1 00:00:05,080 --> 00:00:07,520 Speaker 1: Hey, everybody, this is it could happen here. I am 2 00:00:07,640 --> 00:00:10,320 Speaker 1: Robert Evans. This is a podcast about things falling apart 3 00:00:10,400 --> 00:00:13,000 Speaker 1: and sometimes how to put them back together. Today this 4 00:00:13,080 --> 00:00:16,520 Speaker 1: is another episode about the war in Ukraine. UM. It's 5 00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:20,600 Speaker 1: going to be eventually an interview with a Ukrainian anarchist 6 00:00:20,680 --> 00:00:25,000 Speaker 1: militant who is fighting on behalf of of of Ukrainian 7 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:30,280 Speaker 1: people UM in that conflict. But here's a little introduction first. 8 00:00:30,560 --> 00:00:34,120 Speaker 1: So anarchists are all about the elimination of hierarchy, and 9 00:00:34,159 --> 00:00:37,080 Speaker 1: since the state tends to be the hierarchy ist thing around, 10 00:00:37,440 --> 00:00:40,400 Speaker 1: most anarchist activists tend to either seek the destruction of 11 00:00:40,400 --> 00:00:42,960 Speaker 1: the state or at least snatches of a life lived 12 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:46,800 Speaker 1: beyond its bounds. The most joyful moments, and anarchist organized 13 00:00:46,840 --> 00:00:50,680 Speaker 1: protests tend to be those brief liberatory windows where anything 14 00:00:50,720 --> 00:00:53,959 Speaker 1: seems possible, and even say middle class suburban moms might 15 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:56,280 Speaker 1: feel briefly like they could tear down the walls of 16 00:00:56,280 --> 00:01:00,200 Speaker 1: a federal courthouse. So the idea of anarchists join and 17 00:01:00,240 --> 00:01:03,480 Speaker 1: fighting in a national military, commanding and being commanded in 18 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:06,480 Speaker 1: the hierarchy of the state's defense forces feels like a 19 00:01:06,520 --> 00:01:10,560 Speaker 1: pretty big contradiction. Yet, when the Russian Federation launched a 20 00:01:10,640 --> 00:01:15,800 Speaker 1: massively expanded invasion of Ukraine in February two, many Ukrainian 21 00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:18,840 Speaker 1: anarchists announced their intention to fight on the side of 22 00:01:18,880 --> 00:01:23,240 Speaker 1: their government. Organizations like rev DIA formed militias which have 23 00:01:23,319 --> 00:01:28,000 Speaker 1: been integrated into Ukrainian territorial defense forces. In one statement 24 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:30,679 Speaker 1: I found on the website enough is Enough, a militant 25 00:01:30,720 --> 00:01:36,040 Speaker 1: representing rev DEA explained their feelings this way, Ukrainian anarchists 26 00:01:36,080 --> 00:01:39,560 Speaker 1: are at war with Russian expansionism, fascists, and the government. 27 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:42,200 Speaker 1: They have created their own arm and call on us 28 00:01:42,240 --> 00:01:45,880 Speaker 1: to join them. Every anarchist collective, an organization that understands 29 00:01:45,880 --> 00:01:49,880 Speaker 1: the revolutionary task and the internationalists struggle, must transform its 30 00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:53,320 Speaker 1: general anti war position into a position of engagement by 31 00:01:53,360 --> 00:01:58,480 Speaker 1: participating in or strengthening the anarchist Ukrainian guerilla struggle without suspensions, 32 00:01:58,480 --> 00:02:01,240 Speaker 1: and by attacking the Russian eco aomic and political power. 33 00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:04,400 Speaker 1: Victory in arms for the anarchists in Ukraine who stand 34 00:02:04,400 --> 00:02:09,240 Speaker 1: against Russian imperialism, fascist paramilitary groups and the democratic government 35 00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:12,960 Speaker 1: in Kiev. Solidarity with the Russian and Belarusian anarchists who 36 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:15,920 Speaker 1: are crawling in the Democratic dungeons trying to stop the war. 37 00:02:16,600 --> 00:02:18,640 Speaker 1: Let us give space to the people and not to 38 00:02:18,680 --> 00:02:21,840 Speaker 1: the imperialist dreams that divide the planet into plots. We 39 00:02:21,880 --> 00:02:24,240 Speaker 1: are forever with the invisible people of the world who 40 00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:28,160 Speaker 1: are fighting for an inclusive, self organized and anti hierarchical world. 41 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:33,240 Speaker 1: So anarchists with Reveda and other Ukrainian organizations are very 42 00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:35,520 Speaker 1: much acting in line with more than a century of 43 00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:40,320 Speaker 1: anarchist tradition in Ukraine. During the Russian Revolution, famed Ukrainian 44 00:02:40,320 --> 00:02:43,400 Speaker 1: anarchist war lord Nestor Makno was forced to make a 45 00:02:43,400 --> 00:02:47,800 Speaker 1: tough decision. Ukrainian nationalists threatened the central government that had 46 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:50,520 Speaker 1: arisen after the fall of the Czar, and Makno and 47 00:02:50,560 --> 00:02:54,480 Speaker 1: his comrades decided to defend the democratic socialist government against 48 00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:59,720 Speaker 1: the nationalists. From the book Anarchy's Cossack quote that decision 49 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:02,320 Speaker 1: the local anarchists with a problem for it had them 50 00:03:02,360 --> 00:03:05,120 Speaker 1: support governmental forces here, which, even if they were of 51 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:08,760 Speaker 1: the left, were nonetheless potential enemies of the masses autonomy. 