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Unwelcome Savior part 2
On that volunteer's second visit to see me, he introduced me to an elderly couple who lived relatively close to me. He needed me as an interpreter to communicate with them. He had brought medical help for this couple and some other neighbors. That was in the fall of 2023.
In the beginning of 2024 that volunteer began regularly putting pressure on me to leave. My excuse for staying was that I didn't want to leave while that elderly couple, our mutual friends were still in danger. My other justification for staying was that I had lost my passport not long after he had examined it in summer of 2023.
I was almost convinced that I had dropped it somewhere, and that some local had picked it up, planning to use it to prove to Russian troops that I am an American spy. "If only they knew", I thought to myself.
This volunteer did everything he could to frighten me into leaving. One time he seemed to accept that I was going to stay, but demanded that I send him my parents' contact information and address. Why? "So that he could ship my body back to them".
That got me thinking, I should be wearing something to identify myself too. I recycled a Ukrainian's dog tag, punching my own info into it. There were days and weeks when I wore it everywhere, even to bed.
Unwelcome Savior part 2
On that volunteer's second visit to see me, he introduced me to an elderly couple who lived relatively close to me. He needed me as an interpreter to communicate with them. He had brought medical help for this couple and some other neighbors. That was in the fall of 2023.
In the beginning of 2024 that volunteer began regularly putting pressure on me to leave. My excuse for staying was that I didn't want to leave while that elderly couple, our mutual friends were still in danger. My other justification for staying was that I had lost my passport not long after he had examined it in summer of 2023.
I was almost convinced that I had dropped it somewhere, and that some local had picked it up, planning to use it to prove to Russian troops that I am an American spy. "If only they knew", I thought to myself.
This volunteer did everything he could to frighten me into leaving. One time he seemed to accept that I was going to stay, but demanded that I send him my parents' contact information and address. Why? "So that he could ship my body back to them".
That got me thinking, I should be wearing something to identify myself too. I recycled a Ukrainian's dog tag, punching my own info into it. There were days and weeks when I wore it everywhere, even to bed.
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Unwelcome Savior part 3
Up until mid summer 2024 my friends and neighbors seemed almost to forget that we were in a war zone, we basically weren't getting hit at all. Still, I took every opportunity to encourage people to evacuate. I tried to arrange new homes for evacuees, but nobody wanted to listen.
One day soldiers started moving out enmasse. I was very happy to see them leave, but it made me nervous too. "What do they know that we don't". My worries turned out to be well founded. Over the next weeks I learned a lot about firefighting.
The elderly couple I had been pushing to leave for almost a year finally left, along with many others. About this same time another miracle happened.
A drone crashed in some tall grass nearby, and when I went to see if I could find pieces of the drone, I found something far more valuable. I noticed a little notebook laying on the ground scorched but not turned into ashes like the grass all around. I peeled open a burnt page and thought I saw English writing! Could it be? Yes, it was my passport! Now my two reasons for staying were gone. What am I going to tell my unwelcome savior now? Should I go into hiding?
Unwelcome Savior part 3
Up until mid summer 2024 my friends and neighbors seemed almost to forget that we were in a war zone, we basically weren't getting hit at all. Still, I took every opportunity to encourage people to evacuate. I tried to arrange new homes for evacuees, but nobody wanted to listen.
One day soldiers started moving out enmasse. I was very happy to see them leave, but it made me nervous too. "What do they know that we don't". My worries turned out to be well founded. Over the next weeks I learned a lot about firefighting.
The elderly couple I had been pushing to leave for almost a year finally left, along with many others. About this same time another miracle happened.
A drone crashed in some tall grass nearby, and when I went to see if I could find pieces of the drone, I found something far more valuable. I noticed a little notebook laying on the ground scorched but not turned into ashes like the grass all around. I peeled open a burnt page and thought I saw English writing! Could it be? Yes, it was my passport! Now my two reasons for staying were gone. What am I going to tell my unwelcome savior now? Should I go into hiding?
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Unwelcome Savior part 4
Of course not! How could I go into hiding while my neighbors still needed help evacuating? This made a ready excuse for not evacuating myself, but when Russian troops advanced even closer, I knew no excuse would satisfy my unwelcome savior.
