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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At least 25,000, you give.

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Right away. You can’t

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just eat dry rations and what you’re given.

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You chip in further to keep yourself in decent shape,

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to afford normal

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food. Just imagine, yeah.

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And believe me, Pepsi isn’t bought

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to, excuse me, well, indulge

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or pamper themselves.

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I’ll reveal a terrible secret on air

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on Channel 24. Do you know why soldiers

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drink Pepsi, you know?

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It’s to help their stomachs recover

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after eating those dry rations,

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so it doesn’t just sit there.

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A terrible secret. That’s how it is.

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I’m being honest.

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Medications.

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After concussions.

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You have to buy some vitamins,

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the ones prescribed by the doctor, yeah.

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Replenishing tourniquets,

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replenishing ammunition,

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equipment,

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parts for Mavic drones,

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a general fund for a vehicle because someone in the regiment

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got hit, and we need to help.

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A general fund for Mavic drones,

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because they’re considered expendable materials

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here.

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Also out of our own pockets.

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Well, roughly speaking,

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out of those 100,000 in combat pay,

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I return most of it back to the army.

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Well, you know,

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it’s elementary.

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You, maybe a moment of advertising,

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free of charge.

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I want to thank Mr. Artem

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live on air,

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and the trade representatives as well,

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for helping us out a lot.

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Recently, my brother

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with the call sign “Hunta”

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received some harsh advice.

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And it so happened that during evacuation,

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all his gear went to the land of Marlboro,

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meaning lost items.

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And we needed to replace them.

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Roughly speaking,

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well, Artem funded it,

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MTAK gave a discount and picked everything out.

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I’m telling you this as it is.

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This is for an SSO soldier.

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Not fully.

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We got a helmet,

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boots, pants,

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a jacket, a tactical shirt,

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a combat vest,

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a backpack, a plate carrier,

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and all the pouches for it,

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and the final amount,

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taradara,

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even with the discount, was 120,000 hryvnias.

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Any questions?

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These are good people.

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And we’re not talking

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about some Western brands here,

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this is just a Ukrainian brand.

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This is a domestic Ukrainian brand.

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This isn’t Cry Precision,

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this isn’t Helicon Tech,

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this isn’t 511,

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this is the Ukrainian MTAK,

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which is no worse,

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but I’m telling you the order of the numbers.

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When people ask,

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why are they collecting money for gear,

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just look at the price of one

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simple pouch.

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It’s elementary.

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I’ll reveal a terrible secret,

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they’re not all the same,

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because you can’t stuff a grenade

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into a magazine pouch,

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you won’t find it later.

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The same goes for tourniquets,

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the same,

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there are different pouches,

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and I’ll tell you honestly,

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this stuff is constantly being repurchased,

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because it’s always

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getting lost or worn out.

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It’s elementary.

Transcription of the video in Ukrainian:

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мінімум 25 тисяч, ти даєш.

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Сходу. Ти не можеш

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жрати один сухпай і те, що даєш.

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Ти скидаєш далі, щоб тримати себе в нормі

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на вопчий кавчих на нормальну

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їжу. От прикиньте, да.

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І повірте, пепсиколу купляють не для того,

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щоб, вибачте, мене, ну, нормально

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себе чухать там, тіпа, і побалуватися.

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Я вам відкрию страшну тайну в ефірі

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24 каналу. Знаєте, навіщо військові

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п’ють пепсиколу, знаючи?

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А щоб після цих сухпаїв нормально

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щоб жилдок якось восстановився

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і він не стояв.

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Страшна тайна. Отак і є.

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Я відвертаю.

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Ліки.

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Після контузій.

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Ти маєш бути вітаміну якусь купить,

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яку написав лікар, да.

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Поповнення турнікетів,

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поповнення амуніції,

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екіпірування,

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деталі до Мавіків,

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загальний збір на машину, тому що в полку

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хтось вилетів, треба допомогти.

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Загальний збір на Мавіки,

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тому що вони тут розходним матеріалом

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йдуть.

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Теж за свої.

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Ну, грубо говоря,

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от тих 100 тисяч бойових

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я вертаю назад в армію.

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Ну, там, знаєте,

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от елементарно.

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Тебе, мінутка реклами може бути,

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халявний.

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Я хочу в прямому ефірі

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подякувати пану Артему,

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і торгівельні мають в цьому так,

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за те, що вони нам дуже виручили.

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Мене недавно по братим

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з яскравим позивним хунта

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отримав жорсткі поради.

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І так трапилося, що при евакуації

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вся його снаряга пішла в країну Мальбору,

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тобто потір’яних віщей.

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І нам треба було їх володіти.

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Грубо кажучи,

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ну, Артем це профінансував,

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МТАК зробив снижку і підібрав все.

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Я вам кажу так, як я.

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Подіть бійця ССО.

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Не повністю.

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Це ми брали каску,

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це був боти, штани,

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кітель, тактична рубашка,

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СОВШЕЛ,

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РПС, бронежилет

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і всі підсумки до нього,

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і остаточна сума,

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тарадара,

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це за скидка ще 120 тисяч гривень.

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Питання є?

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Це люди добрі.

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І це ми зараз не говоримо

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про якісь західні бренди,

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це просто український бренд.

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Це відчизняний український бренд.

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Це не Cry Precision,

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це не Helicon Tech,

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це не 511,

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це український МТАК,

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який нічим не гірший,

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але я вам кажу порядок цифр.

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Коли спитають,

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а чого там на снарягу збирають туди,

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ви подивіться ціни на один

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грибучий підсумок просто.

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От елементарно.

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Я вам відкрию страшну тайну,

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що їх не буває одинаково,

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тому що ти не можеш підсумок

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для магазину запихнути гранату,

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ти потім ту гранату не виявиш.

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Аналогічна з турнікетом,

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аналогічна,

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підсумки різних є,

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і я вам скажу відверто,

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що це ж постійно докупається,

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скільки в тебе постійно

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воно виходить з влади.

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От елементарно.

When did the event happen: 2023/10/31