52 00:03:09,160 --> 00:03:12,320 Speaker 1: Makno reckoned at the time that as anarchists, we must, 53 00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:15,519 Speaker 1: paradox or no paradox, make up our minds to form 54 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:18,679 Speaker 1: a united front with the governmental forces. Keeping faith with 55 00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:21,560 Speaker 1: anarchist principles, we will find a way to rise above 56 00:03:21,639 --> 00:03:25,000 Speaker 1: these contradictions, and once the dark forces of reaction have 57 00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:27,880 Speaker 1: been smashed, we will broaden and deepen the course of 58 00:03:27,880 --> 00:03:30,720 Speaker 1: the revolution for the greater good of an enslaved humanity. 59 00:03:32,639 --> 00:03:35,440 Speaker 1: Roughly one month into the expanded Russian invasion, I had 60 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:37,800 Speaker 1: the chance to sit down and interview an anarchist in 61 00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:41,320 Speaker 1: Ukraine who was participating in the resistance to Putin's regime. 62 00:03:42,160 --> 00:03:44,760 Speaker 1: We conducted our interview over the course of several days 63 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:47,560 Speaker 1: as his fighting schedule allowed, and we did so over 64 00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:51,760 Speaker 1: voice messages in signal. His audio quality was thankfully quite good. 65 00:03:51,960 --> 00:03:55,360 Speaker 1: I have condensed some bits of the interview, particularly my questions, 66 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:57,880 Speaker 1: to make things easier to understand, and I moved some 67 00:03:57,920 --> 00:04:00,520 Speaker 1: stuff around a little bit. I hope this is still 68 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:04,640 Speaker 1: pretty clear. Now here's our source introducing himself. What I 69 00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:08,440 Speaker 1: would start you to tell about my story is um 70 00:04:08,600 --> 00:04:13,360 Speaker 1: let's call me Iliah. I am an anarchist from some 71 00:04:13,400 --> 00:04:18,760 Speaker 1: neighboring country, but live in Ukraine for civilary several years. 72 00:04:19,560 --> 00:04:22,760 Speaker 1: I had to leave my homeland because of the political 73 00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:28,320 Speaker 1: repressions against anarchists there. Ah and for me participation in 74 00:04:28,360 --> 00:04:36,599 Speaker 1: this conflict. It has several dimensions, uh once like the 75 00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:41,599 Speaker 1: the first and simplest thing is that Ukraine, even though 76 00:04:41,640 --> 00:04:47,280 Speaker 1: it's like highly imperfect state like with clear new liberal 77 00:04:47,320 --> 00:04:53,440 Speaker 1: stuff and some nationalists and varied influences in the politicum, 78 00:04:54,080 --> 00:04:58,280 Speaker 1: but still is more like gray zone and more like 79 00:04:59,080 --> 00:05:02,719 Speaker 1: um how to say, pluralistic and free space. The state 80 00:05:02,800 --> 00:05:06,200 Speaker 1: here has much less control than in Russia and Belarus, 81 00:05:06,279 --> 00:05:09,159 Speaker 1: for example. I wanted to start by asking them about 82 00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:11,839 Speaker 1: the elephant in any room where people are discussing left 83 00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:16,680 Speaker 1: wing resistance in Ukraine, the neo Nazi asof Battalion. I've 84 00:05:17,080 --> 00:05:19,640 Speaker 1: think it's important for people to like to talk about 85 00:05:19,680 --> 00:05:24,320 Speaker 1: as off and and whatnot and not whitewash what's going 86 00:05:24,400 --> 00:05:27,760 Speaker 1: on there. But it strikes me that they have a 87 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:31,359 Speaker 1: really effective social media campaign and they're they're sneaking a 88 00:05:31,400 --> 00:05:33,720 Speaker 1: lot of videos and a lot of combat footage and 89 00:05:33,720 --> 00:05:37,840 Speaker 1: whatnot out into kind of Western mainstream media without people 90 00:05:37,880 --> 00:05:41,640 Speaker 1: realizing it's Nazis. Well. To be honest, of course, uh, 91 00:05:41,960 --> 00:05:45,760 Speaker 1: far right movement is much more massive in Ukraine than 92 00:05:46,080 --> 00:05:51,120 Speaker 1: any libertarian leftist movements at the moment. This I think 93 00:05:51,240 --> 00:05:55,520 Speaker 1: is obvious for you but at the same time sometimes 94 00:05:55,839 --> 00:06:00,760 Speaker 1: UH conscious or unconscious pro Russian propagandists try to portray 95 00:06:00,839 --> 00:06:04,839 Speaker 1: the situation as if it is Nazi state or something 96 