I told him that I was leaving and sent him this photo as proof. Over the next week or two I was supposedly hiking with my goats out of Donbass.
I actually just moved myself and all my animals to a different farm nearby. I'm not 100% sure that he believed me, but if he did send a team to extract me, I wasn't "home". I can only imagine what he thought when he saw my press conference in Moscow!
A large part of my decision to move to another farm was that I ran out of hay for my goats, and I needed a different barn to rescue some cows. That's a wild story that deserves to be told too!
Unwelcome Savior part 4
Of course not! How could I go into hiding while my neighbors still needed help evacuating? This made a ready excuse for not evacuating myself, but when Russian troops advanced even closer, I knew no excuse would satisfy my unwelcome savior.
I told him that I was leaving and sent him this photo as proof. Over the next week or two I was supposedly hiking with my goats out of Donbass.
I actually just moved myself and all my animals to a different farm nearby. I'm not 100% sure that he believed me, but if he did send a team to extract me, I wasn't "home". I can only imagine what he thought when he saw my press conference in Moscow!
A large part of my decision to move to another farm was that I ran out of hay for my goats, and I needed a different barn to rescue some cows. That's a wild story that deserves to be told too!
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Save the bovines part 1
In September 2024 another wave of locals fled. On one hand I was glad to see them leave. At least they would be in relative safety. On the other hand, saying goodbye was painful. My secret hope was that we would all get to see the Ukrainian military driven out, and then celebrate liberation together.
Seeing my neighbors, the dairy farmers leave was one such blow. They had seemed so brave and resolved not to abandon their cows. Alas, their nerves finally gave way and one morning they had suddenly disappeared. They had packed up what they could in one small car and fled.
They had let their cows loose, but hadn't taken time to lead them down to the river. That would have been alright on a regular year, but this year it hadn't rained practically all spring and summer. There wasn't any standing water anywhere. I helped another neighbor to drive one of the abandoned cows home. The other three cows would have to fend for themselves somehow. I wanted to take them home, but I didn't have any more room in my barns, or anything to feed them!
My main focus was on saving people. How could I let some cows distract me from that mission. But then an Idea came to me that would turn this dilemma into a blessing. I had a friend who was constantly putting himself in grave danger while drunk. How to distract him from his alcohol habit? What better than this sweet, intelligent heifer that was in need of a new home?!
The next morning I tied the heifer to my rototiller and off we went. When we sputtered to a stop, my friends looked at me as if I was crazy. Really they were right, drones were already actively attacking cars and soldiers, and artillery was making movement over open ground very risky. I had just made a very easy target out of myself for about 15 minutes walking through the most dangerous part of town. Still I hadn't really been worried because I knew that I was doing something that I wouldn't regret no matter the outcome. My adventures with trying to save cows had just barely begun...
Save the bovines part 1
In September 2024 another wave of locals fled. On one hand I was glad to see them leave. At least they would be in relative safety. On the other hand, saying goodbye was painful. My secret hope was that we would all get to see the Ukrainian military driven out, and then celebrate liberation together.
Seeing my neighbors, the dairy farmers leave was one such blow. They had seemed so brave and resolved not to abandon their cows. Alas, their nerves finally gave way and one morning they had suddenly disappeared. They had packed up what they could in one small car and fled.
They had let their cows loose, but hadn't taken time to lead them down to the river. That would have been alright on a regular year, but this year it hadn't rained practically all spring and summer. There wasn't any standing water anywhere. I helped another neighbor to drive one of the abandoned cows home. The other three cows would have to fend for themselves somehow. I wanted to take them home, but I didn't have any more room in my barns, or anything to feed them!
My main focus was on saving people. How could I let some cows distract me from that mission. But then an Idea came to me that would turn this dilemma into a blessing. I had a friend who was constantly putting himself in grave danger while drunk. How to distract him from his alcohol habit? What better than this sweet, intelligent heifer that was in need of a new home?!
