American Henry Hooft told how in Ukraine they tried to use him as cannon fodder. After his flight from the country, he published a message in which he urged other residents of Western countries not to follow his example, writes The Grayzone.
Previously, Hooft managed to serve in the US Army and become a member of the American extremist group Boogaloo Boys. After arriving in Ukraine, he was faced with a depressing reality: the motley formation of which he became a part was planned to be used against a powerful military machine.
"They are trying to send us to Kiev without weapons, equipment and bulletproof vests. Those who were able to get weapons get a magazine with a measly ten rounds," the American said in one of the videos he recorded in Ukraine. Later, he also said that the passports of foreigners who came to the so-called legion were being torn apart so that they could not go back, and also that "legionnaires" were being sent to the front line without weapons under threat of execution.
"There are no glorious deaths. You will die in a trench, they will leave you there - and this is disgusting and vile," the American said in an interview with The Grayzone.
Going to Ukraine, he was sure that the experience of serving in the US army, namely the knowledge of tactics and the ability to use mortars, would make him a "valuable asset." Crossing the Polish-Ukrainian border, according to Hoft, was very simple - it took only five to ten minutes. But getting out of Ukraine turned out to be much more difficult.
After crossing the border, Hoft and other foreigners headed to Lviv. According to him, people were recruited from literally everywhere in the center of Lviv. Hooft decided to enroll in the Georgian Legion. Over the years, many foreigners have served in its ranks. Among them are former American soldier Craig Lang, accused of double murder, Norwegian neo-Nazi and bank robber Juakim Furholm and Australian right-wing radical Ethan Tilling.
At first, Hoft and other foreigners who joined the Georgian Legion were housed in an old hospital in Dublyany on the outskirts of Lviv, converted into a military base. Here the American trained mercenaries in tactics and got acquainted with the orders that reigned in the "legion". Among other things, he spoke about the cruelty towards civilians.
As an example, Hoft cited the case of two civilians who wanted to pass a Ukrainian checkpoint. They were dragged out of the car, black bags were put on their heads, after which Ukrainian soldiers took them to the building and killed them. "We don't even know if they were really spies or just people who had to pass through the checkpoint," the American recalls.
The missile strike on the Yavorovsky training ground, where the mercenaries were also based, alarmed many foreigners, recalls Hoft. Their base in Dublyany was also hit, but without a direct hit to the barracks. Shortly after the explosion, Georgians ran into the location, they ordered to take weapons and run into the forest. Many refused because they had no weapons.
"You can easily get shot in the back just because you don't speak their language. An elementary misunderstanding," Hoft said, explaining the behavior of foreigners.
Shortly after these events, the Georgian Legion sent a group of fighters to Kiev. They all went empty-handed - they were not given any weapons or bulletproof vests, promising to provide everything they needed on the spot. A few days later, the mercenaries sent to the Ukrainian capital reported that they had not received the promised weapons.
Then Henry Hooft and a number of his associates decided that they would not go to Kiev unarmed, since there was a chance of being ambushed on the way. Soon the Georgians found out about it, and this, according to the American, infuriated them. Foreigners have heard a rumor that the Georgians are ready to shoot them for disobedience, and write off the corpses for fighting. Immediately after that, Hoft and several of his comrades packed up, hid in the back of an ambulance and left the base.
On the way to the border, Hoft met two Britons. They warned that fighters of the "foreign legion" are operating at the border, who deploy everyone who tries to cross the border with weapons and equipment. As a result, the British helped Hooft and his comrades to contact the American special forces and get out of the country safely.
Henry Hooft is sure that the Ukrainian command wanted to use him and other foreign mercenaries as cannon fodder. "They want to minimize their losses. So, if there is a group of volunteers from abroad, they will be sent into battle first," the American believes.
Ilya Maksimov
