The "Blind Fury" unit works in the Bakhmut direction and participates in special operations, which can't be disclosed but whose successes the whole world knows about. They are volunteers who defend our country as part of the Ukrainian Volunteer Army without receiving wages or payments from the state.
Oleksiy Tsybulko, the "Blind Fury" unit commander with the call sign "Mowgli," never dreamed of a military career. At one point, he even "derailed" himself from the army. He is the vice-champion of Europe in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and works in IT, which he still combines with military service.
"Mowgli" told online.ua about the peculiarities of service in the volunteer army and how it is similar to the Cossacks, the motivation of the "Blind Fury" mortarmen, black humour among fellow soldiers and how you can use your fear to your advantage.
Unregistered Cossacks in the modern army
We are a fire support unit that covers the infantry with artillery. We have mortars, SPG and guns. There is also a direction of aerial reconnaissance. We took part in the Kharkiv counteroffensive and are now working in the Bakhmut direction.
Now it is interesting to work in cooperation with many other units. A lot has been written about it, but I will not say directly what was done.
I am a project organiser. The unit can also be perceived as a project. I manage a group of people to accomplish tasks as efficiently as possible. My squad is entirely self-sufficient. No matter how it sounds, some people must have weapons, food, and uniforms. Volunteer fees and donations from patrons support us. We do not have any social benefits or insurance packages. Salaries, of course, too.
We are not organised like the military, because we are a volunteer army. There have always been registered Cossacks and non-registered Cossacks. We are unregistered Cossacks.
Russians are motivated by hatred of Ukrainians
War is archaic entertainment for cattle. We do not participate in it voluntarily. The only chance for us to survive is to defend ourselves. I do not understand the motivation of the Russians to fight with another state.
Our enemy is a highly motivated opponent who hates Ukrainians as a nation. Disdain for Ukrainians has been cultivated in Russia throughout history.
Oleksiy "Mowgli" Tsybulko
The "Blind Fury" unit commander
Russians firmly believe that we are Nazis and fascists. For many of them, war is the only goal in life. The main thing we are facing now is their motivation. We thought that they were being driven to war with a whip, but now we see that they are coming here to kill. Russians hate us.
We thought that their propaganda was designed for morons. The fact that there are Nazis in Ukraine was taken as an idiotic joke. And then, when a state of 140 million people believed in it, it became no laughing matter.
Our victory is the only chance to survive
Ukrainians cannot step back because we fight back with our backs against the wall. When Russian troops enter the city, then the genocide of the Ukrainian people takes place.
It will be 1937 again, Russians will settle here, and Ukrainians will be resettled in Russia. Their task is to destroy the Ukrainian state and nation. We are ready to fight to the end, it is not profitable for the Russians.
You cannot exterminate all people, but you can resettle to create artificial assimilation, and then there will be no national protest, no national thought and no cohesion.
Russians never repent of their crimes. They justify Holodomor, wars, and genocide.
Militancy is their national idea. They believe they have not lost a single war and are seemingly invincible.
Ukraine's victory is the only chance for our country to survive.
Oleksiy "Mowgli" Tsybulko
The "Blind Fury" unit commander
Russia wants to create a big totalitarian machine again. The question is not the number or size of the territory but the sphere of influence. Putin wants Ukraine to follow shadowy orders, just like Belarus. They are creating their quasi-republics and quasi-states in all countries to control them.
Europeans still don't see a threat
A democratic society still does not understand what is happening. They don't see Russia's war against Ukraine as a threat to the whole world. The average European cannot believe that such an archaic thing as war can exist.
Europeans don't understand that here people are raped and killed, shot simply for tattoos.
We take the supply of weapons from Western partners as a given. And how many weapons did we provide for protection? For example, when Syria had a conflict in Aleppo.
We should be grateful that we are given weapons. If they transfer less, we should still be thankful. You need to adjust your production and rely on yourself, not only on external partners.
Ukraine can be a strong state without joining any international organisations. Moreover, we see that there is not much benefit from them.
We went a bit overboard with the propaganda
People get used to war, which is a normal body reaction. We can't live in a stressful situation all the time. However, it is necessary to remind people about the war. The propaganda should show not only victories but also real threats. We went a bit overboard with our propaganda.
Some civilians think that Patron the Dog flies on a Javelin or a Bayraktar and beats them all. But only people win with great sacrifices and efforts.
Our propaganda doesn't always show this is a brutal war with a formidable and prepared opponent.