00:06:04,920 --> 00:06:07,560 Speaker 1: like all the resistance is far right or something, but 97 00:06:08,080 --> 00:06:12,359 Speaker 1: actually general part of the state. And also, which is 98 00:06:12,360 --> 00:06:16,560 Speaker 1: more important, of the grassroots popular resistance is just a 99 00:06:16,680 --> 00:06:20,880 Speaker 1: political in sense that like most of the army, are 100 00:06:21,560 --> 00:06:23,960 Speaker 1: not in the politics, even though of course we are 101 00:06:24,040 --> 00:06:29,560 Speaker 1: aware that armies political institution itself. UH and especially all 102 00:06:29,600 --> 00:06:33,160 Speaker 1: those people in the villages who are now taking up 103 00:06:33,320 --> 00:06:37,840 Speaker 1: arms to guard their lands against the occupiers, they are 104 00:06:37,880 --> 00:06:42,800 Speaker 1: also not politically affiliated. Somehow, Ilia and many of his 105 00:06:42,880 --> 00:06:46,560 Speaker 1: comrades see anarchist participation in the struggle against Russia is 106 00:06:46,680 --> 00:06:49,960 Speaker 1: necessary for two reasons. The most basic is that Putin's 107 00:06:49,960 --> 00:06:52,080 Speaker 1: regime is a threat to their life and freedom to 108 00:06:52,800 --> 00:06:55,320 Speaker 1: The secondary reason is that if they don't fight, they 109 00:06:55,320 --> 00:06:57,880 Speaker 1: will have no ability to influence what happens in their 110 00:06:57,880 --> 00:07:02,320 Speaker 1: country after the war to day. This invasion it really 111 00:07:02,360 --> 00:07:07,560 Speaker 1: constructs the threat for the whole existence of this society, 112 00:07:07,600 --> 00:07:12,240 Speaker 1: more society than to the states itself, because this is 113 00:07:12,280 --> 00:07:17,080 Speaker 1: a kind of attempt to export this totalitarian hell which 114 00:07:17,120 --> 00:07:21,960 Speaker 1: were constructed in Russia more or less. And to confront 115 00:07:22,120 --> 00:07:26,600 Speaker 1: this just not let it happen is already a task 116 00:07:26,720 --> 00:07:31,080 Speaker 1: I think. But of course to come to to defend 117 00:07:31,520 --> 00:07:38,120 Speaker 1: some land against some occupation, for me is too simplistic 118 00:07:38,640 --> 00:07:43,520 Speaker 1: for the anarchist and revolutionary approach. So there come like 119 00:07:44,480 --> 00:07:49,080 Speaker 1: more detailed reason reasons. I would say, First of all, 120 00:07:49,200 --> 00:07:53,920 Speaker 1: I really believe that if put In will be confronted 121 00:07:54,200 --> 00:07:59,160 Speaker 1: intensively and successfully here, then it's very possible that it 122 00:07:59,240 --> 00:08:04,440 Speaker 1: will break the spine of this regime in Russia, which 123 00:08:04,480 --> 00:08:09,280 Speaker 1: may lead to revolutionary changes both in Russia and Belarus, 124 00:08:09,320 --> 00:08:17,120 Speaker 1: because Belarusian dictatorship exists, like realize very much on put 125 00:08:17,160 --> 00:08:21,760 Speaker 1: In support and so on. Uh. And another dimension is 126 00:08:21,840 --> 00:08:26,480 Speaker 1: that any force which wants to be like really politically 127 00:08:26,520 --> 00:08:32,640 Speaker 1: meaningful in Ukrainian society should take sides in this conflict. 128 00:08:32,760 --> 00:08:36,880 Speaker 1: All people who say some dogmatic things like we are 129 00:08:36,920 --> 00:08:40,440 Speaker 1: against all states against all wars. This is not enough. Now, 130 00:08:40,679 --> 00:08:43,520 Speaker 1: this is not a position now, uh. And now this 131 00:08:43,600 --> 00:08:48,439 Speaker 1: is really popular resistance. Like if you do not, if 132 00:08:48,440 --> 00:08:51,560 Speaker 1: you do not join it for whatever reasons, then you 133 00:08:51,600 --> 00:08:58,119 Speaker 1: exclude yourself from actual political process because the main questions 134 00:08:59,280 --> 00:09:01,560 Speaker 1: will be like where are you and where were you? 135 00:09:01,800 --> 00:09:04,320 Speaker 1: In these events, and of course the right side is 136 00:09:04,360 --> 00:09:09,040 Speaker 1: to confront this imperialist occupation. UH. This can really give 137 00:09:09,440 --> 00:09:14,280 Speaker 1: an opportunity UH to like for future and not not 138 00:09:14,360 --> 00:09:18,559 Speaker 1: for future, actually already today for organizing and mobilization of 139 00:09:18,760 --> 00:09:26,280 Speaker 1: revolutionary libertarian forces UM and constructing ourselves as some considerable 140 00:09:26,320 --> 00:09:31,439 Speaker 1: significant movement. Like for example, now there is this unit 141 00:09:31,520 --> 00:09:37,000 Speaker 1: of Territorial sealf Defense which enarchies participate in actively. UM. 142 00:09:37,040 --> 00:09:41,600 Speaker 1: This is now already around fifty people. Well, it was 143 00:09:43,480 --> 00:09:49,080 Speaker 1: like unimaginable the recent years and months to have some 144 00:09:49,200 --> 00:09:55,439 Speaker 1: gathering of fifty enarchi, antifascialists and so on as some 145 00:09:55,720 --> 00:09:58,800 Speaker 1: joint unit. But now this is the reality, and this 146 00:09:58,920 --> 00:10:04,320 Speaker 1: mobilization is aid because of this invasion. Actually, so this 147 00:10:04,440 --> 00:10:09,800 Speaker 1: is something that makes sense my opinion, and another interesting 148 00:10:09,920 --> 00:10:15,320 Speaker 1: thing I think in context of comparing for example, UH 149 00:10:15,760 --> 00:10:21,520 Speaker 1: far left and far right participating in Ukrainian political life 150 00:10:21,520 --> 00:10:25,600 Speaker 1: and the current events that of course, for US any 151 00:10:25,679 --> 00:10:30,360 Speaker 1: collaboration with the state is much more problematic than for 152 00:10:30,480 --> 00:10:36,319 Speaker 1: the Nazis, because even they're like ideology and mindset as 153 00:10:36,320 --> 00:10:40,439 Speaker 1: far as they can evaluate, it pretty allows them both 154 00:10:41,080 --> 00:10:45,680 Speaker 1: any relations with the state structures and also any dirty schemes, 155 00:10:46,040 --> 00:10:50,480 Speaker 1: both with the state, with the business and with criminal sphere. 