French fighters operate on the ground in the Bakhmout region, in eastern Ukraine, on what is called the zero line, where the most delicate operations are carried out. They are volunteers engaged in the International Legion. They recount the ferocity of the fighting, but also the lack of equipment within the Ukrainian army, which puts their lives in danger every day.
With our special correspondent in the Donbass, Vincent Souriau
We’ll call him Doc, because that’s one of his specialties: treating the wounded under enemy fire. He is part of a group of French people from the military background, in charge of sensitive missions near the Russian lines. ” In the beginning, we were extracting civilians, we were going to look for them in the middle of the conflicts, he says. There, at present, we mainly carry out reconnaissance missions and assaults on Russian positions. »
The siege of Severodonetsk and Lyssychansk, the battle of Soledar, and now northwestern Bakhmout, after a year of war in Ukraine, they have plowed the Donbass and say they are lucky to be alive, because according to these experienced fighters – several of them went through the Foreign Legion – the ground troops are completely left to their own devices.
“ Here the future can change very very quickly »
” We find ourselves with very little air support, armored vehicles and even personnel, in a situation that our elders experienced during the Second World War, continues Doc. Some even went home because it was too much for them, in the sense of no air support. There is nothing, so it was inconceivable that they could stay like that, because they are not used to it. We are not trained in this kind of fight, to tell ourselves that we will not have support, whatever it may be. »
Did they experience casualties within their unit? We won’t know. But when asked if he plans to stay in Ukraine much longer, Doc replies, with a forced chuckle: Let’s say that for the moment, I’m here and tomorrow, we’ll see, because here the future can change very very quickly, so I’m not going ahead. »
► Find all our articles and reports on the war in Ukraine by clicking here