'Plane Next To Which Zianon Pazniak Was Photographed Is Still On Our Territory'

A soldier of the Kalinouski regiment has reported about the battles for Bakhmut.

The Russian army is not afraid to use phosphorus munitions banned by the Geneva Convention in Bakhmut. The town is being shelled with artillery and bombed from the air, all Prigozhin's claims about a shortage of shells are a bluff. Dzianis Urbanovich, a fighter of the Kalinouski regiment, told about it in an interview to Radio Svaboda.

Dzianis Urbanovich is a Belarusian activist, head of one of the oldest opposition organizations in Belarus, Young Front. During the presidential campaign of 2020, as well as in March-April 2021, Urbanovich was sentenced to 15 days in jail several times. In late 2021, Urbanovich moved to Ukraine. With the start of the Russian invasion, he joined the territorial defence and then joined the Belarusian regiment (formerly the Kalinouski battalion). He has been wounded several times.

"What I saw was happening at night, during shelling. It was not clear whether it was Russian "artillery" working or whether it was missiles. But not aviation. Just something would come, explode, and the explosion would be like fireworks, white lights would fall from the sky. Once we almost got under such a bombardment - we managed to escape just in few minutes. We were lucky. It was definitely white phosphorus - other explosions are not like that," said Urbanovich.

The soldier says that white phosphorus, when it comes into contact with skin or clothes, burns a man to the bone. Such wounds are very hard to heal.

"Russian troops are not ashamed of using white phosphorus even though it is considered a chemical weapon. They even deny having such a weapon, but we are increasingly seeing traces of it," Urbanovich said.

According to him, the fighting in Bakhmut does not stop for a day. The Russians are persistently moving forward despite heavy losses. They are confronted by Ukrainian forces. One and the same street can pass from one side to the other several times.

"They take something and then we take it back. We still have about 7% of the town, the western part. That plane at the entrance to the town, next to which Zianon Pazniak was photographed when he came to Bakhmut at the beginning of the year, is still in our territory. I think we may be able to hold Bakhmut for a month, or even more. And then we'll see," says the interlocutor.

Dzianis Urbanovich calls Prigozhin's statements about the lack of ammunition and that he will withdraw the Wagner units from Bakhmut a bluff. He confirms that there has been no retreat, the mercenaries remain in the town.

"First of all, they are not going anywhere, their own people will not let them leave. Russian regular units are fighting on their sides, how can they retreat? No one will allow them to. Secondly, Prigozhin's statement that they have allegedly been short of shells was nonsense from the start. They were always given enough shells, the fire from their side was never getting any less. I think Prigozhin was just trying to deceive the Ukrainians. To make them think that "the Russians are so disunited that they will run away soon". But in fact they are not going to flee yet - they have enough strength and motivation. They are zombies, crawling on their own corpses, crawling forward," says the Belarusian volunteer.

Dzianis Urbanovich notes that the Russians have become more organized - "they do not attack head-on as before". Yet they still have enough of the mess - they can come under the fire of their own artillery.

"They use aviation more frequently. This poor Bakhmut is being ironed over and over again, not only by artillery but also by planes smashing the last houses. Once I took a risk and deliberately went up to have a look from above at what was left of the town. There was not a single house left, but they were bombing and bombing".

As for the Ukrainian counter-offensive, when asked about it Urbanovich answers with careful choice of words.

"We are fulfilling our task and it is difficult for us to say whether there will be a counterattack or not. We have the same weapons as before - good, modern ones. The situation with our neighbours has not changed much either. They have heavy equipment and when it is necessary they always help us, they can even give us a tank for support. Maybe somewhere forces are being accumulated, new equipment is being brought, but we cannot say anything for sure. The weather is sunny, I think the ground has dried up and conditions for the counter attack will develop. But we do not know when it will start," says Dzianis Urbanovich.

The Kalinouski regiment fighter adds that they have no big fear.

"Hopefully, we will be able to withstand and win," he adds.