Thumbelina With a Camera: Female War Correspondent Resists NATO Pressure in Donbass
© Photo : Elena Sokolova
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A courageous and joyful Thumbelina serves as a war correspondent with the Pyatnashka International Brigade. The Donbass native believes that her land will soon be completely liberated by Russian forces.
Elena Sokolova, a war correspondent with the Pyatnashka International Brigade, joined the unit in 2015 at the age of 18, after finishing her first year as a journalism student. One might wonder how this Thumbelina – the small, delicate girl appears to be no taller than 5 feet and 3 inches – could withstand wartime pressure.
"When the Ukrainian government had completely gone nuts and started bombing Donetsk, I decided to stay," Elena, who was born and raised in Donbass, told Sputnik. "My former classmate served in Pyatnashka. He introduced me to the commander, Akhra Avidzba. The commander asked what I could do. I said that I am a journalist. In fact, I initially thought I would help in the kitchen, peel potatoes, and wash the barracks, whatever. But the commander made a different decision and said: 'If you’re a journalist, then do journalism.'"
After that, Elena started to make frontline reports, film the events, and improve her professional skills.
For nine long years, she has remained in the ranks of the Pyatnashka Brigade. Together with her comrades-in-arms, she has endured hardships, hid in trenches during enemy strikes, and risked her life.
"In fact, I think there is no place for women at war. Because war is a cruel thing," the girl noted. "Not every girl can withstand what is happening here: that is death, puddles of blood, the death of your comrades, and endless shelling. But my motivation is completely obvious: I want to be useful to my country."
Elena Sokolova, a war correspondent with the Pyatnashka International Brigade
© Photo : Elena Sokolova
There is another reason why women shouldn't participate in hostilities, according to Elena: men are particularly vulnerable to female soldiers' suffering on the battlefield:
"A man instinctively tries to protect the fairer sex, and tries to protect a woman. Even if I hit my finger or twist my ankle, our guys make a tragedy out of it and immediately say: 'That's it, leave this place.' Every time I arrive at [the front line], they say: 'Well, why did you return?' And it’s not because they don't want to see me, or aren’t happy, but because they are worried that something bad will happen to me."
She thinks it's equally hard for men and women to fight at the front line. It's hard for everyone, regardless of gender, age, and health status, according to her: "A man walks through the exact same mud in a trench as a woman. Therefore, we endure all difficulties equally," she said.
Elena Sokolova, a war correspondent with the Pyatnashka International Brigade
© Photo : Elena Sokolova
What helps endure hardships is a sense of humor, Elena remarked. A good joke is worth its weight in gold at the front.
"In order not to have to go to psychiatrists, we use humor to stay in balance," she said. "That is, we see that some guy is sad or beginning to philosophize, saying something sad, so we begin to make jokes in order to improve his mood. That doesn't mean we can't be sad. Of course we can be sad, sometimes we cry, and it’s normal to experience these emotions. But you shouldn't take everything that happens personally."
The conflict has unmasked a lot of inconvenient truths about the West and its support for the neo-Nazi regime in Kiev, according to Elena. Those in the West who still believe Russia is waging a "war of aggression" against Ukraine should learn history and visit the houses and trenches left by the enemy, she insisted.
Having liberated Avdeyevka, units of the brigade conducted a mop-up operation and found swastikas and all sorts of fascist symbols that were written on the walls by Ukrainian troops in numerous houses, according to Elena. "We also see inscriptions in the dugouts in Polish, Georgian, and English," she added, referring to foreign mercenaries fighting on the side of Ukraine.
"When we talk to Ukrainian prisoners and ask them when the war began, they all talk about 2022, not 2014. They believed and continue to believe that they could kill people with impunity for eight years. The Ukrainian government killed residents of Donbass with shells paid for by our own taxes for eight years and got off scot-free."
"I have one persistent proposal to Western countries," Elena continued. "Stop supplying Ukraine with weapons, stop supporting it financially. Currently, our guys are dismantling Ukrainian dugouts, Ukrainian positions, and finding Japanese-made cigarettes, finding Turkish, German, and British medicines. The US, Israel, Poland, and France are countries that support the Ukrainian regime, which supply them with shells and equipment. And there were Swedish grenade launchers, and Swedish grenades for an automatic grenade launcher, and all sorts of grenades from the US, and whoever was there. That is, we are meeting the entire NATO alliance here in Donbass."
Make no mistake, this is not a conflict between Russia and Ukraine, it is a confrontation in which Russia is solely withstanding the pressure from the entire North Atlantic Alliance, which is fueling the criminal Kiev regime, sending mercenaries and weapons, and still sustaining defeat, Sokolova emphasized.
"Maybe you should think twice before poking the Russian Bear again? The bear can wake up. It takes a long time for Russians to harness, but we ride fast," the girl said, referring to a Russian proverb. "We've already harnessed it, and now, after Avdeyevka, the guys are very inspired to go farther. And I think our lands will soon be liberated, because this fortified area, which the Ukrainians reinforced with concrete for nine years, has finally fallen. And they have no more such serious fortifications. Their morale is at zero. So everything will be fine for Russia."
Elena thought a lot about what she would do when the fighting is over. She doesn't rule out continuing to work as a journalist or becoming a TV host.
"But the first thing I probably want to do after our victory is to go somewhere to the seaside, take a bottle of champagne and just watch the sunset alone," she concluded.
