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Pavel Filadiev grew up in a military family in Volgodonsk, Russia, served in Chechnya in the 2000s, and then became a horse tamer for nearly 10 years. In 2021, he needed money, so he enlisted again.
The 34-year-old Russian paratrooper has been fighting for Putin’s forces in Ukraine for more than a month after his unit left Crimea in what commanders called a routine exercise “in an unknown location.” He fought for Russia, but eventually left Russia. Now it condemns the invasion of Ukraine and He decided to tell his story to El Mundo.
Pavel Filadiev recalls the dawn of February 24, which was marked by “the pungent smell of gunpowder in the air” as evidence that the war had begun. The paratrooper unit he belonged to was poorly equipped and their order was to go to Kherson and capture the bridge over the Dnieper River.
On the first of March, when they entered Kherson, they acted “like savages” – looking for food, water, showers and places to sleep in buildings. Pavel Filadiev, in statements to a Spanish newspaper, said he found a bottle of champagne in one of the houses and drank it while watching the first images of wounded women and children on television.
We ate everything like savages: cereals, jam, honey, coffee”, he said, describing that “nobody cared about anything” because everyone was “on edge”.
Over time, the skydiver began to suffer “terrible” pain in his legs and back. Although he detained Ukrainians as “suspects” during his time at war, Pavel Filadiev said he did not commit or directly witness torture crimes. “Civilian casualties are not intentional but the result of incompetent actions,” he added.
The combat experience ended when Pavel Filadiev was taken out of Ukraine after being wounded in April after a “mistake” by Ukrainian artillery put sand in his eyes. “After five days of agony, at the risk of losing an eye, I was taken out,” he told El Mundo.
After his time on the front line ended, the paratrooper said he “didn’t participate anymore” than he considered “madness” and was against the invasion: “We don’t have the moral right to attack another country, especially. a very vulnerable population.” those close to us”.
Everything around us made us feel miserable. We tried to survive”, he explained, condemning an army with no greatness and terrible commanders.
Pavel Filatyev left Russia in July with the help of the human rights organization Gulagu.net. He has taken refuge in France and believes he cannot return to Moscow until “other authorities” are there. “I love Paris, but I get threats on social media and people call me a coward,” he added.
When asked about Russia, the paratrooper said he believes the main enemy of Russians and Ukrainians is “propaganda”, which “feeds people more hatred”.
In an interview with El Mundo, it’s not the first time Pavel Filatyev spoke out against the invasion. In August, the soldier said he saw no “justice” or “truth” in the war in Ukraine. According to a report that released the 141-page diary.
“I don’t know justice. I don’t see the truth”: Russian soldier comes out against war in Ukraine
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