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January 5, 2024
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January 5, 2024A participant in the hostilities in Mariupol and at ‘Azovstal,’ a border guard known by the call sign Smurf, who spent 10 months in Russian captivity, revealed that for almost a year now, he has been unable to obtain certification as a participant in combat actions.
He posted about this issue on Instagram.
According to him, it has been nearly a year since he returned from captivity, yet he hasn’t been able to obtain the certification.
‘Why? I don’t understand myself. To issue it, a certificate of participation in combat operations is needed. They don’t provide the certificate because it requires accessing the combat journal maintained in Mariupol. They won’t do it without the commander who filled out that journal, and the commander is in captivity,’ Smurf describes the problem.
He notes that certificates of injuries and a statement confirming the time spent in captivity are not considered documents verifying participation in combat actions.
‘I went to the store for bread – and ended up in captivity,’ the soldier sarcastically remarks about the bureaucracy.
He highlights that there are many similar stories across Ukraine.
‘One question arises. Does this mean I haven’t earned it?’ Smurf writes.
At the same time, those who went to serve as cooks or to distribute items to military units before the full-scale invasion easily receive the status of a combat participant without any issues.