156 00:10:51,200 --> 00:10:58,960 Speaker 1: Like um UH, our approaches are much more puristic, which 157 00:10:59,360 --> 00:11:03,640 Speaker 1: is partly good of course, but also have some consequences 158 00:11:03,640 --> 00:11:07,840 Speaker 1: for us to be much less adoptable as the movement 159 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:13,400 Speaker 1: to the real social, political, economical realities. And for example, 160 00:11:13,480 --> 00:11:18,920 Speaker 1: now currently this is still an question for anarchists should 161 00:11:18,920 --> 00:11:23,800 Speaker 1: we join, for example, the Territorial Defense UH forces, which 162 00:11:23,840 --> 00:11:29,320 Speaker 1: is even though somehow militia like localized institution, but still 163 00:11:29,360 --> 00:11:35,480 Speaker 1: of course like state affiliated force orchestrated and arranged by 164 00:11:35,480 --> 00:11:42,480 Speaker 1: the state and subordinated to state army hierarchical system UM. 165 00:11:42,520 --> 00:11:47,000 Speaker 1: But we still believe that in current events UM, this 166 00:11:47,160 --> 00:11:53,680 Speaker 1: participation like it UH less compromise us, but more give 167 00:11:53,760 --> 00:11:58,920 Speaker 1: us the tools to organize, to get experience and to 168 00:11:59,040 --> 00:12:02,040 Speaker 1: get subject tvty, if we can say so in English, 169 00:12:02,400 --> 00:12:07,040 Speaker 1: like to to to become really an actor UM. And 170 00:12:07,400 --> 00:12:10,160 Speaker 1: still it is within this frame is still possible to 171 00:12:10,880 --> 00:12:18,520 Speaker 1: maintain UM political independence and even some sort of structural independence. 172 00:12:18,559 --> 00:12:21,480 Speaker 1: So this is not just people are going and joining 173 00:12:21,520 --> 00:12:24,800 Speaker 1: the army and that's it. They are now just units 174 00:12:25,400 --> 00:12:27,599 Speaker 1: UM at least up to the moment. This is not 175 00:12:27,720 --> 00:12:32,880 Speaker 1: our story and this is something, at least me personally 176 00:12:33,679 --> 00:12:47,280 Speaker 1: reflecting on a lot. First, I would like you mentioned 177 00:12:47,320 --> 00:12:51,560 Speaker 1: you came to Ukraine from a neighboring country where repression 178 00:12:51,559 --> 00:12:55,080 Speaker 1: of anarchists was more severe. I am interested prior to 179 00:12:56,080 --> 00:12:59,120 Speaker 1: you know, this stage of the invasion. Obviously the first 180 00:12:59,120 --> 00:13:02,400 Speaker 1: invasion happened in to A fourteen, but prior to this escalation, 181 00:13:03,679 --> 00:13:08,120 Speaker 1: how would you describe state repression against anarchists in Ukraine, 182 00:13:08,240 --> 00:13:12,000 Speaker 1: the degree to which anarchists organizing was opposed by the state, 183 00:13:12,040 --> 00:13:15,800 Speaker 1: by the police in Ukraine. UM. And then the follow 184 00:13:15,880 --> 00:13:18,400 Speaker 1: up question to that would be, as you guys saw 185 00:13:19,160 --> 00:13:23,120 Speaker 1: this war building, could you elaborate on some of the 186 00:13:23,120 --> 00:13:26,000 Speaker 1: discussions that happened about what to do, about whether or 187 00:13:26,040 --> 00:13:28,240 Speaker 1: not to form militious whether or not or to what 188 00:13:28,360 --> 00:13:34,040 Speaker 1: extent to fight alongside the government. Um. So about state 189 00:13:34,080 --> 00:13:39,079 Speaker 1: repressions against the anarchists in Ukraine in recent years, I 190 00:13:39,160 --> 00:13:43,920 Speaker 1: would say that, they were, of course, um much less 191 00:13:43,960 --> 00:13:49,280 Speaker 1: hard than for example, in Belarus and Russia. UM. Also 192 00:13:49,760 --> 00:13:54,520 Speaker 1: because like for different reasons, because of in general, of 193 00:13:54,559 --> 00:13:59,600 Speaker 1: course more pluralist or political culture and political situation in 194 00:13:59,720 --> 00:14:06,440 Speaker 1: Ukraine in but also partly because anarchist movement in after 195 00:14:06,559 --> 00:14:09,480 Speaker 1: my Land period was not that organized and not that 196 00:14:09,559 --> 00:14:16,280 Speaker 1: combative to really draw drive attention of the state to itself. 