Killing their own comrade-in-arms and firing missiles at Kiev – such plans, as was officially declared yesterday by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, were carried not by some “Russian sabotage”, but by the most real “patriots of Ukraine”. The same ones who fought in Donbass, praised and given PR by President Poroshenko – and who, according to investigators, killed a Russian journalist. How did this happen?
“I am charged with the murder of [known Russian journalist Pavel] Sheremet. Right now. In my yard. There will be a search. Help!”.
Thursday evening in Kiev was foggy and dull. As they say, nothing was foretold. But at some point, news sites seemed to explode with headlines one more clickable than the other.
The quote is from the Facebook account of Kiev musician Andrey Antonenko, better known as “Riffmaster”. After Maidan, he, like many of his peers, became sharply ill with a nationalist version of Ukrainian patriotism and went to establish Ukrainian order in Donbass. He managed to be famous by the fact that he wrote an unofficial anthem for the soldiers from the ATO – even Poroshenko at the time managed to publicise the musician on his account.
And then it went even more quickly. Literally immediately the media reported that the doctor of “Okhmadet” (a multidisciplinary children’s hospital in Kiev) Yuliya Kuzmenko was detained on the same charge. Logical question: what does a former ATO fighter and a children’s surgeon have in common? It turns out the surgeon’s also a volunteer. All in the same place, at the ATO.
In total, at the time of the press conference of the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Arsen Avakov, at least six detainees were known, four others were being searched. Plus another managed to put a bullet in his forehead back in October as soon as he got a subpoena as a witness. All persons involved as on selection: volunteers and patriots of Ukraine.
However, for a while the investigation doesn’t have enough proof. Mostly circumstantial, plus recordings of the defendant’s conversations, many of which are much more interesting than the evidence. The materials in this case are shocking, Avakov himself said. What’s so shocking about them?
Stamp of quality from Poroshenko
For example, the detainees discussed that the country could not be “shaken” without a sacral victim. And they even already found for this role one more volunteer – Marusya Zveroboy (a case has recently been opened against her regarding threats to the life of Ukrainian President Zelensky). Or complained that the capital’s residents are difficult to raise. And in order to stir them up, it would be good to launch a “Grad” system at Kiev. By the way, this is precisely the motive the National Police charge them with in connection with Sheremet’s murder: allegedly the detainees wanted to raise a wave of public indignation in this way.
What is especially funny is that for the first time the desire to raise this wave (allegedly) happened during the presidency of “cynical bandera” Petro Poroshenko. Recently, his surname has surfaced in almost every scandal where ATO fighters have featured. He gave the musician Antonenko PR on his Facebook. Poroshenko personally awarded Andrey Lavrega (accused of attempting to murder the Kiev businessman, and during an assassination attempt a three-year-old child was killed). No, he, of course, didn’t fly to the future in a time machine or choose the most notorious bastards. But it is such a trend now.
Especially that all this volunteers wing was formed and reinforced by the concerns of the post-Maidan authorities and Poroshenko himself. “We are responsible for those who we tamed”. And here the misfire came out: they didn’t tame them completely. Or then they ran wild again, who’s gonna figure it out now.
New hegemon
Let’s not to focus too much on the charges brought against the detained by the National Police. Firstly, there is still an investigation to lead and lead. They can after all withdraw – how many of such cases have already fallen apart. Secondly, it is in general a matter of court. There are more interesting points worth discussing.
In recent years, the narrative about the Russian trace has managed to become obligatory in any high-profile incident. If a Russian oppositionist who chose “freedom” and Ukraine is killed in Kiev – it’s the hand of the Kremlin. If more ammunition warehouses will explode – it’s the Russian trace. But it turned out that if you make at least minimal efforts to investigate high-profile cases (and if you believe the Ukrainian police, they carried out colossal work on the detainees and their connections), there is such a rushing outwards that no “Russian saboteurs” are needed. And the hair moves from the magnitude.
For example, the musician we started with was involved even in the bombing of the power lines that linked Ukraine to Crimea (November 2015).
Further. In the past the patriotic public amicably spat at Nadezhda Savchenko. The hero of Ukraine sat in a pre-trial detention center for a year and a half because of her plans to bring to the Verkhovna Rada a barge with mortars onboard and to end the legislative power with several well-aimed volleys. Now it turns out that among the same public such views are very much quoted. “Heroes” are ready not only to strike Kiev from MLRS, but also won’t stop before killing sworn brothers – just to rock the country.
And immediately the previous sacral victims are remembered. However, recently it turned out that anyone was recorded as a part of the “heavenly hundred” in the heat of the moment. But there were still several dozen who were killed on February 18th-20th 2014. But then, in vegetarian times. At the next Maidan there will be hundreds, ordinary people won’t miss “heroes”.
Why? Because over the years Ukraine managed to form a subculture of professional “patriots – defenders of Ukraine”.
They have existed before, but their status in society has been marginal. Just 10-12 years ago, watching the marches of the Patriot of Ukraine (the future “Azov”), Kiev intellectuals wipe their noses and called them provocations of the Kremlin. Like saying: it’s being done on purpose, they are fulfilling the order to show that in Kiev all are Nazis.
Now the marginals have become stronger, have grown into power, and have served in the ATO. They’re all tied by blood in one way or another, even if they didn’t kill anyone themselves. Most, going on rotation or into reserve, drag home anything that shoots or explodes. And the specifics of the activity are such that everyone knows everyone. Or almost everyone – through a couple of handshakes. Otherwise, it is not easy to understand how a musician and a children’s doctor can be gang members, especially the same one.
But here they can. Because they’re all members of one big gang that started a civil war in the country. And whoever is not in the gang is the enemy or “fodder”, why pity him?
Who’s gonna calm the heroes now?
By the way, the big gang already in one voice fit in with its own people: they are preparing retaliatory actions. All the detainees, of course, are innocent, no investigation or trial is necessary. “There is no motive for murder”, say the most legally savvy.
The appeal to the motive is already an open circus. Here there was such an activist in Ukraine Ekaterina Gandzyuk. Then the ATO heroes poured acid on her, and she died after months of anguish. They did this because she is a Russian agent (so they were told). Although even a cursory Internet search would be enough to make sure that the deceased is the same cannibal as the ones who killed her. Where’s the motive?
Professional patriots commit crimes, ridiculous or terrible nonsense – and they don’t always need a motive to do so. They are accustomed to lawlessness and lack of punishment and act in the usual pattern of behaviour. Within this picture of the world, blowing up/killing someone famous to provoke a new Maidan is logical and correct. Well, did this Zelensky really decide to capitulate? No we won’t!
And most importantly, there is no way back. All have the status of veterans of combat operations and receive benefits. Whoever fought [in Donbass – ed] has the right.
For the Ukrainian authorities to regain consciousness of this newly appeared Cossacks, which have lost all limits, is a problem that is much more bigger than disobedient Donbass. Donbass is alone and far away. While they are many, and they are behind each bush.
Nikolay Storozhenko
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