“Russian ship, go to hell!”, said on the first day of the war to the military on Zmiiny Island, a strategic point in the Black Sea and very desirable for the Russian army, is a true symbol of the courage of Ukrainians. against the Russian aggressor. Two years after the start of Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine, a HotNews.ro correspondent spoke with Roman Hrybovthe Ukrainian military who accepted this message.

After his return from captivity, he was awarded the “entru Vitejie” medal, which he announced Minister of Defense of Ukraine with the message “Glory to the hero”. The Roman Hrybov Charitable Foundation collects donations for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The 34-year-old man, originally from the Cherkasy region, returned to the front after about a month in Russian captivity in 2022. In an exclusive interview with HotNews.ro, Roman talked about the moment of the famous message – the explosions. on the first day of the war, the announcement of his “death”, the days of captivity, the current struggle and the future of Ukraine.

Hello, Roman! Thank you for agreeing to answer our questions. It was quite difficult to contact you.

After returning from captivity, everything seemed unusual and different. In the beginning, I attracted a lot of attention from all sides. Over time, I got used to this situation and went back to my brigade.

Can’t tell us your location?

Now I am in Kherson region.

How do you feel as the author of the famous “Russian ship, go to hell”, which became the anti-Russian slogan of this war?

I did not have a “star disease”, I did not wear a “crown”. As he was, so he remained. Of course, as a result of this case, I received certain benefits, but I use them with maximum responsibility for our victory, for my unit, for my brigade.

If you can tell us the details of that day. It was February 24, the beginning of a large-scale war. First of all, how did the news about the start of the war reach you and did you expect such a scenario?

I could not believe it until the last moment. But about 70% of the time I knew it was going to happen. The first thoughts were to leave us alone because we were on an island and there was no way to get to the mainland to be with our companions. That was our first concern. But when it all started, at 3 o’clock in the morning on February 24, we were put on alert. We all took our positions, they sent us information on how many of their (Russian – not) ships are at sea, how many aviation units, etc. At 7:00 a.m., we spotted the first ship heading our way, 15 kilometers away. Later, when it approached us, I discovered that it was the cruiser “Moscow”. It was accompanied by another landing craft, two of which were approaching us.

When you were told to turn yourself in as the one who responded to the command on that Russian ship, at that moment, did you not think that this sentence might be your last?

Of course, we all felt that we were bound to hold out on this island as long as possible, for we were not prepared for a battle with two ships, one of which was a cruiser. I had nothing against them. Then, I don’t know, maybe God helped, maybe our Ukrainian unity: until 5 p.m. we held on as best we could. We were bombarded from the air, they (the Russians – no) tried to reach us, they also attacked us through “Moscow”. And yet, somehow, he lasted until 5 pm. The most important thing is that starting this morning we are not letting these ships go to Odessa. They thought we had enough weapons on the island and were afraid. I think their secret services didn’t give them any real information. Therefore, they tried not to approach the island and Odesa, respectively, because the island is 37 kilometers from Odesa. I did not let them land in Odesa, so Odesa was able to prepare for battle. I can’t tell you in detail how she was “sent” to the “Moscow” cruise, because it was just a “cry of the soul”, a message that was not thought out in advance, said quickly. Further information cannot be released to the general public. This will become possible after the war. When I returned from captivity, I realized that this phrase mobilized the entire Ukrainian people, and after that everyone began to send not only ships, but also people with weapons.

“I consider myself very lucky in this life”

Later he was captured. I understand you can’t tell us much, but can you tell us how you got through that period? How long did you spend there? It is known that 25 people remain in captivity.

I consider myself very lucky in this life. This was the first exchange of prisoners in Ukraine. I was a prisoner for 33 days and was exchanged with timely mobilized soldiers (not from Russia). This was despite their statements from the news that conscripts were not participating in this war. However, in my case, it was these soldiers who were being exchanged, who were like “beaten children” and were being exchanged with me as well as with the civilians who were sent to the island to collect our bodies. These civilians were also captured. At first, information spread that we all died, even Mr. President announced this. As a result, rescuers and two priests were sent to the island to retrieve our bodies, but they too were captured.

How did they behave, like you, in captivity? What if they knew that you “sent” a Russian warship?

The first days were a great chaos. I think they didn’t really have time to clarify this phrase, which can change something, can change the course of events. When we arrived in Sevastopol, which was our first deployment, representatives of the FSB (Federal Security Service of Russia – no) asked, among other things: “Who is ‘sending’ ships there?” Later he forgot about it. Later, after the Crimea, where I was for a week, we were taken to the city of Kursk, from there to Shebekino, later my final place of deployment was the Belgorod Region, Stary Oskol – a colony with a heightened security regime. I spent two weeks there, before the exchange (I was not a prisoner). During this time, they never managed to find out that it was me. I managed to escape from them in time. The boys, who were later released from captivity, told several times that there was even a voice examination, that is, they were checked – which of them said this.

If they had found out about it earlier, what would have happened, revenge on the part of the Russians?

I think they would at least use the torture they like to use on our boys.

“It’s not time to relax yet”

How do you feel about current events: Saturday marks the second anniversary of the massive invasion. Did you expect it to last this long and that you would still be at the front in February 2024?

I can’t tell you for sure because I’m not a military expert, but I certainly assumed we wouldn’t be able to defeat them quickly, they’re a bunch. Russians do not consider their soldiers human and use them as cannon fodder. They don’t care who died there. There are piles of corpses, but they keep going and going. This is the main difficulty. And, of course, the problem with weapons: if there were more supplies of weapons, probably everything would end faster.

Does this mean that you do not have enough weapons, as Mr. Zelenskyi officially declares? Do you feel it with your own eyes on the field?

Yes, we don’t have enough. It is extremely necessary that we receive weapons in the maximum amount, so that Ukraine is supported not only with words.

If you can answer us this question: did the change of the leadership of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from Mr. Zaluzhnyi to Mr. Syrsky somehow affect the conduct of military operations and the behavior of the Ukrainian army?

It was unexpected for me, but I can’t judge my commanders, I could have had problems (just kidding – no), but where I am, everything remains stable, as it was. I don’t feel changes in a negative direction, but in a positive way too.

Do you have any expectations as to when this war will end?

I hope that at least the active phase of hostilities will be suspended by the end of this year.

What would you have for ordinary Ukrainians and what, in your opinion, helps Ukrainians to resist?

At least the morale of Ukrainians, civilians, soldiers, my comrades, is falling quite significantly. It is the most important thing we have and morale must be high. Therefore, we want to call on everyone not to despair, to make a little more effort to finally expel the Russians from our territories. This is the most important thing, it is not time to relax. But I can’t say that we will find another source of inspiration, because so much has happened in these two years. I don’t really think that such a wonderful phrase will appear again from the mouths of the military or the ordinary Ukrainian population, which can inspire everyone. I do not believe. This is already our routine, which we are forced to go through to the end.

But do you have a message for the Russian military and the Russian population?

I don’t understand how one person can deceive like that 140 million people, if I am not mistaken in the number, in the Russian Federation. I think that half of them do not understand what is happening at all, that is, they do not understand what Putin is doing. I think that they are the ones who will make the population rise up and decide that all this has to end, because it will not bring any good.