197 00:14:16,840 --> 00:14:22,160 Speaker 1: And also what I need to say that in maybe 198 00:14:22,160 --> 00:14:31,240 Speaker 1: two thousand nineteen and twenty, this attention grew dramatically after 199 00:14:31,400 --> 00:14:35,760 Speaker 1: several direct actions were taken by anarchists, for example, some 200 00:14:35,800 --> 00:14:41,119 Speaker 1: sabotage against UH cell phone towers of some Turkish affiliated 201 00:14:41,200 --> 00:14:46,840 Speaker 1: company when Turkey invaded Rajava in UH the late autumn 202 00:14:46,880 --> 00:14:51,080 Speaker 1: of two thousand nineteen and often and also several actions 203 00:14:51,080 --> 00:14:57,120 Speaker 1: against some police stations UH. Some of these statements were 204 00:14:57,880 --> 00:15:03,720 Speaker 1: placed in anarchist later website and telegram channel UH, and 205 00:15:03,840 --> 00:15:09,360 Speaker 1: so police and secret services got, how to say, very 206 00:15:09,480 --> 00:15:14,120 Speaker 1: energetic in their attempts to find the people who did this, 207 00:15:14,760 --> 00:15:19,400 Speaker 1: even though they didn't succeed actually, so several house rates 208 00:15:19,440 --> 00:15:25,680 Speaker 1: taking place. They also tried to depart one anarchist from 209 00:15:25,720 --> 00:15:31,440 Speaker 1: Belarus Alexey Berrenkov, who UH stayed in Ukraine for several 210 00:15:31,560 --> 00:15:38,760 Speaker 1: years while decided to move out from Lukashenko regime and 211 00:15:38,840 --> 00:15:42,960 Speaker 1: so UH, but they didn't depart actually, and also their 212 00:15:42,960 --> 00:15:45,680 Speaker 1: house rates were not successful, so they didn't succeed in 213 00:15:45,720 --> 00:15:48,960 Speaker 1: the in their repressions. So the last couple of years, 214 00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:54,960 Speaker 1: this picture, uh say, vegetarian picture of zero attention of 215 00:15:54,960 --> 00:15:59,600 Speaker 1: the state to anarchist movement. It changed, so it started 216 00:15:59,640 --> 00:16:03,120 Speaker 1: to be like a different way before it actually also 217 00:16:03,280 --> 00:16:08,800 Speaker 1: was some direct actions believed to be related with revolutionary 218 00:16:08,840 --> 00:16:13,120 Speaker 1: action anarchist group. It was, if I am not mistaken, 219 00:16:13,880 --> 00:16:18,840 Speaker 1: around to Southern seventeen and so on. And this also 220 00:16:19,760 --> 00:16:27,320 Speaker 1: were somehow um prosecuted by by Ukrainian secret services. Also 221 00:16:27,440 --> 00:16:34,120 Speaker 1: about organized participation of different anarchist faction in the current 222 00:16:34,160 --> 00:16:39,560 Speaker 1: resistance against the Putting East imperialist aggression. Like about the 223 00:16:39,600 --> 00:16:44,120 Speaker 1: most organized initiative you all in most numbered you already know, 224 00:16:45,280 --> 00:16:50,080 Speaker 1: But there are several others, smaller groups, like more like 225 00:16:50,160 --> 00:16:55,720 Speaker 1: affinity groups or several friends participating in different units. We 226 00:16:55,800 --> 00:16:59,360 Speaker 1: even cannot count it because we even don't know about 227 00:16:59,520 --> 00:17:02,960 Speaker 1: everyone who participate. At this point, he started talking about 228 00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:06,000 Speaker 1: an anarchist militant named Igor wala Chow, who had been 229 00:17:06,080 --> 00:17:08,920 Speaker 1: killed by a rocket in Kharkiv a few days earlier. 230 00:17:09,400 --> 00:17:11,879 Speaker 1: Before the war, wala Chow had expressed a desire to 231 00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:15,000 Speaker 1: organize a network of co ops across Ukraine. He had 232 00:17:15,000 --> 00:17:18,360 Speaker 1: also been active in providing support for anarchists jailed in Russia. 233 00:17:18,720 --> 00:17:22,680 Speaker 1: Ilia referred to him as having been martyred. He was participating. 234 00:17:22,760 --> 00:17:26,199 Speaker 1: I don't know, either individually or with some of his 235 00:17:26,320 --> 00:17:29,679 Speaker 1: friends from Kharkiv, but for example, I knew nothing about 236 00:17:29,720 --> 00:17:34,639 Speaker 1: their group and their participations. There is also Black Flag, 237 00:17:35,160 --> 00:17:39,520 Speaker 1: anarchist group from Lviv which now, as far as I know, 238 00:17:39,600 --> 00:17:44,480 Speaker 1: participating in territorial self defense of Kiev. At least they 239 00:17:44,520 --> 00:17:48,800 Speaker 1: released several photos and some short statement. Uh, this is 240 00:17:48,840 --> 00:17:51,920 Speaker 1: something organized which I know about, and apart from that, 241 00:17:52,200 --> 00:17:57,200 Speaker 1: I know, just as I already telled told you, several 242 00:17:58,000 --> 00:18:01,560 Speaker 1: affinity groups, groups of friends. The overall picture he painted 243 00:18:01,560 --> 00:18:05,119 Speaker 1: of anarchist resistance in Ukraine was extremely atomized, due in 244 00:18:05,160 --> 00:18:08,040 Speaker 1: part to pre war concerns about avoiding state repression and 245 00:18:08,080 --> 00:18:12,240 Speaker 1: the myriad doctrinal differences between different kinds of anarchists. The 246 00:18:12,320 --> 00:18:15,159 Speaker 1: war seems to have had a catalyzing effect which has 247 00:18:15,240 --> 00:18:19,000 Speaker 1: made larger militant anarchist organizing possible for the first time 248 00:18:19,000 --> 00:18:23,240 Speaker 1: in recent memory. Elijah was cautiously optimistic about this, but 249 00:18:23,320 --> 00:18:26,640 Speaker 1: he and his comrades also recognized a danger here. We 250 00:18:27,040 --> 00:18:31,000 Speaker 1: are trying to avoid attention from the state services, from 251 00:18:31,040 --> 00:18:36,840 Speaker 1: secret services. Uh, even though we still have to collaborate uh, 252 00:18:36,880 --> 00:18:41,800 Speaker 1: somehow with the military hierarchy and so on in this situation. 