By John Varoli, Substack, 12/4/24

Below is my exclusive interview with a Russian war reporter who grew up in Donetsk and lived in Kiev until 2018. She tells the truth that western regimes are trying to hide.

Svetlana Pikta was born in a mid-size city in the Volgograd Region, but at the age of two, her parents were sent to the Ukrainian Soviet Republic, to the city of Donetsk. At first, they lived in the suburbs, in Peski, and later in Donetsk itself. Her childhood and youth were spent there. She was part of the Ukrainian youth Olympic swimming team. Training was mostly in Kurakhove (where battles now rage), and competitions were all across Ukraine. She has visited nearly every city in Ukraine. Later, she moved to Kiev, where she lived for 18 years and her children were born there. During her last pregnancy, she was attacked by two dozen members of C14, a Ukrainian Neo-Nazi group that was angry with her opposition to Kiev’s brutal crackdown on Donbass. In 2018, she and her family fled to the city of Yaroslavl (Russia) where she now works in TV as a war reporter and often travels to the front.

Below is my full and unabridged interview with Svetlana, originally conducted in Russian and which I translated. All her observations are very interesting and insightful. But one of the most important is her confirmation that the Ukrainian Army began a murderous bombing of Donetsk and other cities in Donbass one full week before President Putin sent an expeditionary force to protect the locals and attempt to compel Kiev to sit at the negotiating table, (something that the West mistakenly calls “the Russian invasion”).

Q: What was life like in Donetsk before Kiev began to bomb the city?

• In 2013, life in Donetsk was very prosperous. The city competed with Kiev and often surpassed it in terms of both culture and infrastructure. The oligarch Rinat Akhmetov built Ukraine’s finest airport and finest stadium, the “Donbass Arena.” Businesses thrived. Nobody was concerned about language or politics; it seemed like everyone was only interested in making money.

Q: Why did Kiev bomb Donetsk and other places in Donbass in May 2014?

• When the so-called “Maidan” occurred in Kiev, Donbass was left with a choice: either die fighting or die without resisting. The illegal insurrection in Kiev saw the rise to power of radical nationalist forces intent on destroying ethnic Russians and all things Russian. Despite the efforts of the Soviet Union and later an independent Ukraine, Donbass never truly became Ukrainian (there had been a policy of forced Ukrainization). It became clear that Donbass was being prepared as a sacrificial pawn, a pretext to entice Moscow into a war with the many years of lawlessness and genocide of the local Russian population.
• The pro-western Maidan regime, which unfortunately was recognized by Russia, was entirely subordinate to the West. President Poroshenko promised, while speaking publicly, that “the children of Donbass will sit in basements [under bombs], while our [Ukrainian] children will study.” He made it clear that Kiev was going to continue to devastate Donbass. The Maidan [insurrection in winter 2014] was orchestrated to provoke a war with Russia; but Moscow hesitated and only entered the war in 2022, unfortunately. When I visited Donbass after fighting began, I saw children playing with the shells of bombs, and my hair turned gray.Donetsk boy plays with army projectile

Q: When you lived in Kiev did you protest against the massacres in Donetsk?

• At that time, camps were organized for Ukrainian children, encouraging them to collect items for the Neo-Nazis of the Azov regiment who actively destroyed Donbass and murdered civilians. Essentially, all the children of Ukraine were made to become complicit in the bloodshed of their fellow countrymen. In every school, they organized collections of blankets, socks, etc for Azov. Children were involved in training camps for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. This is a well-known tactic described by Dostoevsky in Demons — a shared crime binds together a group of people. Ukrainian society at that time lacked solidarity and purpose. Kiev used the war against the people of Donbass to unite the rest of Ukraine.
• One day, in a chat group raising funds for Ukrainian soldiers, I posted a photo of a monument commemorating the children of Donbass killed by the Ukrainian army. What happened? I was hounded and persecuted by Ukrainian journalists, the SBU [secret police], and later Neo-Nazis from C14, the youth wing of the “Svoboda” party affiliated with the SBU. My name was added to the Mirotvorets database [Kiev’s list of dissidents marked for assassination]. Ukrainian police ignored my complaints. I was pregnant and forced to hide daily from 9 AM to 6 PM except on weekends. Why only during those hours? We realized that Neo-Nazis appeared only during working hours, meaning they were on someone’s payroll. It was both amusing and sad, but after 6 PM we got a reprieve. They threatened violence when they pounded on my door. Eventually, I couldn’t bear it; I was too frightened. Moreover, I was pregnant. We decided to flee to Russia.

Q: Following Kiev’s bombing of Donbass, to where did most people flee?

• During the first bombings [2014-15], the vast majority of people — over a million — fled to Russia. At the time, White House press secretary Jen Psaki callously and cynically remarked that those refugees had gone “to visit their grandmothers” in Russia. Most later returned home, as they tired of living off Russia’s support.

Q: What was life like in Donetsk from 2014-2022?

• The years 2014-2016 were dramatic in the intensity of the conflict; later it was less-tense but still the shelling was deadly. The frontline regions didn’t see a single quiet day for eight years. I witnessed Ukrainian and Polish mercenaries, snipers, and nationalist battalions “entertaining” themselves by shooting at locals out of boredom. What struck me most was how locals, even six-year-old children, could identify the caliber, type of shell, and even the country of origin of ammunition by its sound. Over time, I also learned to distinguish “outgoing” and “incoming” fire, silent Polish mines, Grads, and howitzers. I was very cautious about where I stepped, many areas were littered with “Petals,” small mines that blow off a foot when stepped on. I especially pitied the elderly and children.Svetlana in Avdeevka after its liberation earlier this year

Q: Could you please tell us about how events developed in February 2022?

