The Hidden Costs of War: How Ukrainian Soldiers Fund Their Own Survival and Equipment

In the midst of Ukraine’s ongoing conflict, soldiers are not only fighting on the frontlines but also bearing significant personal financial burdens to ensure their survival and operational readiness. A recent candid discussion sheds light on the hidden costs of war, revealing how soldiers often spend their combat pay on essential supplies, equipment, and even medical needs.

The Financial Strain on Soldiers

The transcript highlights the harsh reality faced by Ukrainian soldiers. Despite receiving combat payments, much of this money is immediately funneled back into the army. Soldiers spend a minimum of 25,000 hryvnias monthly on basic necessities like food, fuel, and vehicle repairs. “You can’t just eat dry rations,” one soldier explains. “You chip in to keep yourself in decent shape, to afford normal food.”

Even seemingly small luxuries, like Pepsi, serve a practical purpose. Soldiers drink it to help their stomachs recover after consuming dry rations. “It’s not about indulgence,” the soldier clarifies. “It’s about survival.”

Medical and Equipment Expenses

The financial burden extends to medical needs. After sustaining injuries like concussions, soldiers must purchase vitamins and medications prescribed by doctors. Additionally, they contribute to replenishing essential supplies such as tourniquets, ammunition, and equipment.

Drones, like the Mavic, are considered expendable materials in the field. Soldiers often pool their resources to replace damaged or lost drones, as these are critical for reconnaissance and combat operations. “Drones are consumables here,” the soldier notes. “We buy them ourselves.”

The Cost of Gear and Uniforms

The transcript also reveals the high cost of personal gear. When a soldier loses equipment during evacuation, replacing it can be prohibitively expensive. One soldier shared how a fellow comrade lost all his gear and needed to be re-equipped. Thanks to the support of a Ukrainian brand, MTAK, which provided a discount, the total cost still amounted to 120,000 hryvnias.

This gear included a helmet, boots, pants, a jacket, a tactical shirt, a combat vest, a backpack, a plate carrier, and all the necessary pouches. “This isn’t about Western brands,” the soldier emphasizes. “This is a Ukrainian brand, just as good, but the prices are still high.”

The Reality of Constant Expenditures

The soldier explains that equipment like pouches and tourniquets must be specialized and constantly replenished. “You can’t use the same pouch for a magazine and a grenade,” he says. “You’ll never find the grenade when you need it.” These small but crucial items add up, creating a continuous financial strain.

A Call for Understanding

The soldier’s account underscores the immense financial pressure faced by Ukrainian soldiers. While combat payments provide some support, much of this money is reinvested into the army to cover essential needs. “Out of 100,000 hryvnias in combat pay, I return most of it back to the army,” the soldier admits.

This story is a stark reminder of the sacrifices made by those on the frontlines and the hidden costs of war. It also highlights the importance of supporting Ukrainian soldiers, not just through donations but by understanding the challenges they face daily.

As the conflict continues, the resilience and resourcefulness of Ukrainian soldiers remain a testament to their unwavering commitment to defending their country. However, their financial struggles reveal a pressing need for systemic support to ensure they can focus on their mission without the added burden of personal expenses.

Transcription of the video translated into English:

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It wears out. It’s that simple.

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These months of war,

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new gear, everything.

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I thought, let me check what’s going on. I take off

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the cover, and there’s a crack underneath.

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Well, that’s how it is.

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The visor is already cracked. You can’t see it under the cover.

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It’s already dangerous. A stronger fragment

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and it’s game over.

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Need to replace the helmet.

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Standard helmets don’t always fit

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our mission requirements.

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You buy your own.

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And for the helmet, you have to buy accessories. Tripods to mount

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here. Or a GoPro, or a flashlight,

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or if they give you night vision,

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and you’ll be the coolest guy

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for photos, then you do it like this.

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And it all costs money.

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And how much

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of this, excuse me, is used on missions?

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The expendable materials themselves, it’s…

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I’m serious, flashlights.

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Knives, I’ve already

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learned not to lose them.

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And what constantly eats up

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a big chunk of money is

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you might laugh, but no.

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It’s cigarettes and

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lighters.

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In war, even non-smokers start smoking.

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Because you’re constantly on adrenaline,

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you need something, you know, those who don’t smoke,

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they work more. It’s a fact.

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Yeah,

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this brings me to the point that

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when you see fundraisers, don’t just walk by,

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because, you see, the guys aren’t even

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asking for all these small things,

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they’re asking at least for Mavic drones

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and vehicles. I always say

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that I feel ashamed

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that the guys

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have to ask for something.

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And I can imagine how embarrassed they feel

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every time they have to approach someone and say,

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“Can you help us?” So they

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just… Let’s

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do something…

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Katya, I’ll give you something. Look.

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It’s 4:02 for you, I’ll tell you about my group.

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Do you think only poor people are fighting here?

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Well, I’ll just give you an example from my group.

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I have a candidate of historical sciences,

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a candidate of economic sciences,

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a person who designed and built

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international airports in Ukraine.

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This isn’t just a builder or an engineer.

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This is the director of that company.

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How much of their own money have they invested?

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They’ve run out.

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And you know, when they talk to me about the economic front,

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I’ll tell you, for example, this director now,

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when he has a free moment,

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he helps keep his company afloat,

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which is now suddenly managed by his wife,

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so people can keep their jobs.

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So he has something to pay taxes with.