253 00:18:42,400 --> 00:18:47,119 Speaker 1: But of course we understand that if we will attract 254 00:18:47,640 --> 00:18:51,840 Speaker 1: undesirable attention, then probably UH sound forces would try to 255 00:18:52,480 --> 00:18:57,639 Speaker 1: destroy us or somehow assimilate subjugate us. None of the 256 00:18:57,760 --> 00:19:01,480 Speaker 1: scenarios are good for us, and were aware of it. 257 00:19:02,119 --> 00:19:05,720 Speaker 1: So we try to have some publicity and at the 258 00:19:05,760 --> 00:19:10,480 Speaker 1: same time to act ourselves in the way which will 259 00:19:10,560 --> 00:19:16,760 Speaker 1: not drive repressive attention to us. Like immediately, so up 260 00:19:16,800 --> 00:19:20,719 Speaker 1: to now, within this frame of territorial defense, UH and 261 00:19:21,080 --> 00:19:26,320 Speaker 1: UH like some civil volunteer activities and some other quite 262 00:19:26,359 --> 00:19:32,119 Speaker 1: conventional activities of participating in this conflict against the putting 263 00:19:32,160 --> 00:19:37,520 Speaker 1: east Side, we believe that we can take the ground 264 00:19:38,280 --> 00:19:44,280 Speaker 1: for the new conceptions and programs of lack of libertarian cause, 265 00:19:44,640 --> 00:19:50,880 Speaker 1: and also some organizational developments like some organized structure which 266 00:19:50,880 --> 00:19:54,280 Speaker 1: are of course not necessarily should be illegal from from 267 00:19:54,320 --> 00:19:59,720 Speaker 1: the very first steps, but to establish some organizational basis 268 00:20:00,320 --> 00:20:06,600 Speaker 1: and maybe hopefully ideological basis which will help us to 269 00:20:06,640 --> 00:20:11,160 Speaker 1: act more actively, UH, both during the war and after war. 270 00:20:11,800 --> 00:20:14,040 Speaker 1: Could you go into a little more detail about the 271 00:20:14,080 --> 00:20:16,760 Speaker 1: ways in which you all do your units do kind 272 00:20:16,800 --> 00:20:19,840 Speaker 1: of interface with the state I went on to ask 273 00:20:19,840 --> 00:20:22,439 Speaker 1: how they organized their combat units and whether or not 274 00:20:22,520 --> 00:20:26,639 Speaker 1: this reflected their broader beliefs about horizontal organizing. His basic 275 00:20:26,720 --> 00:20:29,119 Speaker 1: answer was that the militias have to operate within a 276 00:20:29,160 --> 00:20:32,879 Speaker 1: military command structure and thus have to be broadly organized 277 00:20:32,880 --> 00:20:36,680 Speaker 1: in the same way conventional military units are. However, being 278 00:20:36,680 --> 00:20:39,359 Speaker 1: a regular their life outside of battle is much less 279 00:20:39,359 --> 00:20:45,880 Speaker 1: regimented than what regular soldiers experience. So about military hierarchy 280 00:20:46,240 --> 00:20:51,920 Speaker 1: in general, of course, territorial defense forces are set by 281 00:20:51,920 --> 00:20:57,200 Speaker 1: the state and they are included into the general structure 282 00:20:57,200 --> 00:21:01,240 Speaker 1: of a military hierarchy of regular army. Uh. In this sense, 283 00:21:01,320 --> 00:21:06,439 Speaker 1: we are of course generally not autonomous, and what is 284 00:21:07,160 --> 00:21:12,200 Speaker 1: what's been issued by superior command we should implement in 285 00:21:12,320 --> 00:21:18,960 Speaker 1: life and should um fulfill these orders. However, now territorial 286 00:21:19,000 --> 00:21:22,600 Speaker 1: defense forces, I would not speak about all of them 287 00:21:22,640 --> 00:21:27,600 Speaker 1: because I limited since the very start of war, within 288 00:21:28,280 --> 00:21:36,400 Speaker 1: my own experience with this unit. These forces have like 289 00:21:36,520 --> 00:21:41,600 Speaker 1: a lot of time for constructing itself, like our internal life, 290 00:21:41,680 --> 00:21:47,840 Speaker 1: not that much regulated by the higher command. And also 291 00:21:48,480 --> 00:21:53,240 Speaker 1: there is a sort of space of communication with some 292 00:21:53,640 --> 00:21:57,280 Speaker 1: commanders which are a little bit higher than us. So 293 00:21:57,359 --> 00:22:02,399 Speaker 1: we have like good people who our comrades who set 294 00:22:02,600 --> 00:22:05,960 Speaker 1: this opportunity for us to get organized within this frame 295 00:22:06,000 --> 00:22:10,080 Speaker 1: of territorial defense. This was just our old friends who 296 00:22:10,160 --> 00:22:18,240 Speaker 1: decided to join some territorial defense structure as officers already 297 00:22:18,240 --> 00:22:22,479 Speaker 1: before uh this situation started to happen. Um so, I 298 00:22:22,520 --> 00:22:27,720 Speaker 1: think these people do really good job, and they provide 299 00:22:27,720 --> 00:22:35,240 Speaker 1: for us options to feel ourselves like comparatively free. Of course, 300 00:22:35,280 --> 00:22:40,720 Speaker 1: not in operational sense, because uh, like operational frame is 301 00:22:40,760 --> 00:22:44,360 Speaker 1: being set by the higher command and like as one picture, 302 00:22:44,600 --> 00:22:49,680 Speaker 1: one scheme, and in this aspect we of course just 303 00:22:50,280 --> 00:22:53,280 Speaker 1: the one of the elements of the general plan of 304 00:22:53,320 --> 00:22:58,600 Speaker 1: the fighting. Uh they put in regime invasion here. Um so, 305 00:22:58,760 --> 00:23:04,720 Speaker 1: I mean yes, as a unit we are governed by 306 00:23:04,760 --> 00:23:08,439 Speaker 1: the military command. But this is really rarely that we 307 00:23:08,560 --> 00:23:15,080 Speaker 1: see anyone apart anyone of some officers or i know, 308 00:23:15,200 --> 00:23:20,679 Speaker 1: generals or