*The guy always speaks his mind. It's always about how he thought there would be a social revolution, and now he's wandering around getting shot at.
http://slavyangrad.org/2015/05/06/aleksey-mozgovoy-in-this-war-there-will-be-no-victory/
Alchevsk, 9th April, 2015
An interview with the well-known Donbass Militia field commander, Aleksey Mozgovoy, commander of the Prizrak Brigade, now part of the People’s Militia of the self-proclaimed People’s Republic of Lugansk. Notwithstanding his official position, today he is, probably, one of the leading critics of the LPR leadership.
Orhan Dzhemal: I am very interested in the political situation in the LPR, because the war continues, but there is much talk of the post-war reconstruction of the state. As far as I understand, it is in the Lugansk Republic that the complexity of this process is demonstrated most clearly.
Aleksey Mozgovoy: It’s too early yet to talk of post-war reconstruction. The fact that there is a cease-fire does not mean that there is peace. Almost all our attention is still focused on the front line.
OD: It seems that many of the recent heroes of the LPR, well-known field commanders, have had difficulties with the authorities of the Republic.
AM: They do not have difficulties with the leadership itself, but with the policy pursued by the leadership.
OD: And what is that policy?
AM: Well, let’s say that it does not answer to the demands that the people put forward in March and April of last year. Everybody then declared loud and clear that the most important thing was the welfare of the people. But what do we see in fact? All that remains of the people is the ‘P’ in the title LPR.
In my opinion, if we are to build something new, and even more so if we are to build, let us say, a part of new Russia, of New Rus, of Novorossiya, then we simply must get away from all previous methods of government, all previous ways of relating to the people, and create something new. First of all, in my view, there should be total transparency in all matters from the start. Transparency and clarity for every citizen. If an official takes a step, it should be clear why he took it. If a decision is made, even if it is not discussed with the people, at least it should be arrived at in a transparent manner. To be clear—does it serve the interests of the people or just the interests of the bureaucrats?
OD: What is happening in fact?
AM: In fact, we have reverted to our old ways. Corruption is rampant. The use of administrative resources by the head of the Republic is the same as it was with the governor of the previous Lugansk region. The television and the press operate only to display how much we love our leader. Just like before.
OD: Are there problems between your military unit and the command?
AM: At the beginning they tried to disband us. Here is what they told us: “We will integrate you into the LPR Army, but only as an addition to units already formed.” That is, their object was to disperse us, and merge us into existing units so that we ceased to exist.
OD: But will you now be integrated in the emerging structure?
AM: We are integrated. We exist as a brigade. We obey the supreme commander of the LPR troops. But I want to say something about the total blockade of the humanitarian aid which our subdivision was receiving. With this, we provided food for the local population; we had four canteens, where people came to eat: from mines, from factories, from small villages, kindergartens, schools. We shared all this aid with the civilian population. All this is also blocked.
OD: What do you mean “blocked”?
AM: It is now impossible to bring in humanitarian aid.
OD: But the aid was collected in Russia, loaded up, and delivered to you. Where have obstacles arisen?
AM: Everywhere. Including with the Russian Federation customs. You probably heard about the last load. In Yekaterinburg, a complete unit of volunteers collected and brought with them a cargo of humanitarian aid, including for the civilian population. They brought with them their belongings, brought food, medicines and equipment for hospitals. The cargo was turned back at customs because it exceeded the maximum permitted tonnage. Five tons were stopped at the border. How can you impose a weight restriction on humanitarian aid, if it is humanitarian? Basically, cutting us off from supplies makes us dependent. This is one of the control mechanisms.
OD: Is there a central supply of humanitarian aid? Does anything get to you from that?
AM: Each time that we see in the media how pompously the convoys arrive, but not once have I seen how this aid is distributed. Why are the same cameras not recording the distribution of this aid in remote villages?
OD: And does it ever reach these remote villages?
AM: I do not know. I am not going to speculate. We were recently in the town of Frunze talking with this grandfather who had worked for forty years on the railway. He has received nothing for nine months.
OD: Do you attribute this to bureaucratic disorganization or simply to corruption?
AM: War is such an interesting thing: some die, others reap huge profits. Humanitarian aid—this is one of the sources of such income. The more there is, the more there is to steal….
