“I’m not supporting Ukraine, I’m not supporting Russia. I’m supporting that mother who is sitting at home and waiting for her son to come back home. Because that mother from Russia, she’s crying exactly the same as a mother from Ukraine.”
Those are the words of Arthur from Wigton, a man who has just returned to the UK after spending almost three weeks on the frontline in Ukraine.
Arthur got a flight to Wrocław in Poland at the beginning of last month, before then making the seven-hour trip to Hrubieszów/Medyka on the border with Ukraine.
This is the area where much of the humanitarian work is taking place.
He was called to re-form his old unit and do their bit to support Ukraine. His involvement started when Arthur raised over £600 from friends and family prior to his visit, and after making his own contribution, he spent £1,000 on milk for newborn babies.
After delivering the milk, Arthur decided he would not be needed for humanitarian acts, but instead he turned his hands to providing training to volunteers on how to use military equipment in Ukraine.
“The rich countries, they don’t use the old dated equipment, so we took people through how these work, how to put everything together and so on,” he said.
“Mainly it was to show them how to use all equipment. So that was the first couple of days and after that, we moved towards the Kyiv area.
“We tried to cut the ring that Russia tried to close around Kyiv.
“Russian troops that came in the first wave and stopped outside Kyiv, these were heavily armoured units and there were a lot of them. Troops were supported by heavy artillery, armed vehicles, helicopters and aeroplanes.
“So basically we were trying to secure the streets, so the Ukraine heavy equipment could go through and obviously break the ring that the Russian army was closing very quickly around Kyiv.
“So we were doing that for a little. Apparently, we managed but I don’t have that information.
“I’m only told you’re going here, you need to be doing the job on that street or in a specific area and you’re coming back and that’s it. It’s well organised, fast and effective operations.”
Change in conflict
But it was the bombing of Lviv airport that signalled a change in the conflict, according to Arthur.
“After they shell the Lviv airport, we came back to that area for a little while. It will take a long time to dig these people out from under this rubble because nothing was left over there,” he said.
“This is where they were old bunkers where Ukraine was keeping atomic equipment and components before Russia, the United States and the United Kingdom promised them security and they removed the atomic weapons from Ukraine.
“It is horrible to say. It is a war against the whole population, not only the military and infrastructure. It came at a time and moment when everything started to change and I realised that the conflict is different to others.”
One of the toughest challenges facing Arthur and his unit has been the temperature.
“During the day, it’s fine,” he said. “But during the night, I never faced something like that. The temperature changing so rapidly.
“For me, the temperature was the biggest issue because you are carrying quite a lot of clothing with you just to keep you warm through the night.
“In the daytime, you’re literally just putting on a basic uniform and that’s it. In the nighttime, you’re putting on jumpers, you’re putting Gore-Tex on, you’re putting everything on and you’re still cold.
“And you’re still hoping that you will be okay. Obviously no light, you can’t use any heater because you can make yourself an easy target.
“The nights are horrible.
“Other than that, for me, it’s just another day in the office after so many years in the special forces before retirement.”
Has he had to fire his weapon?
“When you’re cutting grass, you can’t cut the grass without the blade,” said Arthur.
“For you, you’re holding a pen or pencil, or whatever you’re doing the notes with, that is your work tool.
“For me, the work tool is military equipment. People say, ‘well he’s got a weapon’, but for me, that’s the work tool like any other. It is like a tractor for the farmer, if used with intention of harming someone, a tractor can be a weapon.
“I’m not here to plant flowers or look after the homeless or animals. I’m here to defend a country that has been attacked by a very powerful aggressor, and doing my best so that a warzone does not spread any further in Europe.”
Arthur served in special forces until retirement, including in Afghanistan, but he says this conflict is unique.
“Being in the service for many years, I haven’t seen anything like that,” said Arthur.
“This war is changing the world. I think by now the world realises how different this war is.
“It’s not a war, it’s slaughter. How the heck are they going to bring to justice the people who are responsible for that? I’ve got no idea.”
Pain is equally felt
Arthur is continually asked who he supports when operating in the conflict zone.
“That Russian child is in exactly the same pain as a little child from Ukraine,” he said.
“That’s what I support, them little lives that are the future of the nation. Not an army. People don’t deserve something like that.
“I grew up in a Russian regime, it’s a really tough life and if I can help in any kind of way I will try because that’s not life, that’s full control of the people.
“I know a lady, she has been a journalist for many years. She tried to explain to her cousin that lives in Russia that the war is on in Ukraine and she didn’t believe it, she didn’t believe a word.
“She’s saying, ‘What? What war in Ukraine?’
“That shows you how people in Russia are cut off from the rest of the world with information and how they are brought up so a member of the family couldn’t explain to their cousin that a war is happening, people are dying.
“People in Russia, they didn’t know. Now they know.”
What is it like operating in a warzone?
“You are basically 24 hours around the clock and that is why when we go out in the field and come back, we are so exhausted,” said Arthur.
“You are catching up on sleep, in random places, making sure you’re not going to be seen by unfriendly forces.
“I think the first time when I went out, I came back after four or five days. I was dreaming about a hot shower. That was the first thing I wanted. I went into the shower with my uniform on because everything stunk.
“We have been struggling with drinking water. We didn’t expect that.
“So usually when you’re going towards the urban area where people left in the hurry, there’s going to be some kind of shop or running water.
“Just to go and get a drink, but unfortunately the water was a rare sight.
“That was a really big struggle. In my tactical vest, you’ve got a drinking pouch and that has to last for the whole of the operation.
“Because I know if I run out, I’ve got no spare bottle.”
He said the pouch holds between 1.5 and 1.7 litres.
Hidden from view
One of the biggest issues for those fighting in Ukraine is that the enemy is hidden from view.
“That is why we are not as busy as we were expecting to be, because they are sitting in the tins, like sardines,” said Arthur.
“But any Russian operating unit on foot were taken under control very quickly by us on every single corner and street that we were send to. We’ve got no losses, absolutely no losses. But I’m not sure about other operating units.
“I’ve got a little scratch, I think on my head because the branch went straight into my head.
“I think that’s the biggest loss that we have and a couple of blisters on my feet. That’s it.
“No one has been injured, no one has been shot. Of course, we’ve been fired at and we’ve had contact with the enemy.”
Without experience, without knowledge
“Russian soldiers, they came without experience, they came for training, that is the information they had from their command base,” said Arthur.
“They were still thinking that they were training. It is like comparing a lion to a zebra. In that situation, we were the lion, with experience, knowledge and support from local farmers.
“That’s exactly the situation. In Russia, you’ve got the military law that every so often, every male resident has to do their military training.
“I don’t know how long it is, but that’s the people that came. Probably they’re really nice guys, they have families. They came for training and they find themselves in the middle of this.
“So these Russian units went out very quick. Everything that was on foot was under control very quick.
“And the rest are sitting in tins. That’s it. We can’t see them. That’s why we backed up because there is nothing we can do. That was a time for Ukrainian heavy artillery to take over.”
Arthur returned to the UK last week and will continue to assess how the situation unfolds.
On whether he will return, he will wait and see, he said.
But from the UK, he will try and organise humanitarian support.