somebody else from above the military hierarchy. We 309 00:23:20,880 --> 00:23:26,560 Speaker 1: here now occupied with the training, with the organizational constructing 310 00:23:26,800 --> 00:23:32,879 Speaker 1: and with like improving our internal life, not being like 311 00:23:33,119 --> 00:23:45,439 Speaker 1: really orchestrated by any military military hierarchy people. Um so, 312 00:23:45,600 --> 00:23:49,280 Speaker 1: what about internal structure. It is still supposed to be 313 00:23:49,400 --> 00:23:55,960 Speaker 1: organized on the traditional army scheme, so every section has 314 00:23:56,000 --> 00:24:00,800 Speaker 1: a commander. Unit in general has a commander, and this 315 00:24:00,920 --> 00:24:03,800 Speaker 1: is not an elected people. This is not like really 316 00:24:03,840 --> 00:24:10,080 Speaker 1: controlled from from below people. UM. Maybe unfortunately or maybe 317 00:24:10,080 --> 00:24:12,800 Speaker 1: this is necessary in the current situation. This is really 318 00:24:12,840 --> 00:24:16,679 Speaker 1: hard to estimate to evaluate at the moment. UH. In 319 00:24:16,760 --> 00:24:21,200 Speaker 1: this manner, our internal structure in sense of like military 320 00:24:21,240 --> 00:24:25,160 Speaker 1: structure is more or less traditional for the territorial defense. 321 00:24:26,040 --> 00:24:29,639 Speaker 1: At the same time, of course, we have more democratic 322 00:24:29,680 --> 00:24:35,960 Speaker 1: internal culture. In general, territorial defenses people mostly organized on 323 00:24:36,119 --> 00:24:40,600 Speaker 1: local basis and also out of volunteers. So people who 324 00:24:41,080 --> 00:24:44,880 Speaker 1: came here are on their good will and not on 325 00:24:45,040 --> 00:24:49,159 Speaker 1: some conscript, conscription or some contract which gives you a 326 00:24:49,240 --> 00:24:53,920 Speaker 1: certain money or privileges. So because of this you already 327 00:24:54,000 --> 00:24:58,479 Speaker 1: supposed to be somehow more free uh and more up 328 00:24:58,600 --> 00:25:02,320 Speaker 1: to express your opinions, UM and so on. And of 329 00:25:02,359 --> 00:25:10,320 Speaker 1: course we as somehow um leftist affiliated anarchist unit. Of 330 00:25:10,359 --> 00:25:17,080 Speaker 1: course we encourage the internal discussion. Everyone including all the 331 00:25:17,119 --> 00:25:24,080 Speaker 1: commanders inside our regiment are subjects to critics and discussion UM, 332 00:25:24,119 --> 00:25:29,560 Speaker 1: even though maybe final words in the operational UH questions 333 00:25:30,160 --> 00:25:33,800 Speaker 1: are up to these people. UH. And also it's important 334 00:25:33,840 --> 00:25:37,920 Speaker 1: that we maintain a total political autonomy in sense that 335 00:25:38,280 --> 00:25:42,359 Speaker 1: all the groups and individuals who constructs, who construct the 336 00:25:42,480 --> 00:25:47,680 Speaker 1: unit we are part of, they like absolutely free to 337 00:25:48,200 --> 00:25:56,600 Speaker 1: express their analysis, political analysis, and conceptual conceptualization of both 338 00:25:56,760 --> 00:26:00,679 Speaker 1: these events and our participation in them are according to 339 00:26:01,040 --> 00:26:15,760 Speaker 1: their like analysis, their attitude, and so on. I also 340 00:26:15,840 --> 00:26:18,199 Speaker 1: asked what it was like to fight ostensibly on the 341 00:26:18,280 --> 00:26:21,800 Speaker 1: same side as neo Nazi elements like asof While Iliah 342 00:26:21,840 --> 00:26:23,800 Speaker 1: and his unit are not anywhere close to the as 343 00:26:23,840 --> 00:26:25,840 Speaker 1: Off battalion, I wanted to know how he and his 344 00:26:25,880 --> 00:26:28,159 Speaker 1: comrades dealt with the weird reality of being in the 345 00:26:28,240 --> 00:26:31,160 Speaker 1: same broadside as people they might have battled in the street. 346 00:26:31,200 --> 00:26:34,840 Speaker 1: At one point, I would say that before war, of course, 347 00:26:35,160 --> 00:26:40,600 Speaker 1: there was a lot of tensions between UH fascists and US, 348 00:26:41,480 --> 00:26:44,920 Speaker 1: not directly with us off because as of his UM 349 00:26:44,960 --> 00:26:47,679 Speaker 1: like military unit like this is not the guys you 350 00:26:47,760 --> 00:26:50,800 Speaker 1: meet and fight in the streets, but of course there 351 00:26:50,920 --> 00:26:54,040 Speaker 1: is like they tried to set like their own how 352 00:26:54,080 --> 00:26:57,919 Speaker 1: to say, mafia political empire, I would call it, or 353 00:26:58,000 --> 00:27:04,760 Speaker 1: mafia like they had some businesses, some criminal stuff, some 354 00:27:04,880 --> 00:27:11,400 Speaker 1: patronage from the Interior Ministry UH and also very different 355 00:27:12,440 --> 00:27:15,840 Speaker 1: how to say, far right groups which the leaders of 356 00:27:16,240 --> 00:27:19,600 Speaker 1: so called as of movement, which is much broader than 357 00:27:20,160 --> 00:27:26,560 Speaker 1: as of battalion itself. They tried to utilized and instrumentalized 358 00:27:26,720 --> 00:27:31,320 Speaker 1: to reach their own goals. And with some of these groups, 359 00:27:31,560 --> 00:27:35,200 Speaker 1: of course we had like just street fights. For example, 360 00:27:35,720 --> 00:27:39,439 Speaker 1: the elements closed to this as of movement, they try 361 00:27:39,560 --> 00:27:44,240 Speaker 1: to influence a lot the Belarusian diaspora, like a position 362 00:27:44,280 --> 00:27:49,760 Speaker 1: of diaspora