The next morning I tied the heifer to my rototiller and off we went. When we sputtered to a stop, my friends looked at me as if I was crazy. Really they were right, drones were already actively attacking cars and soldiers, and artillery was making movement over open ground very risky. I had just made a very easy target out of myself for about 15 minutes walking through the most dangerous part of town. Still I hadn't really been worried because I knew that I was doing something that I wouldn't regret no matter the outcome. My adventures with trying to save cows had just barely begun...
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Save the bovines part 2
I found my friend, the alcoholic, more or less sober, but the devil had come to visit him. That is to say, another local alcoholic had come to share his bottle of vodka. Long story short, I beat up the unwelcome guest and threw him out. I apologized to him later and he forgave me though.
My friend was grateful for the heifer, but insisted that I keep her. But where? It just so happened that his neighbors had just evacuated a day or two earlier, leaving behind a barn big enough to house up to ten cows, and enough hay to feed them for at least a month or two!
That same day I led another cow up the hill to this farm. Her heifer-calf stayed behind though, preferring to stay with her older sister who couldn't walk because of a wounded leg. As I led the mother cow, drones would hover above me, but probably thanks to the cow, they decided not to attack me.
To be continued...
Save the bovines part 2
I found my friend, the alcoholic, more or less sober, but the devil had come to visit him. That is to say, another local alcoholic had come to share his bottle of vodka. Long story short, I beat up the unwelcome guest and threw him out. I apologized to him later and he forgave me though.
My friend was grateful for the heifer, but insisted that I keep her. But where? It just so happened that his neighbors had just evacuated a day or two earlier, leaving behind a barn big enough to house up to ten cows, and enough hay to feed them for at least a month or two!
That same day I led another cow up the hill to this farm. Her heifer-calf stayed behind though, preferring to stay with her older sister who couldn't walk because of a wounded leg. As I led the mother cow, drones would hover above me, but probably thanks to the cow, they decided not to attack me.
To be continued...
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Save the bovines part 3
Now that I had two cows in the barn, I needed to tend to them twice a day, especially since one would need milking. The heifer-calf could help me with that, so I resolved that come nightfall, I have to try to catch her.
On the third or fourth try she stepped in my lasso. As soon as she felt it get tight, she bolted; all three to four-hundred pounds of her. It's no small miracle that I wasn't seriously injured trying to get her ropped to a nearby tree. It probably helped that there was hardly any moonlight that night. Not helping were the large six-rotor bomber drones that would cruise out to and back from the frontline a few times per hour.
I settled down to sleep with the wounded heifer since I didn't want to risk any more sneaking around the village that night. Relaxing was about to get deleted from the agenda though.
My big pillow decided to stand up, as if to protect me. I'm not sure if I had made her uncomfortable or if one of the six-rotor bombers had spooked her. Either way, I would soon be glad that she stood up!
To be continued...
Save the bovines part 3
Now that I had two cows in the barn, I needed to tend to them twice a day, especially since one would need milking. The heifer-calf could help me with that, so I resolved that come nightfall, I have to try to catch her.
On the third or fourth try she stepped in my lasso. As soon as she felt it get tight, she bolted; all three to four-hundred pounds of her. It's no small miracle that I wasn't seriously injured trying to get her ropped to a nearby tree. It probably helped that there was hardly any moonlight that night. Not helping were the large six-rotor bomber drones that would cruise out to and back from the frontline a few times per hour.
I settled down to sleep with the wounded heifer since I didn't want to risk any more sneaking around the village that night. Relaxing was about to get deleted from the agenda though.
My big pillow decided to stand up, as if to protect me. I'm not sure if I had made her uncomfortable or if one of the six-rotor bombers had spooked her. Either way, I would soon be glad that she stood up!
To be continued...
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Save the bovines part 4
A distant "knock, knock, knock, knock ...." sent me scrambling under the heifer. The GRAD rockets began to whistle and make impact in the part of the village where I lived, about 500m away. They came in two waves, every explosion lighting up most of the night sky. Shrapnel started to fall all around us. The fragments wouldn't have been enough to kill or seriously injure, but you wouldn't want to get hit in the head with one either.
