Why do Ukrainians think negotiations with Putin are pointless: 1. Ilovaisk
Why Do Ukrainians See No Point in Negotiating with Putin, No Matter the Topic?
The answer is in fact pretty simple. ‘Coz it is impossible to negotiate with murderers. They never follow the rules and distort the truth right before our eyes while assuring us that they have done nothing of the sort.
In this series of articles, I will provide examples of how Russia under Putin’s leadership systematically violates agreements.
The Ilovaisk Tragedy – August 2014
After intense battles for Ilovaisk, Ukrainian units—including soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and volunteer battalions (Donbas, Azov, Dnipro-1, Myrotvorets, and others)—were encircled by Russian troops that had invaded Ukraine.
On August 29, 2014, following negotiations, Ukrainian troops were supposed to withdraw through the so-called green corridor, which was guaranteed by the Russian leadership. However, as the convoys of Ukrainian soldiers began to leave, Russian forces opened deadly fire on them.
“There was a KAMAZ truck with wounded soldiers, which we had marked with a white flag with a red cross to prevent it from being targeted. Later, it was one of the first to be hit—”an easy target,” recalled Ukrainian soldier Serhiy Mishchenko in an interview with BBC News Ukraine.
As a result of this massacre, at least 366 Ukrainian soldiers were killed, 429 wounded, 300 taken prisoner, and 158 reported missing (according to the official investigation by the PGO in 2019).
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Soldiers of the 331st Paratrooper Regiment of the Russian Armed Forces’ Kostroma Regiment (98th Airborne Division) participated in the execution of Ukrainian forces in the Ilovaisk pocket. In the spring of 2022, this regiment, along with several other “elite” Russian army units, was defeated during the defense of Kyiv, particularly in the battles for the village of Moshchun, as uncovered by journalists from Radio Svoboda.
The Ilovaisk encirclement remains one of the most tragic chapters of the Russian-Ukrainian war and officially confirmed the participation of regular Russian troops in the hostilities.