in Kiev. For example, in the one year 363 00:27:50,359 --> 00:27:55,600 Speaker 1: anniversary of the protests of twenty twenty in Belarus uh 364 00:27:55,720 --> 00:27:59,919 Speaker 1: there were there was fight in Kiev between anarchists who 365 00:28:00,240 --> 00:28:04,159 Speaker 1: came to participate in demonstrations in this demonstration and the 366 00:28:04,240 --> 00:28:11,000 Speaker 1: Nazis who attacked them in like aiming to somehow push 367 00:28:11,119 --> 00:28:16,000 Speaker 1: them out from the Belarusian movement to influence it in 368 00:28:16,080 --> 00:28:22,240 Speaker 1: their own way. Like also just usual street confrontation also 369 00:28:22,280 --> 00:28:25,560 Speaker 1: took place. All this time, there is quite visible and 370 00:28:25,680 --> 00:28:30,840 Speaker 1: active Antifa movement in Kiev which confronted Nazis on the 371 00:28:30,880 --> 00:28:37,760 Speaker 1: streets and blocked sometimes uh UM several of their like 372 00:28:37,880 --> 00:28:43,400 Speaker 1: initiatives and so on. And also of course informational and 373 00:28:43,720 --> 00:28:49,080 Speaker 1: propaganda struggle was held by us by us UH during 374 00:28:49,160 --> 00:28:52,160 Speaker 1: all this time since my then and of course before 375 00:28:52,160 --> 00:28:57,440 Speaker 1: as well, about the current military situation, like, of course 376 00:28:58,000 --> 00:29:01,720 Speaker 1: we are now actually part of one army with right 377 00:29:01,800 --> 00:29:04,880 Speaker 1: sector as Off and so on. People, we are under 378 00:29:04,960 --> 00:29:09,040 Speaker 1: the same military command UH, and if we will be 379 00:29:09,160 --> 00:29:13,200 Speaker 1: tasked to fight in the same place the same enemy, 380 00:29:13,280 --> 00:29:19,240 Speaker 1: we will be actually like the same um like part 381 00:29:19,280 --> 00:29:24,080 Speaker 1: of the barricade. But this situation we need to deal with, 382 00:29:24,360 --> 00:29:29,720 Speaker 1: like there are different opinions amongst our comrades and here 383 00:29:30,440 --> 00:29:34,680 Speaker 1: about as Off and all the far rightists. They differs 384 00:29:34,720 --> 00:29:38,520 Speaker 1: from that they are actually our enemies like both now 385 00:29:38,600 --> 00:29:42,760 Speaker 1: and also in any future Ukraine, in any future scenario, 386 00:29:42,800 --> 00:29:47,840 Speaker 1: because these people promote like quite obviously absolutely opposite political 387 00:29:47,920 --> 00:29:52,440 Speaker 1: and social goals. Then we um Other people say that 388 00:29:53,560 --> 00:29:58,479 Speaker 1: another like other people say that now there is how 389 00:29:58,560 --> 00:30:03,239 Speaker 1: to say, general deadly threat we are facing and we 390 00:30:03,280 --> 00:30:07,000 Speaker 1: should fight regardless of left and right and something like 391 00:30:07,040 --> 00:30:11,600 Speaker 1: this to fight the imperialist invasion. But I personally me 392 00:30:11,760 --> 00:30:15,560 Speaker 1: I do not support this second assumption and position. I 393 00:30:15,640 --> 00:30:20,320 Speaker 1: see this quite not really politically smart at my opinion. 394 00:30:21,000 --> 00:30:24,080 Speaker 1: But what we here can agree on is that if 395 00:30:24,120 --> 00:30:29,080 Speaker 1: we want to confront uh Nazis, UH and far right 396 00:30:29,200 --> 00:30:34,360 Speaker 1: parts of the Ukrainian political and also military spectrum, then 397 00:30:34,400 --> 00:30:39,080 Speaker 1: we need to develop our own strong structure, our own 398 00:30:39,200 --> 00:30:44,840 Speaker 1: strong actor uh. And also this um somehow connected with 399 00:30:44,880 --> 00:30:47,400 Speaker 1: the question about p R you mentioned that like we 400 00:30:47,440 --> 00:30:50,920 Speaker 1: need our own pr our own publicity and media work 401 00:30:51,400 --> 00:30:55,239 Speaker 1: and also our first of all, our own conceptions and 402 00:30:55,480 --> 00:31:02,080 Speaker 1: ideological blueprints which we can um suggect to Ukrainian society 403 00:31:02,480 --> 00:31:07,600 Speaker 1: and present both inside Ukraine and abroad. And this is 404 00:31:07,640 --> 00:31:11,640 Speaker 1: the work, this is the challenge and duty which we 405 00:31:12,360 --> 00:31:16,640 Speaker 1: need to fulfill and hopefully like not hopefully, but actually 406 00:31:17,480 --> 00:31:21,400 Speaker 1: we are working on this already now. So if you 407 00:31:21,480 --> 00:31:27,040 Speaker 1: want to combat us off now is uh not the 408 00:31:27,040 --> 00:31:31,760 Speaker 1: time maybe to accuse them uh in some public statements, 409 00:31:31,880 --> 00:31:35,560 Speaker 1: but this is time to develop alternative structure which will 410 00:31:35,640 --> 00:31:45,600 Speaker 1: be able to really confront this reactionary currency. It could 411 00:31:45,600 --> 00:31:47,920 Speaker 1: happen here as a production of cool Zone Media. For 412 00:31:48,040 --> 00:31:50,760 Speaker 1: more podcasts from cool Zone Media, visit our website cool 413 00:31:50,840 --> 00:31:52,800 Speaker 1: zone media dot com, or check us out on the 414 00:31:52,840 --> 00:31:55,520 Speaker 1: I Heart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen 415 00:31:55,560 --> 00:31:58,479 Speaker 1: to podcasts. You can find sources for It could happen here, 416 00:31:58,560 --> 00:32:02,040 Speaker 1: updated monthly at us on media dot com slash sources. 417 00:32:02,240 --> 00:32:03,080 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening