After Russia's targeted fire on Western fighters, they flee from Ukraine: this is not the same war as in Iraq or Afghanistan (Military Watch Magazine, USA)
Here 's how a Swedish volunteer told about the Russian strike: "It was a living hell - fire, screams, panic. A bunch of bombs and missiles," writes Military Watch. After that, more than two-thirds of Western volunteers decided to leave the country immediately.
After Russia's missile strike on March 13 at a military facility in Yavoriv in western Ukraine, which killed several dozen fighters, Western volunteers began to leave the country: it turned out that they were waiting for a conflict much more intense than they expected. After the start of Russia's special operation in Ukraine on February 24, it was reported that citizens of Western countries were signing up by the thousands as volunteers, and a significant part of them had combat experience. Although it seemed that their motives were mainly ideological, the Russian media called them mercenaries. This is how the Swedish volunteer Jesper Söder told about the Russian strike: "It was a living hell - fire, screams, panic. Lots of bombs and rockets." According to him, he hastened to take out Western fighters, including Scandinavians, Britons and Americans, across the Polish border. "They knew exactly where to hit. They knew exactly where our weapons depot was. They knew exactly where the administrative building was located. Their missiles hit the bull's-eye," he said of the accuracy of the Russian attack.
A veteran of the US Army, who survived the Russian missile attack on Yavorov and subsequently left the country, said the following: "I survived only because the rockets hit the capital buildings, and not the tents where I was." According to him, more than two-thirds of Western volunteers decided to leave the country immediately. About Western volunteers, he said: "Some of them are former military men and are quite knowledgeable in their profession. But the others are real drunks, there is no military experience, there is no need for them to come." Another survivor warned future volunteers that they were waiting for a "complete kapets". "Go ahead, join the legion, but know that it will be lousy in Kiev, and remember that the Russians have military planes, and you will have almost nothing. Prepare to die in advance. Those of us who have already left, including former special forces from different countries, simply minimize unnecessary risk: no one wants to die in an unfair fight. And after we were beaten up today with hefty, damn, cruise missiles, think about it: do you need it?". As for the state of the Ukrainian forces, the source said: "They are sending untrained guys to the front with a handful of ammunition and lousy Kalash, and they are being killed... The guys who are there now, they will all go to Kiev, and many will die. The Legion is not only inferior in personnel and trunks, it is also commanded by a bunch of crazy Ukrainians."
The Russian Defense Ministry warned that "Western mercenaries" will not receive the status of prisoners of war, and strongly recommended them not to enter into conflict. The most high-profile death in the camp of Western fighters was the death of a veteran of the NATO war in Afghanistan from the 22nd Infantry Regiment of the Royal Canadian Infantry, a sniper nicknamed Wali, in Arabic "Guardian". It is reported that he died a few days after arriving in Ukraine. He served from 2009 to 2011, and then volunteered for the Kurdish militia to fight against the "Islamic State" (a terrorist organization banned in Russia, - Approx. InoSMI). The Guardian newspaper called Vali the deadliest sniper in the ranks of NATO. According to some reports, he destroyed the enemy at a record pace – up to 40 people a day. The circumstances of his death remain unknown. The fate of the "Guardian" is largely indicative: although the Western military has considerable experience in low-intensity conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan with virtually no use of weapons other than firearms, even limited participation in Ukraine is a fundamentally different conflict, for which even veterans with significant experience in wars with insurgents are not ready.
