War in Ukraine: in a hospital in Donbass which treats Russian soldiers

On Wednesday February 14, the 20 Hours team entered the Donbass, a Ukrainian region partly controlled by Russians, thanks to exceptional authorization. In two years of war, a Western television crew had never been able to film Russian soldiers in a hospital. Only condition: not to reveal its exact location, for fear of shooting. Among the hundreds of patients, a staunch war supporter was injured in the leg and arm. “I intend to continue serving the Russian Federation”he declares.

“We have to continue and give ourselves a goal: to come back”

A few rooms further on, a young soldier, injured the same morning, had his leg amputated. “Who could be guilty? War”, he blurted. Sasha is only 24 years old. Another soldier continues: “I was 22 when they took me. (…) Everything is hard, everything is complicated, but you have to master it because the people who are dear to you are waiting for you at home. You have to continue and give yourself a goal: to come back“entrusts the one who “don’t burn with desire” to return to the front, but who will go “if it is obligatory”. To desert is to risk prison. On the Russian side, these words are extremely rare, because the image that the government wants to give of soldiers is that of heroes, as shown by posters to recruit ever more people into the Russian army.