“Follow me, I’ll show you the best place to see Russia. On the edge of the border village of Strilecha, near Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine, fields of dirt and ice stretch for miles, ignoring demarcation lines amid an international crisis . Next to his pale blue 1971 Zhiguli (name given to the Lada in Ukraine), the man points, a few hundred meters away, to a row of trees from which stretches the country of Vladimir Putin.
In this snow-covered village, life goes on almost as usual, despite the threat of impending armed conflict. “We want peace, but we are ready to defend ourselves if Russia invades us”, maintains the mayor, Kylykov Juriv, met a little further.
No military presence is visible in the village of 1500 souls. But if the Russian army crosses the snowy fields, citizens of Strilecha will take up arms, assures Mayor Juriv. “People speak Russian here, but we are pro-Ukrainian. »
As an icy wind swept both sides of the border on Thursday, Myhailo was walking to the small grocery store in Strilecha. Like several other inhabitants residing at the gates of Russia, he does not believe in the imminence of a conflict.
“I don’t see any Russian soldiers,” he says skeptically, pointing in the direction of Russia. “It’s all a lie. We are told repeatedly that there are thousands of soldiers on the other side of the border. But there hasn’t been a war yet, and there won’t be one,” he said.
Almost all Ukrainians living in the Kharkiv region are Russian-speaking, and most have family on the other side of the demarcation line. “We are Slavic brothers,” says Myhailo before abruptly turning on his heels, his sausage dog literally shivering with cold at his side.
A few meters further on, a Soviet monument paying homage to soldiers who fell in combat during the Second World War recalls the common history that links the two countries. “I was born in the USSR and I remember very well the conflict we had with the United States,” says Lydya Zheltyhina, returning home with her arms full of groceries in the village of Mali Prokhody, about twenty kilometers away. of the border.
“The Russian army is just doing a military exercise right now,” she said. Russian soldiers will not attack us. Russia is not an enemy of Ukraine. »
On radio and television, many Russian channels provide information to Ukrainians living near the border. Channels that broadcast Kremlin propaganda beyond Russian territory, some believe.
Dropping her bags on the ground, Lydya Zheltyhina says she is more concerned about the idea of the United States one day establishing a military base in Ukraine [par l’entremise de l’OTAN] than by a Russian invasion. “And it’s not true that it’s the Russian army that’s been occupying Donbass since 2014. They’re Ukrainian fighters. »
It is the United States and the European Union that influence the outcome of this conflict, more than Russia and Ukraine.
normal day
On the road leading to the Kozacha Lopan border post, a line of trucks stretches for kilometers before being able to reach the Russian asphalt. “I arrived yesterday afternoon, and I still have two or three days,” said Ahmad Nazarov, who left from Tajikistan.
A situation which is not exceptional, affirms, a few trucks further, Sergey. “It’s always long like that. I am not worried at all about crossing the border. »
The man, who sports a gold tooth, nevertheless says he hopes for stability for his country. “It is the United States and the European Union that influence the outcome of this conflict, more than Russia and Ukraine,” he said.
A few people, well wrapped up, walk through border controls. A man hugs a loved one before he leaves for Russia, a suitcase in his hand. A lady returns to Ukraine with a blue plastic bag as her only luggage. “My parents live in Russia,” she says. We are the same people. »
While the American intelligence services continue to assert that a Russian attack in Ukraine is imminent, no tension was visible Thursday in this place of passage. “It’s a normal day,” said a Border Patrol soldier who declined to be named as he is not authorized to speak to the media. There are neither more nor fewer people than usual. »
On the road, however, a road sign asks Ukrainians to contact the security services if they encounter a pro-Russian separatist in the area. A reminder that the country has been torn apart for eight years by an armed conflict which has killed more than 14,000 people in the Donbass and led to theannexation of Crimea by Russia.
Autonomous republics
In 2014, after pro-Russian separatists declared the independence of the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Lugansk People’s Republic in the Donbass region, pro-Russian militants briefly occupied the city hall in April from Kharkov. An autonomous republic had been proclaimed there before Ukrainian forces regained control of Ukraine’s second city a few hours later.
A pro-Russian movement is still present in Kharkiv, and Andriy Lesyk is one of its leading figures. “Russia and Ukraine are one people,” the city councilor bluntly asserts. I think it’s impossible to feel Ukrainian and hate Russia. »
According to the politician, the problems that Ukraine is experiencing at the moment have their roots in Western interference. “There is no conflict between Russia and Ukraine. We share the same Slavic and Orthodox values. It is the Western countries that are creating problems in Ukraine. »
In an assertive tone, Andriy Lesyk says he does not believe in the authenticity of Western values of democracy and freedom of speech. “Look how Ukrainian President Zelensky shut down opposition television channels,” he denounces.
Ukraine must remain a neutral state, underlines the man, echoing the repeated requests of Vladimir Putin. “Right now, the United States is trying to instrumentalize Ukraine to be part of NATO. But Ukraine should not be part of any bloc. »
rallying cry
Cruising the roads near the Russian border in the Kharkiv region on Thursday, The duty saw no Ukrainian military deployment. Crossed in Tchouhouïv, near a military base, Sergeant Oleg (who did not want to give his surname since he is not authorized to speak to the media) was waiting for his bus.
Although the Ukrainian army is not visible in the region, he assured that the military was ready to react in the event of a Russian attack. “We are staying on the military bases for now,” he said. Ukrainian troops are calm and confident, he added, despite growing tensions in Donbass.
“We have been at war for eight years, specifies the soldier. There is no panic. Russian soldiers fire daily at Ukrainian positions in the Donbass. There is nothing new so far. »
Today, like yesterday and probably tomorrow too, only one man knows if the Ukrainian sky will darken. ” Damn khuylo! says the soldier, bursting out laughing. A real rallying cry that has been ringing out for months across Ukraine. “Putin is an asshole,” Oleg repeats, shrugging his shoulders. I have nothing else to say. »
With Vitalii Ovcharenko and Bohdan Chaban
This report was funded with support from the Transat-Le Devoir International Journalism Fund.