivity of his case is that four lawyers have already rejected his request.
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