This footage was recorded in December 2022, when Ukrainian war correspondent Yuriy Butusov made a trip to the Bakhmut frontline to visit the 214th OPFOR Battalion, where he encountered a number of remarkable characters — chief among them was this picaresque Polish volunteer called “Lipton”.
Chronologically, this appears to be a prequel to Butusov’s Bakhmut epic, along with:
1. WWI Trench warfare near Bakhmut https://youtu.be/ej43JuT-fUY
2. The other Blue Max https://youtu.be/B9CmpsSLxj4
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Original source: Butusov Plus https://youtu.be/1V-IeB0J6mA
Aired: December 26, 2022.
I did the original English translation for the Butusov Plus channel. The initial plan plan was to provide Polish subtitles as well, but we couldn’t find a translator at the time. We eventually sorted that out, and now the material is available with *English, Polish,* and *Spanish* subtitles.
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*Notes:*
(7:08) The 214th OPFOR Battalion — OPFOR (Opposing Force) are special units designated to emulate the actions of the enemy forces. In NATO armies, OPFOR units are considered military elite and accept only soldiers with extensive combat experience.
(6:50) There’s a translated interview with these two guys here: https://youtu.be/7seV4p_x98I
(7:11) This guy, Oleksiy, asked to be transferred to the infantry from the Air Force (!) https://youtu.be/B9CmpsSLxj4
(13:41) “Chernozem — the legendary black soil.” — super-fertile topsoil Ukraine is world-famous for. It readily turns into sticky mud after rain. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernozem
(16:26) “Klishchiivka?… That’s the place to be on your birthday!” — a village south of Bakhmut. The name Klishchiivka means _a village infested with ticks._ Yes, it is that Klishchiivka, made famous by “Maestro” and the gang from the 80th Airmobile https://youtu.be/U-xNLj8Eby8
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