When finally dawn did come, I went for my rototiller and trailer to haul the heifer-calf back home. I would keep the three girls for a month before running out of feed. I had to let them go, but by this time rain had begun to fall. The puddles were full, grass was still green, and many neighbors had left piles of hay outside.
I would go back to visit the wounded heifer a few times to dress her wound, give her water and feed her. Eventually I let her go too. I hope she survived.
Save the bovines part 4
A distant "knock, knock, knock, knock ...." sent me scrambling under the heifer. The GRAD rockets began to whistle and make impact in the part of the village where I lived, about 500m away. They came in two waves, every explosion lighting up most of the night sky. Shrapnel started to fall all around us. The fragments wouldn't have been enough to kill or seriously injure, but you wouldn't want to get hit in the head with one either.
When finally dawn did come, I went for my rototiller and trailer to haul the heifer-calf back home. I would keep the three girls for a month before running out of feed. I had to let them go, but by this time rain had begun to fall. The puddles were full, grass was still green, and many neighbors had left piles of hay outside.
I would go back to visit the wounded heifer a few times to dress her wound, give her water and feed her. Eventually I let her go too. I hope she survived.
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Good evening! Tomorrow(Dec. 18th) I'll be on Russian TV again, on channel 1 for the program «Anti-fake» at 13:30 Moscow time, 5:30 for the east coast. https://www.1tv.ru/shows/antifeyk?ysclid=m4te5x6r3275147593
Good evening! Tomorrow(Dec. 18th) I'll be on Russian TV again, on channel 1 for the program «Anti-fake» at 13:30 Moscow time, 5:30 for the east coast. https://www.1tv.ru/shows/antifeyk?ysclid=m4te5x6r3275147593
1tv.ru
АнтиФейк. Первый канал
Запад давит на Россию со звериной ненавистью. Видео, вызывающие у вас шквал эмоций, на деле могут оказаться бездушно и цинично изготовленным фейком. Как отличить ложь от правды? Разбираются эксперты программы «АнтиФейк».
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Back in early 2023 this Chinese-owned news company visited Bogoyavlenka. I can assure you that Russian intelligence saw their broadcast. It was probably very easy to tell exactly where the Ukrainians were parking their equipment from this footage without any help from me. It wasn't long before they moved their armor to different locations.
https://newseu.cgtn.com/news/2023-02-24/-Vuhledar-is-holding-on-as-Ukrainian-army-fights-Russian-advance-1hFpArBdLTG/index.html
Back in early 2023 this Chinese-owned news company visited Bogoyavlenka. I can assure you that Russian intelligence saw their broadcast. It was probably very easy to tell exactly where the Ukrainians were parking their equipment from this footage without any help from me. It wasn't long before they moved their armor to different locations.
https://newseu.cgtn.com/news/2023-02-24/-Vuhledar-is-holding-on-as-Ukrainian-army-fights-Russian-advance-1hFpArBdLTG/index.html
Cgtn
'Vuhledar is holding on' as Ukrainian army fights Russian advance
CGTN's man on the ground surveys military movements behind the frontline.
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Media is too big
VIEW IN TELEGRAM
"Americans should do everything they can for their government to stop provoking Russia."
Daniel Martindale for the program "Antifake" on Russia's Channel One calls his fellow countrymen to open their eyes and see that the Ukraine with the west's help has been the real aggressor in the Donbass all these years.
Dan is trying to bring truth to light about what is happening in the Donbass and the west's role in the conflict. For this very purpose the "Reverse" project was initiated, to collect the reports of western journalists about the war in the Donbass starting from 2014. The project's producer, Ekaterina V. gives a more detailed account of the project's mission in the video above.
For the full version of this edition of "Antifake" with Daniel Martindale, see Channel One's website (Russian only)
Daniel Martindale for the program "Antifake" on Russia's Channel One calls his fellow countrymen to open their eyes and see that the Ukraine with the west's help has been the real aggressor in the Donbass all these years.
Dan is trying to bring truth to light about what is happening in the Donbass and the west's role in the conflict. For this very purpose the "Reverse" project was initiated, to collect the reports of western journalists about the war in the Donbass starting from 2014. The project's producer, Ekaterina V. gives a more detailed account of the project's mission in the video above.
