Kalinouski Regiment’s Fighter: Putin Will Eventually Get Hit With A Stool

Kalinovites will reach Belarus and liberate the country.

Pavel Shurmei, the prominent Belarusian athlete, champion in rowing and participant in the 2004 and 2008 Olympics, has been fighting in the ranks of the Belarusian Kastus Kalinouski Regiment in Ukraine since February 2022. His call sign is “Dziadzka”. The fighter gave an interview to Charter97.org. During Studio X-97 show, he spoke about the situation at the front, the mood in the regiment, Belarus liberation strategy scenarios and ways to end the war.

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– Pavel, you are a fighter of the Kalinouski Regiment. Of course, I want to talk about you during our interview, how you got into the Kalinouski Regiment and your story. However, let me start with the general situation at the front. Everyone wants to know it and this is the most important thing. What's the condition at the front?

– The situation at the front ... I am not a military expert and I learn all the news just like you, from public channels.

– Still, you know about it not only from popular channels, you are a fighter of the Kalinouski Regiment, so you know the situation from the inside. What about the Initiative? Who has the initiative? It is clear that there are thousands of kilometers of the front line, nevertheless.

– The Armed Forces of Ukraine have the initiative.

– Tell us, please, Pavel, what is the mood in the ranks of the Kalinovites? You know, often we hear such things that someone is tired and so on.

– People need to understand that some people are really tired, but we have a very long way ahead. We are all here to reach Belarus and liberate it, to return home.

– I'm absolutely sure that you believe in the success of the counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. However, tell us why? What makes you believe in victory?

– No other way. This may be longer or shorter, but this war will end with the victory of Ukraine over Russia and will give us the opportunity to return home.

– Your idea to return home is one of the main goals of the Kalinovites, am I right? Not just help Ukraine defeat Russia, but also defeat the regime in your country.

– That’s right.

– You have probably heard the statement of General Skrzypczak. The former Commander of the Polish Land Forces said that it is necessary to get ready, it also touches upon Poland, for an uprising in Belarus and that Kalinovites will come home and put things in order after helping Ukraine defeat the Russians. What's your reaction to this statement?

– I personally feel very good about this. I am glad that there are generals in NATO and specifically in Poland who understand the reality and do not have false illusions that it is possible to talk with the Lukashenka regime in a peaceful way. I'm just glad.

– Did the Kalinovites ever take Russians prisoner?

– Right.

– What are your impressions and feelings about that? What do you think about them, these people?

– Most often, they say the same: 'We didn’t know. We went to the exercises', 'We are just signallers', 'I am a simple teacher', 'I am a simple engineer', 'We were mobilized, we are not interested in politics', 'It has nothing to do with me, I know nothing'. "I'm not interested in politics," they say and then it turns out that politics is interested in them. And even if you really didn’t want this war, didn’t want to be involved with a weapon in arms, you still ended up there and not on the side of Good, let’s say. This is a lesson for everyone who says: "Politics does not concern me, I am not interested in politics."

– What policy are we talking about? This is terrorism, this is violence, this is genocide, this is not politics. Politics is when statesmen meet for negotiations. And the fact that someone is hiding behind the words that one is not interested in politics is at least strange. There is nothing to talk about. But what are the moods? What are your assessments of the morale of the enemy?

– You are to know that some people go to war, unfortunately, both from the side of Good and from the side of Evil. Those who did not really want were also mobilized. Therefore, one must understand that, naturally, people who did not strive to get to this war, did not want to go, they have much lower morale, but if there are people next to them who are motivated and show by personal example, inspire them both in defence and on the offensive, it will be much easier for those who are not so motivated. But we must understand that if this war on the part of Russia is an aggression, a war of conquest, then no matter how motivated they are, there comes a moment when they get tired, when they no longer care. And therefore, even the most motivated fighter, if he is at zero for a long time, especially if the understanding comes that all this leads to defeat, his heat also dries up. Therefore, we only wish that the most motivated parts of the Russian army understand this as soon as possible.

– We all know, since Stalin's times, as it was said then, that they have a lot of people, so they can throw millions into this meat grinder. The situation in Ukraine is different, here brotherly Belarusians are courageously fighting together with the Ukrainians shoulder to shoulder. What are the advantages? In your opinion, what are the best assets and means on the side of Good that became stronger than their argument of the quantity of people? “Women give birth,” they say and they allegedly can throw more and more.

– I remember what we were told about the Great Patriotic War in Soviet times. They taught, showed and inspired us. Ukraine is now waging their Patriotic War, they are defending their right to life, to existence. Not Ukraine came to Russia, but Russia attacked Ukraine.

I know the Ukrainian people, therefore, only this thing made Russia lose on that February morning when it committed an act of aggression. Russia has already lost. The road to victory may be long, but Russia lost nevertheless. On the side of Russia, perhaps, there are human resources and the resources of old equipment, ammunition. Although, we see that they have a shortage of ammunition and there is also a shortage of shells. And now technology is on the side of Ukraine and, most importantly, they have their morale.

– Here we see, on the one hand, the statements that Ukraine this year will clear its land of the Russians and liberate its territories. There are also statements by many people, primarily volunteers who travel, who help, who buy the Mavics drones, armor and so on. They say: "Guys, we need to prepare for the fact that this will last for years." In your opinion, which picture is more realistic? Should we prepare that this war will last for a long time, or the victory comes this year?

– We all want to win this year. But we must psychologically prepare for the fact that this year this will not happen. We have already talked about Russian resources, human resources and stocks of old equipment. My opinion is that, most likely, someone, I apologize for the expression, will beat Putin with a stool, adding Ukraine's successes at the front, adding Russia's military fatigue - then, perhaps, we'll talk about victory.

