The HotNews.ro team spoke to two members of the International Legion in Ukraine, a Moldovan and a Georgian, in Kyiv to find out how they see the war and the problems in their countries of origin caused by Russians through their eyes.

Why should a Moldovan join the so-called “International Legion of Defense of Ukraine”? If you talk to 54-year-old Serhiu Penush from Strashensky district, who joined the Ukrainian armed forces eight months ago, you will learn that in fact the veteran of the war in Transnistria would have every reason to fight the Russians again. .

“The situation in the Republic of Moldova is tense because there are many who do not intend to allow peace to live on this piece of land. But after 30 years, time has shown that it can no longer be like this,” says Sergiu Penush, whom I met on a cold day in early March in a hospital in Kyiv, where he was undergoing rehabilitation after an illness. received a head contusion in Bakhmut from a mine explosion.

The Moldovan told us that in his youth he was in Afghanistan, a conscript soldier, during the USSR, and then defended his country, that is, the Republic of Moldova, in the Transnistrian War of 1992. Now he is in Ukraine, participating in another war started by Russia.

“I am a scout by profession, I participated in several special operations, which I cannot talk about. And this is for me, I not only protect myself, but I also have grandchildren, children…”

What does a scout of the International Legion do in Ukraine anyway? Sergiu Pănuș doesn’t give us many details, but he says that this activity could mean several things: “gathering information from enemy territory, taking prisoners, shooting, blowing up a bridge, etc.”

Although he participated in two wars, the Moldovan legionnaire believes that “this one in Ukraine is distinguished by a large number of victims among the civilian population, women, children, and the elderly.”

“I have never seen anything like this in my life,” Panush admits, adding that “although the Russians have committed such atrocities in other cases, they do it openly, they no longer do it secretly.”

When asked whether what happened in Transnistria in 1992 could happen in 2023, the legionnaire is convinced that it is possible, “but we will not allow it.”

On March 2, 1992, pro-Russian separatist forces in Transnistria attacked police stations in Chisinau, provoking the Transnistrian conflict. The then president of Moldova, Mircea Snegur, authorized the military intervention. The war ended with the freezing of the Transnistrian conflict and the introduction of Russian so-called “peacekeeping” forces into the territory of Moldova.

Panush is not the only Moldovan currently fighting with the Russians on the Ukrainian front. And the legionnaires from Moldova, who would number more than 300, are very active, including regarding what is happening in their country.

In a video published by Ziarul de Gardă, in November 2022, in which we have now also recognized our man, several legionnaires called on the people of Moldova not to participate in the protests organized by the Sor party and the Socialists (PSRM). ) against Maya Sandu and the current government.

“Look closely at what is happening in Ukraine, and realize what will soon happen in the Republic of Moldova if you support these protests. There are more than 300 of us Moldovans here, but remember that we will return, and the entire legion will return for us,” said the fighter.

Officially, the government of Moldova does not encourage the departure of its citizens to join the International Legion, which was created by Zelensky in the first days after the invasion of the country by Putin’s army, to allow foreigners to participate in this war on the side. of Ukraine.

Official data for March 2022 showed that 20 thousand foreigners from all over the world joined the Ukrainian army to fight with the Russians. This despite the fact that other states, such as Moldova, did not encourage their citizens to do so at all.

Many criticized the fact that legionnaires from Ukraine could unite in rebel groups that could create problems even when returning to their homeland. Criticism was not entirely justified given the fact that the International Legion is part of the armed forces of Ukraine, which implies a certain organization and control.

In addition, people with military training and the same salary as Ukrainian soldiers were usually accepted into the legion.

An article in Newsweek talks about a salary that will be around $3,000 a month, but which depends on several criteria, the type of mission, its location, etc.

Another soldier of the International Legion, whom we also met at the Kyiv hospital, Georgian Irakliy Andronikashvili, confirmed to us that he is paid the same as Ukrainian soldiers, but he also says that the pay depends on the mission.

Moldovan Serhiy Panush and 46-year-old military doctor from Tbilisi Iraklii Andronikashvili are friends, and both of them joined the International Legion with the desire to “once and for all” shoulder the defeat of Russia.

“My family, my friends, all normal people of Georgia understand that Georgia and Ukraine now have one enemy, and until the complete defeat and disintegration of Russia into small parts, there will be no peace for us, neither in Ukraine, nor in Georgia, nor in the world. Russia is like an octopus spreading its tentacles all over the world,” the Georgian explained to us why he has been fighting in Ukraine since 2014, in Donbas, after defending his own country in 2008, which was then captured by Russia.

Irakliy Andronikashvili talks about the personal reasons that motivated people from all over the world to join the International Legion. They come from European countries, North America, South America, Asia, Africa, etc.

“At the Legion I met someone from Colombia whose father was killed by a Marxist group supported by the Russians”

Georgian Irakliy Andronikashvili (left) and Moldovan Sergiu Panusha. PHOTO: Adi Iacob/ HotNews.ro

But what is the motivation of people, for example, in the countries of South America, because they have no experience of a war with Russia, as in the case of Georgia?

Irakliy Andronikashvili: They have personal motives. Russia is an international terrorist state that supports terrorist activities, drug cartels, and organized crime in the world. I met a man in Colombia whose father was killed by a Marxist, communist group supported by Russia, so it was very personal for him.

In Colombia, Russia supplies weapons to drug cartels in exchange for cocaine. They supply not only Kalashnikov weapons, but also other types of weapons.

What is the difference between Russia’s war in Georgia in 2008 and Russia’s war in Ukraine now?

Russia’s signature is always the same: they artificially produce conflict between ethnic or religious groups, then organize protests, fake political activity, terrorist activity that lasts for years, not years or months.

The Russians fuel these problems and processes in various countries, and then say that they should invade Georgia, or Moldova, or Ukraine in order to “protect” someone’s interests, the interests of the “Russian people.” But this is all a lie.

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This conflict did not begin on February 24, 2022, but in 2014. I have been here since 2014, and then the Ukrainian people were somewhat divided. At that time there were Ukrainians who still believed that Russians and Ukrainians are brothers, but during these eight years I personally saw a huge change.

Now even Russian-speaking ethnic Ukrainians are categorically against Putin, categorically against Russia. I met here young soldiers, legionnaires originally from Russia, who are fighting on the side of Ukraine.

“I consider it absolutely wrong that the Georgian government allowed 150,000 Russians into the country”

What do you think about the Russians who, after Putin’s decree on mobilization, hid in your country? And how do Georgians treat them?

I believe that this is a huge mistake of the current government of Georgia, which did not close the border between Russia and Georgia and allowed more than 150 thousand Russian citizens to enter Georgia, buy land and houses. I think that Georgia will pay for it very soon.

I know that many of these people are against Putin, but most of them left Russia only because of the lack of convenience, they are pro-Russian and would be very happy if Putin took Kiev in three days. On the contrary, they do not want to fight and die for Mother Russia.

Some hypocrisy?

Yes, and I am very sure that many of these people are agents of the Russian special services, such as the FSB or the GRU… this is a ticking time bomb for Georgia.

For such a small country as Georgia, 10 thousand motivated professionals are enough. Therefore, this is a huge mistake.

I asked Sergiu Panush and Irakli Andronikashvili if they knew any Romanians who would join international law. I was told that they do not personally know any Romanians who are in this unit.

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