"I wasn’t afraid. I fired grenade launcher to shoot down Russian APC or IFV in front of President’s Office," - Yermak’s adviser, Arestovych
"That is, everything was clear to me. When I received the first message... They left en masse, one after another. 1,200 units each, 800 pieces of equipment, the simultaneous flight of 40 helicopters, the simultaneous flight of 50 helicopters... I saw what was happening in Gostomel. I understood why, where and how. And I understood: we will be finished within 12 hours. That is, when I went to the podium for the first time, I understood... This is what they say now: "Promoted in the war." But I can tell you that when I went to the podium, I was sure that I would be shot for this exit within 12 hours," he said in an interview with Gordon, Censor.NET reports.
"Ukraine - I don't know. I believed that the western regions would resist, we would save a third of Ukraine, whether there would be any resistance - it depends on the West. And the fact that we are finished in the office, I did not doubt for a second at all. I believed about two weeks of street fighting. But then, I thought, Kyiv would be captured. The balance of power was not in our favor. Absolutely not ours. Well, I'd say about one in 20. So it's technically impossible from a military point of view. If they had acted correctly... They turned out to be idiots, thank God. They are idiots, and we are good guys. That's the secret," he added.
"The president was in a combat platoon, on a Cossack drive. Andriy Borisovych was even calmer than usual. And everyone was smiling... And I was very interested. I am a military man. And I wanted to see how civilians would behave. Everyone worked very measuredly and calmly. Surprisingly measured and calm. There was an evacuation: secret documents were taken away, any secret equipment was taken away. The president let people out to take their parents away. That is, a part left, and then returned. I will tell you that I take my hat off to these people twice: to leave a surrounded city, and then to return there - you need to have some courage. Absolutely everyone returned. And there was not even an attempt to delay the time, to say: "You know, the documents are not being taken out well. I will take them out for another two days." When the journalists were asked to leave, we received weapons, bulletproof vests, and protective equipment. It was very funny: Yermak is healthy, the bulletproof vest did not fit on him. He does, and does... Then he says: "Well, okay, I'll be without a bulletproof vest." The guard says: "Everyone has prepared for battle. Because the saboteurs have already gone around Kyiv, we were informed." Let's go, yes. Again, the battle for Hostomel... It was the moment when they entered Obolon - then they were stopped there. They emerged somewhere else then - I don't remember now. The main number of saboteurs climbed on the second or third day. There was a short shooting in Lukyanivka. When they worked for the General Staff from the surrounding buildings, they worked for the National Guard in the Solomyansk district. We ask the experts: "What is the approximate number of saboteurs in Kyiv?" They say: "Well, according to activity - from 300 to 1600." And this, one must understand, is only a skeleton. That is, a group of four people came in - the "sleepers" join it later. And - once! - shooting near the office - two! – shooting near the office... In the evening of the same day, the checkpoints around the office started a fight with unknown people, let's call it that. And we stood with automatic weapons near the windows together with the guards. I and a few other people who fought know how to do it. We didn't have to do anything - we fought back at the roadblocks. And at that moment, the president says: "I will go outside, because they threw information that we escaped," Arestovych said.
"I wasn't afraid at all. It's not dramatic, maybe it sounds, but I had one wish: I wanted to shoot a Russian armored vehicle unit so as not to die in vain. Because the one who shot, goes to Valhalla. And the one who didn't shoot, doesn't go . I fired the grenade launcher. There were many of them. I languished behind the curtain and thought: "If I get to the office, my task is to burn one Tiger, one APC, one IFV, but burn it before I die." And I had another option. I immediately calculated: street fights. Because you have to prepare for the whole range of options. And if, for example, the office was destroyed and we were all killed, and for some reason you remained alive... This also happens sometimes," he assured.