– Pavel, what surprised you in this major, as we call it, war after February 24, 2022?

– When ordinary Ukrainians, no matter whether they were soldiers or military, find out that we are Belarusians and have come to help them fight, to defend Ukraine from Russian aggression. When people in the subway come up and thank you. When in queues at the clinic, if, for example, a wife comes and the doctor finds out that her husband is fighting at the front, accept without waiting in line, and if this is a private clinic, then they accept her free of charge. In villages, on nearby roads, just tens of kilometres from the front, where we sometimes take positions, ordinary residents meet us. This is the attitude of Ukrainians when they find out that the Belarusians help them defend their country.

– I'm Ukrainian and I'm sick of the phrase "fraternal peoples". I sometimes hear it, unfortunately. Even now, even some Russian oppositionists utter this phrase. And how do you, a Belarusian, feel about this? They call you "fraternal people" too, by the way.

– A Ukrainian can speak the Russian language and easily understand a Belarusian. A Belarusian can speak the Russian language and easily understand a Ukrainian. But, unfortunately, only Russians can speak Russian and do not understand either Ukrainian or Belarusian, but at the same time they believe that we are “fraternal peoples”, and that they are allegedly our “elder brothers” and should tell us how we should live.

– You are a rowing champion. In general, how did you come to that decision? I mean to go to the front and fight.

– How can sane people do otherwise? The first time I visited Ukraine back in 1997. My wife is Ukrainian. I have many Ukrainian friends. I love Ukraine. In 2014, I lacked some kind of trigger to come to defend Ukraine. This time, I don't even have a second of doubt. I woke up in the morning, at that moment I was in the United States of America, I read a message from my wife that Mykoliav was under fire. All news feeds were full of reports about Russia's aggression against Ukraine. So, it was a lightning-fast decision for me.

– Do you remember the first moment when you appeared in the war?

– It was Irpin and this famous destroyed bridge. The church. We were crossing the river using some improvised means and boards lying across the river. There were the first mortar and artillery shelling - this is how the war began.

My first fight began when I was talking to a Ukrainian, his name was Volodya, his call sign was "Bronza". He was a veteran of the war in Afghanistan, and since 2014 he has been fighting here, defending Ukraine. He was 10 years older than me, he was very surprised and delighted that we, Belarusians, came to help them in their struggle. We met half an hour before the start of the battle. And so, we were just talking when mortar shelling began. The very first shot knocked us down, we were on the first floor of the building. I got up, he didn't. Unfortunately, he was mortally wounded and I had to close his eyes after a few minutes, he died. This is how my first fight started.

– The task of all people is not only to win and bring this victory closer but also to pay tribute to the memory of all who died. In this war near Bakhmut, the founder of the "White Legion" Miraslau Lazouski died. How do you remember him?

– We all remember him. We all really miss General Mysha, as everyone humorously called him. Although I always, from the very beginning, called him Mirek. But this is one of those people... He was a real Belarusian. It is not easy for me to answer this question, because I became very good friends with him, I met him only here, in the war, unfortunately. We had mutual friends. I knew about him before coming to Ukraine, I heard about him. We became good friends. What was special about him? Everything.

— What was he like?

– Just a real person, a real Belarusian. A real commander who did not serve in the Belarusian army, but at the same time, of course, he has a huge military talent.

– Do you think those Belarusian troops that de facto support the Lukashenka regime will strongly resist when Ukraine wins and the Kalinouski Regiment goes to liberate Belarus?

– I believe that there are still people in the Belarusian army who think for themselves. I believe that many will go over to our side.

– What would you say to them?

– I can say not only to the Belarusian military. I can address all the Belarusian people and say that no one else will make Belarus a free, good and democratic country but we.

– What kind of help does the Kalinouski Regiment need now?

– We need recruiting support. We need better equipment and real assistance. We do not have enough vehicles at the front - it's just a consumable source. We receive a new car or a new pickup truck, and in a week it may simply be destroyed, it will be just a pile of scrap metal. We also need unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), drones, night vision devices and laser designators. We'll be grateful for any possible help.

– Who are those guys, Belarusians, who are going to fight? We know those who give interviews and show their faces, just like you. But what about those who are anonymous? Who are they? What were they doing before the war?

– I had never met so many educated people from different fields in one place, especially somewhere in the basement of Sievierodonetsk. We were sitting in the dark with a candle and listening to the conversations of people there between fights. If people outside of that place could hear these conversations, hear what kind of people and what they were talking about! Indeed, not even some scientific forum or conference of specialists from one field. There were highly educated people from different fields and all gathered in one place...

There are different people in the regiment, but there are a lot of people with higher education, a lot of educated people and interesting people, with very interesting life stories.

– That is why the Kalinouski Regiment is now the main hope of the Belarusians, to be honest.

– I'll repeat it again. Wherever a real Belarusian is, one must understand that no one else will do it but us. No one else will liberate Belarus but we. Every Belarusian should understand this. Everyone.

– Pavel, different people are watching us. We often hear ideas and opinions about fatigue, that this has been going on for so long. You are a motivated fighter of the Kalinouski Regiment and you are fighting against the ruscist. Could you please address those who are tired? And in general, what would you like to say to the people who are watching this interview right now?

– We are to believe. Believe in good and success. He will reward you for your deeds! Believe and this will come. The stronger the faith, the faster this moment will come.

– Glory to Ukraine!

– Glory to Heroes! Long Live Belarus!

– Long Live Forever!

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