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Roman Trokhymets (30) does not like the nights in the trenches on the Donbass front at all: they are damn cold, long and full of emotions. Moreover: It is difficult to film in the pitch dark. And without footage, the former real estate agent and graduate architect from Kiev and contemporary fighter in Bakhmut can’t show the world what “it really is like” on the deadly front.
Trokhymets is the social media star among Ukrainian fighters. He has 44,000 followers on Tiktok, almost 16,000 people follow him on Instagram and at least 14,000 read his tweet. His video “Thoughts and experiences under fire at the front” has received more than 1.2 million clicks.
The clip shows the young man lying face down on the floor, crystal blue eyes wide open, mouth curled into a relaxed smile. Shells explode around Trokhymets. You hear gunshots all the time. With stoic calm he comments on the deadly events around him: “In order not to go mad, I admire nature.” And explains what he means by that. “The bee here, the occasional butterfly, the wind in your face: life is great as long as you live.” If you know what you’re fighting for, you can handle anything.
Another explosion, very close. Trokhymets rolls his eyes and grimaces, as does Cristiano Ronaldo (38) after a missed free kick. Except this isn’t about another victory in the Saudi football league, it’s about life and death. Any explosion can catch Trokhymets, any shot can hit him, any of his posts can be the last. That’s what makes them so fascinating.
Every war has its ambassadors who send home exclusive news and insights from the distant battlefields. The Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) had photographer Robert Capa (1913-1954), World War II (1939-1945) German surgeon and writer Peter Bamm (1897-1975), Vietnam War (1955-1975) hit the morning circuits the American radio. And the battle of Bakhmut, Robert Trokhymets has it.
He fought in Donbass in 2014
When pro-Russian separatists attacked the Donbass in 2014, the architect volunteered and fought against the invaders as part of the dreaded Azov regiment. On February 24 last year, he took up arms again and enlisted in military service. Since then he posts almost daily from the front, giving him direct insight into the hard life in the trenches.
Continuous shelling instead of jacuzzi parties
He recounts the army meal as the shots rumbled overhead, explains the deceptive protection of the bushes behind which he is currently hiding from the Russians, and how they “visited and eliminated an enemy position in the morning: all good, all OK “.
Sometimes everything seems like it’s in the movie, says Trokhymets in one of his videos, interrupted repeatedly by Russian shells landing less than 100 meters away from him. Just a few months ago, he regularly reported on his channels about his life in the big city with morning jogging, beautiful women, cigars and jacuzzi parties in luxury apartments high above Kiev. “Now I’m here in this hell.” The contrast couldn’t be greater.
“Together we will win”
Roman Trokhymets wants to inform with his videos. Everyone. The world should know directly and without filters what is happening at the front. This is made possible by the Internet, which, thanks to Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite receivers, is even in the trenches of the Donbass. It is fought in the manner of previous world wars. However, the means of communication are state-of-the-art.
The last message from Roman Trokhymets dates from March 3rd from a snowy ditch near Bachmut. He points to two rifles with which he wants to storm a Russian position, smiles at the camera and says: “Together we will win.”
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