For the full version of this edition of "Antifake" with Daniel Martindale, see Channel One's website (Russian only)
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Forwarded from Reverse
Media is too big
VIEW IN TELEGRAM
«Американцы должны сделать всё, что от них зависит, чтобы правительство США перестало терроризировать Россию»
Дэниел Мартиндейл в программе «Антифейк» на Первом канале обратился к соотечественникам, призывая их раскрыть глаза и осознать, что Украина при поддержке Запада была истинным агрессором в Донбассе все эти годы.
Дэн старается донести до американцев и европейцев правду о событиях в Донбассе и роли Запада в конфликте. Именно для этого был создан проект «Реверс», где собраны истории иностранных журналистов о войне в Донбассе с 2014 года по настоящее время. Подробно о миссии проекта рассказала продюсер Екатерина Ванеева - смотрите в закрепленном видео.
Полная версия программы «Антифейк» с участием Дэниела Мартиндейла на сайте Первого канала.
Please open Telegram to view this post
VIEW IN TELEGRAM
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To all of my subscribers and even passersby, you have my gratitude for taking the time to let my story take its place in shaping your opinions. I hope all of you will be part of bringing about peace and maintaining it in the future.
My posts have been very sporadic recently in conjunction with preparations I'm making for starting the next chapter of my story. It will be different, but I hope, just as reflective of the beliefs and values that I've shared up until now.
I hope you all are thoroughly enjoying the holidays, and most importantly the family-time it may afford. May this be your best year yet!
To all of my subscribers and even passersby, you have my gratitude for taking the time to let my story take its place in shaping your opinions. I hope all of you will be part of bringing about peace and maintaining it in the future.
My posts have been very sporadic recently in conjunction with preparations I'm making for starting the next chapter of my story. It will be different, but I hope, just as reflective of the beliefs and values that I've shared up until now.
I hope you all are thoroughly enjoying the holidays, and most importantly the family-time it may afford. May this be your best year yet!
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I think it's safe to say that all of us would like to see peace on earth. Perhaps something will change in 2025. It seems that someone in leadership of the so called free western world should be smart enough and brave enough to end this war(and in Palestine). We feel betrayed by those who seem not to care about all the suffering that they are causing by their actions, and/or inaction. What was it Trump promised...?
I hate to break it to you, but this is the normal state of the world. Our world is filled with greed, murder, hatred, and untrustworthiness. In a world ruled by imperfect people, imperfection is the best we can hope for. It's not right, just, or proper. It's not the way God intended, but it is reality.
Why doesn't God fix the problem? Actually he has done everything that was necessary and more, but we humans often exercise our God given privilege to be our own worst enemy. We don't like to live by God's rules. We aren't ready for God to appear and rule on earth! He would have to throw most of us into outer darkness.
When humanity does finally sell out to satan enmasse, Jesus will appear to judge and then set up His kingdom. Then the devil won't be able to whisper in our ears any longer, tempting us to rebel. Then there will be peace. Until then, ask Jesus to help you love your neighbor as yourself now. He's listening, waiting.
I think it's safe to say that all of us would like to see peace on earth. Perhaps something will change in 2025. It seems that someone in leadership of the so called free western world should be smart enough and brave enough to end this war(and in Palestine). We feel betrayed by those who seem not to care about all the suffering that they are causing by their actions, and/or inaction. What was it Trump promised...?
I hate to break it to you, but this is the normal state of the world. Our world is filled with greed, murder, hatred, and untrustworthiness. In a world ruled by imperfect people, imperfection is the best we can hope for. It's not right, just, or proper. It's not the way God intended, but it is reality.
Why doesn't God fix the problem? Actually he has done everything that was necessary and more, but we humans often exercise our God given privilege to be our own worst enemy. We don't like to live by God's rules. We aren't ready for God to appear and rule on earth! He would have to throw most of us into outer darkness.
When humanity does finally sell out to satan enmasse, Jesus will appear to judge and then set up His kingdom. Then the devil won't be able to whisper in our ears any longer, tempting us to rebel. Then there will be peace. Until then, ask Jesus to help you love your neighbor as yourself now. He's listening, waiting.
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