• A week before the SMO [Special Military Operation] began [Feb 24, 2022], Donetsk faced the heaviest artillery shelling since 2014. Earlier that month (February) nationalist battalions occupied schools in the Zaporozhya and Kherson regions to prepare for an assault on Crimea, (I made a report about this). The population of Donbass was offered mass evacuation to Russia, but 90% refused, having grown accustomed to life under shelling. On Feb 25, water supply ceased in Donetsk after the “Seversky Donets-Donbass” pumping station was shut down due to an energy disruption caused by Ukrainian sabotage. A distinctive feature of this period was the use of HIMARS and other Western 152-155mm shells targeting the city center, deliberately hitting civilian sites and gatherings. In June 2022, I witnessed a HIMARS strike on the central bus station. I saw firsthand the destruction of U.S. missiles, the many dead civilian bodies and the wounded with severed limbs.

Q: Has life improved in Donetsk since the Russian offensive began this year?

• After the liberation of Avdeevka and Krasnogorovka, Donetsk has had a slight sense of relief. There is now a fragile concept of “relatively safe districts of Donetsk,” which did not exist previously. Unfortunately, water issues remain severe, but there are a few hours of water supply daily to each area.

Q: Is Donetsk now able to rebuild itself?

• Large-scale reconstruction has begun. As soon as it is possible to build without immediate destruction from nearby fighting, construction firms and road workers are eager to get to work. Progress is slower than desired, but Russian authorities have managed to build highways, hospital clinics, maternity wards, and entire new neighborhoods. Nothing of this scale was achieved during the 30 years of Ukrainian rule.

Q: What is life like now in Donetsk?

• In Donetsk, I now have my own “paradise,” with water available for a few hours, and heating. My apartment is now warm! During water supply hours, the pressure is enough to run the washing machine, which is a great joy. Bathing still involves pouring water from a pot with a ladle, as the stream is too weak for a shower. But the main thing is the semblance of regular water supply. Usually, I spend mornings filming in different areas under shelling, and when I return, I’m thrilled to be able to wash in a warm apartment. Just six months ago, this was very difficult. I slept under three blankets in winter and bought water for washing.

Q: Could you please tell us about the people of Donetsk? What are they like?

• People in Donbass are mostly fatalists. They’ve lived for a long time prepared to die at any moment. The best depiction of these people comes from the sayings I’ve heard: “You won’t hear the shell that’s yours, so why panic?” or “I wear lace underwear so that I won’t be ashamed on the coroner’s table.” Donetsk residents have learned the value of community, closely interacting with neighbors since survival in war isn’t possible alone. Unfortunately, they’ve also become emotionally reserved — smiles or emotions are rare. Warm words are seldom heard. Actions are what matter. To outsiders, they may seem embittered, but this is simply the strictness and composure necessary for survival in war.Ukraine’s American and German-built tanks burn in the Zaporozhya Region — during the disastrous ‘counteroffensive’ of summer 2023

Q: You were recently on the front lines in Zaporozhya Region — what was it like?

• In the Zaporozhya region, I was in the frontline Pology district, in the Orekhov direction. I can confirm that there has been a shift in the front line near Robotino. At the time, it was minor, but the wheel has started turning. Many locals still live in fear of the SBU and the nationalist battalions and international brigades; that they might return. The locals fear being caught on camera. And in personal conversations, you hear things that make your hair stand on end. People refer to NATO military contractors and international brigades as “Germans,” which clearly has connotations of World War 2.
• There are also pro-Ukrainian individuals, but oddly enough, they were first in line for Russian passports and for the financial aid that Moscow distributed in the conflict zones. I’ve been visiting this area since 2022. Initially, I was told that the locals were all “waiters” (waiting for Ukraine to return), and to be cautious with them. But this is a complete lie spread by the fifth column and those Russian media magnates with villas in the EU. (Such people don’t want Russian people to reunite; they only care about preserving their money in the West and lifting sanctions, pretending to be patriots). These enemies of Russia are lying. The majority of the people in Zaporozhya were waiting for Russia — about 80%. I never return from Zaporozhya empty-handed. Locals give me honey, milk, and homemade wine; simple but heartfelt gifts from people living in a war zone.

Q: How is the fighting morale of Russian troops on the front?

• Regarding the troop’s morale on the front: it’s a unique place, where a sense of brotherhood prevails. The world today is very selfish, where people are isolated, even within families, and people often feel alone. We live in a consumer society where comfort has replaced love. On the front lines, however, it’s very different. You’ll see genuine brotherly love, as one soldier told me. Broken or selfish people can’t comprehend this. It reminds me of what my university professor, a World War 2 veteran, used to say. You go to the front to breathe the air of brotherhood. The world of the front lines and civilian life are as different as a plastic tomato is from a real one.
• This brotherhood extends not only among the soldiers but also to the locals. For example, some locals refer to soldiers as “son,” and they respond with “dad” or “mom.” They help one another; soldiers share food with locals, who in turn share their internet connections. They are always helping with repairs. Of course, this warmth is only found among the bravest. Many are still afraid that the Russian army might leave, and that there would be reprisals from the Ukrainian Army and SBU. But the number of such people has declined tenfold compared to 2022.