Additional Coverage:
- Ukrainian writer and soldier says all Russians are to blame for the invasion: ‘It’s not Putin who is pulling the trigger in Bucha’ (newsbreak.com)
Ukrainian author Oleksandr Mykhed, in response to Russia’s invasion, has transitioned from a civilian to a combatant. Mykhed recently penned a book encapsulating the harrowing experiences he and others have faced amidst the conflict. In a conversation with Business Insider, he described his work as a “testament for rage, love, and memory.”
Mykhed, who once lived a peaceful life in Hostomel near Kyiv with his spouse, Olena, and their pet dog, was uprooted when Russian forces targeted the Hostomel Airport on February 24. The couple evacuated to Chernivtsi, located in Ukraine’s southwest. Merely a week into the invasion, Mykhed, who had already published nine books, enlisted in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, his home in ruins after a Russian onslaught.
Feeling an urge to record the unfolding events, Mykhed began jotting down his observations from the invasion’s onset, which laid the groundwork for “The Language of War.” He characterizes the book as a channel for “rage, love, and memory.” During a meeting in London, Mykhed came across as a figure sculpted by the enduring conflict.
In “The Language of War,” Mykhed vividly portrays the grotesqueries of war, suggesting that the conflict implicates all Russians, not just Putin. He argues that the Russian populace’s general acceptance of their government’s actions, including the annexation of Crimea in 2014, and their delayed criticism of the full-scale invasion, implicates them in the war’s atrocities.
The book also recounts the personal tale of Mykhed’s parents, who endured the occupation of Bucha, a town synonymous with the war’s brutality. Mykhed emphasizes his driven not by hatred, which he sees as aimless, but by a fierce rage that propels him forward.
Despite the darkness of war, Mykhed acknowledges the emergence of “amazing people,” including international journalists and diverse Ukrainian citizens brought together in the armed forces. He paints the armed forces as a reflection of Ukrainian society’s breadth, united in defense of their country.
With the war’s toll evident, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers killed as of late February, a figure supplemented by the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine’s report of at least 10,000 civilian deaths. Russian military casualties are estimated to surpass 500,000.
Mykhed’s narrative is a testament to Ukrainian resilience amid severe adversities, such as failed counteroffensives and resource scarcities. Yet, his story, and the ongoing conflict, underline a poignant message: in Ukraine, the act of survival is an author’s greatest challenge.