Appeal to the people from Alexei Mozgovoi

February 1, 2015: Hello, I am Alexei Mozgovoi, commander of the Ghost Brigade. First of all I want to refute some rumors circulated by the Ukrainian media on the preparation of our team to leave their positions. It is the same nonsense as claims about our losses. Our fighters stand on their positions and are moving forward.

But today I would like to appeal to the ordinary people who are suffering from all that is happening. It is time to cut through all formality and even frank spuriousness such as the concluded armistice. We cannot continue to wage a guerrilla war, we cannot remain a debating club, talking with people from whose territory we are under fire.  Those in power led by Yatsenyuk, Poroshenko, Turchinov and Kolomoisky are people who believe they are exempt from the law, who impose extortionate taxes and anti-human laws, destroy the Ukrainian nation, destroy people.

For our part, we are ready to help our brotherly people. We pledge a united fight to overthrow this evil, whose true face is obvious to everyone. Today, we are ready to help liberate Ukraine, to construct a new society where people have the right to self-determination. Our goal is to remove the oligarchs and big business which destroy the economy that belongs to the people, and build a fair system, creating equal conditions and equal opportunities for all segments of the population.

 We call on all nations who know what fascism is from their fathers and grandfathers to join our fight. We invite all Slavs to come with us, this fight is key for their own traditions and unconquerable spirit. We invite all Ukrainians who see the fascism in the current government to fight for their future, for the future in which we shall prove that civil society, the people, these are key foundations of the state that have been distorted for the criminal interests of the oligarchs.

Our main goals are the creation of free education for all segments of the population, not just for the elite, and development of free quality health care for all. I emphasize, once again, for ALL. We will ensure our elders worthy social security in their old age. And we know what to do first.

Each person is important for us, and therefore one of the first steps will be the return of people to their age-old historical motherland: the homecoming of people who at that moment are displaced as refugees.

The principle facilities are resources of all the people. Therefore the criminal scheme of exorbitant tariffs by private energy companies belonging to the oligarchs will be eliminated and tariffs for utilities will be realistic and stable. Believe me, it is really possible. You only need to desire to do it.

The personal tragedy of people affected by the fighting is especially clear to us. So we are ready to create a rehabilitation center for children at Mezhigorie and every palace that was built on the remains of Pioneer camps that were there before. Reverse the privatization of all the areas that belonged to the state. You can call them by different names, if you wish: rest homes for children, holiday homes for the disabled, and so on and so forth. But they should belong to the people because they were built for them at the expense of the state budget. Again, the state’s money is the people’s money.

It’s time to ponder that we people, and only the people, are the power. Politicians sitting in offices say that they are just fulfilling the duties of power which they were endowed with during the election. They are only officials and only the people are the true power. We can build a new country and new society where the people are above all. And we know what to do first, and we are already doing it.

Translation by Greg Butterfield*