Respect for the military has disappeared because we are fighting with "Ivans" and "Mobs" [Russian mobilised people — Ed.], whom you kill with one hand and correspond within the chat with the other. It doesn't like this.
Oleksiy "Mowgli" Tsybulko
The "Blind Fury" unit commander
It cannot be cultivated that we are fighting a weak opponent. The Ukrainian army is doing a tough job. Therefore, providing information as honestly as possible without endangering state secrets is necessary.
Without the military, you will have nothing. There will be no Ukraine, no cities, no families, no houses.
We saw Bucha. There are such towns and villages all over Ukraine. I saw villages that were wiped off the face of the earth. Perhaps worse things happened there than in Bucha, but no one writes about it.
Motivation to confront the enemy
I don't understand why people aren't motivated to join and help the army.
If Russia comes here, you will have nothing. The only chance to protect our territories and freedom is to fight.
What motivation is needed not to die? You don't run under a car that will hit you.
A military machine is coming at us, which will beat the whole country to death if we do not resist it. The simplest motivation is to survive.
On the contrary, I find it strange that people are looking for motivation. War will come to every house when our forces are insufficient to restrain the enemy. Russia does not have the goal of capturing only the border regions. There is a goal to destroy Ukraine as a state and destroy the Ukrainian nation.
It amazes me when people are still looking for motivation. It is in front of you. It would be best to remember that everything that has happened in the occupied territories must strengthen your motivation to fight against the enemy.
People who could not officially fight, but this is their choice, join the volunteer unit. My fighters don't like to sit around. They want to complete tasks.
In the unit, there is a queue for gun and mortar duty. I don't have people who were driven in with a whip.
After the victory, I would like to go back to everyday life. I have something to do and something to live for. That is why it is difficult for us to fight because the Russians are totalitarian oppressed cattle who have no purpose in life except the Holy War.
I have programmers, managers, designers, and students fighting in my unit. They had plans for this life. Someone has enough financial status to travel around the world.
We have something to do. Therefore, for me, victory is an opportunity to return to everyday life.
Advantages of the Ukrainian Volunteer Army
Those who want to join our unit can write to the Ukrainian Volunteer Army's recruiting centre. The main thing is to have a desire. Training is conducted in rear cities, not far from the front line, with no battles. When a person receives a military profession, he will gradually be involved in combat tasks. No one immediately rushes to a challenging and risky mission.
Many people think that if they mobilised yesterday, they would already be in Bakhmut the day before — this is not the case. And where it is, an investigation should be conducted at the state level. Why was a person sent on combat missions without training?
Our goal is to perform combat tasks as efficiently as possible. A person without training and who is morally unstable cannot be practical at the front.
If a person does not take out morally, they will look for another place to bring benefit. For example, he can cook for the guys from the shift. The person who prepares the food and fights serves the same purpose. Everyone contributes to the destruction of the enemy. Therefore, you can be helpful, even if you are not ready to take up arms.
Letting a person on a task is unnecessary if he does not lead morally. Physical strength does not decide anything in war. If you can carry your equipment, that's enough.
The main thing is not physical strength, but moral preparation. Combat missions are associated with the risk of death.
It is not a typical situation when you understand that they want to kill you from that side.
When I first came to the war, I tried to realise that the Russians would be happy to kill me. It is their goal.
Oleksiy "Mowgli" Tsybulko
The "Blind Fury" unit commander
Not everyone can stand it morally.
Jokes on the front line, FSB and Labrador
Funny situations in war are those you couldn't even get come back. The day after we knocked out the enemy from there, we entered the village of Petropavlivka in the Kharkiv region.
We don't have everything as a volunteer unit, so we were looking for trophy weapons. We were looking for something in the neighbouring house, and acquaintances with their Labrador dog drove up. We were looking at something near the house, and they were whistling. I think the owners are whistling at the dog, and it must have run away somewhere. They continued to whistle.
It turned out that there were "lost occupiers" in that building, there were professionals there — Russian special forces and the FSB.
We later assaulted this house and eliminated them. This situation is funny because, at first, we were going to that house without weapons. We didn't think there was anyone left there.
Everyone constantly jokes about things that don't boggle the mind in war. For example, "I hope that after your mission, you'll return, and there will be twice as many legs as you." Or "I'll take your equipment if you're taken down," or "I hope they kill you in the head, not the body, because you have a good [bulletproof] vest."
Black humour is one means of survival in war. There are a million funny situations, but if you evaluate them with common sense, there is nothing funny.
It is hard to realise that you can die at any moment.
