After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Ghost went to help Ukrainian defenders and spent more than a year and a half on the front. His specializations are sniper and combat medic, and for the most part he has worked saving the injured. But over the past half-year, he has had more to do with the gun in his hands.
The volunteer warrior was also present in areas recovered from the occupants. He described it as burnt-out land: "The Russian world has always left it [burnt-out land] behind and nothing changes in this war either. Destroyed houses, destroyed lives, mass graves. That's what's left behind the Russians."
The soldiers, meanwhile, have a lot of fatigue on the front, although there is still a fighting spirit as well. He described the situation as severe: "A very large number of fallen, there is no active progression forward, which doesn't only concern soldiers [..] but also soldiers are purely physically no longer capable of fighting as well as they did at the outset."
Conditions vary from front to front. “There are places where it's a bit better and there are opportunities to rest better, there are front sectors where it's all under the open sky for a week -- under shootings, drone attacks,” he said.
“We've been saying goodbye to someone almost every week over the last year,” he added.
In addition, there is a lack of equipment and ammunition on the front. “Everything is wildly lacking and absolutely everything is needed. We are slowly returning to a situation that was at the beginning of the war, only at a given point will it be much heavier as we face very well-protected positions. It must be acknowledged that the Russian army can shape defensive positions, and every attack on their positions is a major technical loss, a loss of people. ”
Ghost said that the Ukrainian front needed heavy machinery and artillery. While very high expectations have been placed on the fighter F-16 promised by pro-Ukraine countries, the question at the moment is whether it won't be too late.
He added that the impression was that the West had forgotten about a hard war in Ukraine. Given the difficult situation on the front, he said it would take a miracle to get Ukraine to victory.
Volunteer warriors from other countries are also increasingly leaving Ukraine.
He believes it would be important to consolidate the Ukrainian people right now. The obstacle to this is fatigue from war, potentially incorrect decisions by politicians, and a constant fight against corruption, which is also a palpable problem in terms of war, Ghost said.
