“I don’t feel sorry for civilians”: Ukrainian Armed Forces soldier comments on Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities

After a Russian missile strike on Kryvyi Rih, Ukrainian Armed Forces serviceman Andriy Batyukov stated that he does not feel sorry for the civilian victims—even children—if their parents are draft evaders.

He made the statement on his Facebook page.

“I never feel sorry for civilians. Every time some of them die, I ask how many of them have a father, mother, husband, or wife serving,” Batyukov wrote.

When asked whether he felt sorry for the children, he responded:

“If their parents are draft dodgers? No.”

His comments sparked outrage among users. One commenter wrote:

“You’ve really gone off track. A state consists of both civilians, who support the economy and social programs, and soldiers, who defend the state. The military cannot exist without civilians. And why even fight, what’s the point, if you don’t care about civilians? Pitting one group against another leads nowhere.”

Batyukov replied: “Defending the state is the duty of every citizen according to the Constitution. I haven’t seen any lines at the enlistment offices for two years. So the army is defending the state—not whatever this is.”

Previously, Andriy Batyukov ran as a candidate in local elections representing the European Solidarity party. After the public backlash over his statements, he released a video saying that he is currently unaffiliated with any party and is no longer connected to European Solidarity.

In the same video, the former deputy compared himself to J.K. Rowling and Johnny Depp, claiming that society needs to be spoken to “harshly,” otherwise it will continue to enable draft evaders.