I will not tell you that Valhalla will meet me, and I am ready to die with a weapon in my hands.
It speaks of my readiness if I am already at the front and performing combat tasks. But do I want it? No. To wish for death is strange enough.
One should kill for your country but not just die. If you die, you will no longer be useful.
Oleksiy "Mowgli" Tsybulko
The "Blind Fury" unit commander
Therefore, the most important thing for me is the safety of the personnel in the unit.
How to use fear in war
I love life, and I would not like to die. Before I went to fight, I knew that the enemy could enter the house and rape his wife, and kill children and animals. [The enemy] can destroy everything; you can't do anything because you're just a civilian. For me, it was more frightening than taking an active part in the war now.
The fear of death is present, but the desire for death is absent. However, you can't fight without taking risks.
A person not afraid to go to war may be out of his mind or feigning bravery to support himself and his brothers-in-arms.
Before each task, I have a fear of not returning. You can use it to your advantage. With fear, you will be more alert and make balanced decisions.
However, fear should not become panic. For example, you are sitting in a trench, and the shelling starts, and you immediately want to run away. If you jump out, you will most likely die. We have to wait; all the shelling ends.
The fear of death will motivate you to dig the hole deeper. And every free minute to dig further. And panic will say: "Get out and run." One will protect you, and the other will lead to death. I don't know, and maybe there are fearless people. I'm not one of them.
Everyone is got a screw loose
Everyone is got a screw loose, both civilians and military. A person can't withstand such stress without reflection on physical and mental health. Even during the interview, I was called to advise the fighters. I constantly think about the war and my brothers-in-arms.
We carry out planned operations that incur losses. You can't win a war without losing personnel.
It's not just 10 people running out and assaulting one machine gun nest with their chests. People die if the operation does not go according to plan.
It is necessary to convey to society that it is normal to see psychologists and receive medication prescribed by a doctor.
If you want peace, prepare for war
When victory comes, we need to become a militarised state that invests in the army and the development of the latest weapons. There is such a phrase: "If you want peace, prepare for war." We must be ready for war if we want to live in peace.
The military profession must become respectable. It used to be said that only stupid people joined the army.
At one time, I "derailed" from the army, because it was the worst thing you could think of. At the age of 18, it is not clear what to do for two years. This profession was then ridiculed.
The army should have intelligent and motivated people who will receive a decent salary. Military personnel in civilised countries have high salaries.
You protect the country, and you should feel protected, and not think about how to provide for your family.
We have this position: "Well, there is no war; why pay for it?" And when there is a war, what to do? Why should the military receive meagre salaries in peacetime, although they are ready to defend their country? All regular troops met the enemy at once. They restrained the enemy and allowed those who fought further to prepare.
They did not tell the military that they would not go to fight because they were not paid enough. As they say: "You know, I won't take the project because they don't pay much." They could not help but take this project.
Oleksiy "Mowgli" Tsybulko
The "Blind Rage" unit commander
Americans have a lot of respect for their military. They have a man who fought in Iraq for a month and a half and is already a Hero for the rest of his life. Our army enables civilians to continue living.
For example, an IT specialist can earn money, because he knows that a Buryat with a three-grade education will not come to him, and will not slaughter his family. Because he is protected by the military.
Realise yourself as Ukrainians
The young generation must understand what kind of neighbour we have. That's why we need to learn our history and culture. We must realise ourselves as Ukrainians. We heard fables about the younger and older brother.
We are nobody's brother. Ukraine is a separate state, nation, and culture. The war for the existence of the Ukrainian state has been going on for centuries. Throughout the history of Ukraine, we have been fighting for the right to our existence.
Oleksiy "Mowgli" Tsybulko
The "Blind Fury" unit commander
Friendly relations with Russia have never been and never will be. We are pleasant to them only when we are enslaved.
Language scandals are another PsyOp used by Russia.
Before the start of the full-scale war, I communicated in Russian. Now, I sometimes switch to Russian in emergencies.
It is terrible that people speak a non-state language. We can eradicate the Russian language only with the next generations. Now, there is no need to make scandals.
There is an incredible expression, "gentle Ukrainisation". People must understand that they need to return to their roots. We must communicate in our language. If you do that by force, people will not switch the language.
It is necessary to convey to people that we have our own state, language, culture, which is not similar to Russian. We are an independent state.
Our goal is to return all territories of the Ukrainian state. We will fight until we win back our lands.
We must educate the younger generation in understanding all these aspects. Military service is an honorable and respected profession. Ukraine is a separate state. And that you can die for your freedom.