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And you come, a nobody.

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And the State Audit Service comes to him too.

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And they demand

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and it’s unclear what they’re doing.

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And they demand the director, who’s now

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in the Armed Forces.

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And there was a joke.

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“Okay, call him,

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let him tell us where we can meet him.”

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Well, they told them where.

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We waited for them for a week,

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but they didn’t come.

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The roads are bad, you know…

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And there’s a person, for example,

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who used to own a retail chain,

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he’s also fighting.

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And there’s a guy who was a tractor driver,

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and everyone in the cohort respects him.

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There’s a guy with us who

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spent eight years under occupation

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in Luhansk region,

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and somehow managed to leave,

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to join the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

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You understand?

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These are the people who inspire you,

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because he could have just stayed there

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quietly, become a collaborator,

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and it wouldn’t have mattered to him.

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But he came back.

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By whatever means, don’t ask how,

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just to join the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

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Because he wants to return home to Ukraine,

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to his Ukrainian Luhansk.

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And that’s…

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Thank you.

Transcription of the video in Ukrainian:

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Воно виходить з влади. Ось елементарно.

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Сі місяці війни,

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новий шлобб, все.

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Думаю, дай я подивлю, що там робиться. Я знімаю

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кавер, а в мене там йожик.

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Ну, а то сколки вміли.

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І вела вже потріскала. Під кавером видно немає.

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Це вже небезпечно. Сильніший осколок

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бадабум буде.

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Надо міняти каску.

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Штатні каски не завжди підходять

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під наше виконання задач.

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Купляй за свої.

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А до каски ти маєш купити. Тріпіжи, щоб подсипити

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сюди. Ілі гоупрохуй, ілі фонарик,

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ілі якщо тобі дадуть ПНВ,

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і ти будеш шутком одмін пацаном

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для фотки, тоді це ти робиш отак.

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І воно все вартоє грошей.

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А скільки

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з цього, вибачте, на виходах?

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Самі розходні матеріали, це пі…

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Я дійсно кажу, фонарики.

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Ножі я вже

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знаю, як не тиряю.

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А, і саме постійно на що уходить

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леву частку грошей, це

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можете смігатися, але не.

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Це цигарки і

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запальнички.

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На війні починають курити, навіть не курящі.

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Тому що ти постійно на адреналіні,

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тобі щось треба, знаєте, хто не курить,

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той більше працює. Це факт.

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Та,

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це до того питання, що

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коли бачите збори, то не проходьте

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повз, тому що, бачите, хлопці навіть

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не просять на оцю всю дрібницю,

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просять хоча б на Мавіки

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і на автомобілі. Я традиційно

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розказую про те, що мені соромно,

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за те, що хлопці

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мають щось просити.

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І я уявляю, як хлопцям вже соромно

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кожного разу до когось звертатися і казати,

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а можете нам допомогти? Тому вони

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просто… Давайте

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щось…

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Катя, я тобі дашу щось нього. Дивися.

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У вас 4.02, я по своїй групі скажу.

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Чи що тут не бідні люди воювати?

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Ну, я тобі просто по прикладу своєї групи скажу.

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У мене кандидат історичних наук,

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кандидат економічних наук,

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людина, яка проєктувала і будувала

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міжнародні ауропорти в Україні.

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Це не просто будівельник чи інженер.

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Це директор цієї фірки.

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А скільки могли вони свої вкладували?

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Вони закінчились.

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І розумієш, коли мені кажуть там про економічний фронт,

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я вам скажу, що, наприклад, цей директор зараз,

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коли в нього є вільна хвилина,

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він допомагає втримати свою фірму,

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яку зараз керують дружина внезапно,

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щоб люди були з роботою.

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Щоб йому було за що платити податки.

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А ти приходиш, главний нігто.

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І до нього теж приходить КРУ.

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І теж витребує

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і незрозуміло, чого робить.

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І вимагає директора, який побумагає,

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він каже, його перевели, він в Збройних Силах.

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І тут був анекдот.

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Тепо, дзвоніть йому,

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хай каже, де ми приїдемо до нього.

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Ну, сказали, де.

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Ось ми їх тиждень чекали,

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що сюди не приїхали.

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Там, цей, дороги поганенькі, там…

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А є людина, наприклад,

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яка була власником певної торгівельної мережі,

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нас теж воює.

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А є пацан, який був трактористом,

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і саме в Когорті всі його поважають.

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Є хлопчик у нас, який

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вісім років був в окупації

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на Луганщині,

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і якимось чином виїхав,

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щоб вступити до Лав Збройних Сил України.

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Розумієш?

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Ось такі люди надихають тебе,

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тому що він теж міг там сидіти

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тишком-нишко, стати полусєпаром,

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і йому була якія різність.

97
00:03:20,440 –> 00:03:21,240
Він повернувся.

98
00:03:21,640 –> 00:03:23,340
Якими тільки шляхами не питайте,

99
00:03:23,520 –> 00:03:25,980
щоб іменно вступити до Лав Збройних Сил України.

100
00:03:26,800 –> 00:03:29,220
Тому що він хоче нормально додому до себе в Україну,

101
00:03:29,280 –> 00:03:30,480
попасти в український, в Луганський.

102
00:03:30,560 –> 00:03:30,980
І це є…

103
00:03:30,980 –> 00:03:31,980
Дякую.

When did the event happen: 2023/10/31