Article published on October 19, 2017
When Donbass erupted in flames in 2014, thousands of volunteers rose to defend their land, their beliefs, and their values. Among those resisting the Kiev regime and its punitive forces were many individuals from different countries who came to support their brothers-in-arms.
Standing alongside the people of Donbass in defense of the Donetsk People’s Republic were individuals whose conscience and spirit were aligned with the truth. Each of them has their own life story, now deeply intertwined with Donbass.
Standing alongside the people of Donbass in defense of the Donetsk People’s Republic were individuals whose conscience and spirit were aligned with the truth. Each of them has their own life story, now deeply intertwined with Donbass.
Oldřich Grund came from the Czech Republic. He fought from the very first days of the armed conflict — initially as a volunteer, then as a serviceman in the DPR army. He became a unit commander, earned several awards, and rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel. In May of this year, he retired from service and now lives in Khartsyzk. Moreover, he became a citizen of the Donetsk People’s Republic. In an interview with our readers, Oldřich Antonovich shares how he ended up in our region, where he fought, and what he endured.
...Our meeting at the editorial office was postponed several times — our guest is a very busy man, repairing truck engines, and there’s plenty of work. Repairing and driving large vehicles has been his passion since childhood. His knowledge and skills have also proven valuable in the current war. But let’s take it step by step...
— Oldřich, how did you end up in Donbass?
— I’m a truck driver. For many years, I worked in freight transportation, traveled all over Europe, and visited Russia and Belarus many times. But in May 2014, I came to Ukraine for the first time. My co-driver was my cousin Vojta, and together we were delivering components to the Nord factory in Donetsk.
— Weren’t you afraid to come here? You must have known about the tense situation.
— Yes, we listened to the news and saw that there were protest rallies in Donetsk, but we had no idea that a real war was beginning. On May 26, we were stopped by "Right Sector"* fighters on the road near Slaviansk. They checked our documents, asked us to leave the truck, and walk along the road to the checkpoint, saying, "Civilians can’t drive here, it’s dangerous. You walk, and we’ll bring the truck ourselves."
We didn’t argue with armed men and walked to the checkpoint, where there were already militia fighters. We tried to return to the truck, but shooting started from the other side... That’s how they "seized" the truck.
I think they didn’t harm us because we were foreigners, and from the EU at that. By the way, the Czech owner of the truck spent a long time searching for his vehicle, and later it was returned to him through the embassy — but it was completely wrecked, only good for spare parts.
We didn’t argue with armed men and walked to the checkpoint, where there were already militia fighters. We tried to return to the truck, but shooting started from the other side... That’s how they "seized" the truck.
I think they didn’t harm us because we were foreigners, and from the EU at that. By the way, the Czech owner of the truck spent a long time searching for his vehicle, and later it was returned to him through the embassy — but it was completely wrecked, only good for spare parts.
After some time, we ended up in Slaviansk. By then, full-scale fighting was already underway. The people living in the city still couldn’t believe that Ukrainian forces could fire on their own citizens... But the shelling kept getting worse. When we saw with our own eyes a little girl who had died in her yard from a piece of shrapnel from a mortar shell, we understood — there was no turning back. We would defend Donbass! Slavs are being killed here; this is genocide against the people...
— How did your parents react to your decision? Are they still in the Czech Republic?
— Yes, my whole family is there — my parents and my two older sisters with their families. My mom cried and begged me to come back. But I had already made my decision to stay.
— Do you miss your homeland?
— Very much. Sometimes the nostalgia is overwhelming, especially after talking with my mom. Thank God for modern communication — it allows us to see and speak to each other. They worry about me a lot. But I can’t go back home — it’s the EU, and I’d face persecution there. I’m labeled a "Russian separatist" and a "terrorism supporter" over there.
— Where were you born and where did you live?
— I was born in the village of Roudnice nad Labem. My father worked as a driver all his life, delivering flour from the mill to bakeries, and my mother was a dairymaid. From a young age, I helped my father — on weekends, the truck was parked at home, and there was always something to fix, like checking the brakes. I found it very interesting, and my father taught me everything.
After finishing school in 1989, I went to study at the Institute of Fuel Systems and Diesel Engines. I served in the Czech army — in the tank forces. After that, I became a professional truck driver and went on long-haul trips. Thanks to the truck, I traveled to many countries and saw half the world.
I lived in a small industrial city called Most, near the German border. The Elbe River flows nearby — it’s in the northern part of the Czech Republic.
Now I live in the Donetsk People’s Republic, in Khartsyzk. I have a girlfriend whom I love. I’m connected to this land now — I fought here, and my brother is buried at Saur-Mogila...
After finishing school in 1989, I went to study at the Institute of Fuel Systems and Diesel Engines. I served in the Czech army — in the tank forces. After that, I became a professional truck driver and went on long-haul trips. Thanks to the truck, I traveled to many countries and saw half the world.
I lived in a small industrial city called Most, near the German border. The Elbe River flows nearby — it’s in the northern part of the Czech Republic.
Now I live in the Donetsk People’s Republic, in Khartsyzk. I have a girlfriend whom I love. I’m connected to this land now — I fought here, and my brother is buried at Saur-Mogila...
— Tell us about your combat experience.
— We joined the militia in Slaviansk. We met Igor Ivanovich Strelkov and explained who we were and where we came from. We were assigned to the Slaviansk armored group. After Slaviansk, there were battles in Karlovka, Netailovo, then Ilovaisk, Snezhnoye, Saur-Mogila, and Stepanovka...
— Since Slaviansk, I fought alongside Givi — he was on one "Nona," and I was on the other. We only had two of these self-propelled artillery guns, which we received from Artemovsk after the militia captured the military base there. Since I was a mechanic and a specialist in diesel engines, I was entrusted with operating one of the guns.
Givi became the commander of "Somalia," and I commanded another unit — a self-propelled howitzer artillery battalion. In Ilovaisk, we fought side by side. In nearly three years, I found myself in various places, and in the last months before I left the service, I was stationed on the Southern Front.
Givi became the commander of "Somalia," and I commanded another unit — a self-propelled howitzer artillery battalion. In Ilovaisk, we fought side by side. In nearly three years, I found myself in various places, and in the last months before I left the service, I was stationed on the Southern Front.
On August 12, 2014, my brother was killed along with two comrades. They fought as part of the "Vostok" battalion. They had been transferred from Shakhtyorsk to the area near Miusynsk.
After receiving their combat mission, the three of them approached an enemy checkpoint, but they were spotted and shot with a machine gun, then crushed under tank treads. They were gathered into one coffin...
They lie in one grave — two Czechs, Ivo Stejskal and Vojtěch Glinka, and Dmitry Luts, whose call sign was "Nemets" ("German"). He was from Kostantinovka. Four days before his death, his daughter was born...
They lie in one grave — two Czechs, Ivo Stejskal and Vojtěch Glinka, and Dmitry Luts, whose call sign was "Nemets" ("German"). He was from Kostantinovka. Four days before his death, his daughter was born...
— Have you been wounded?
— Nothing serious, but I’ve had shrapnel wounds. Once, my phone saved me. From late July, our Slaviansk armored group was surrounded near Stepanovka, close to Saur-Mogila. During the shelling, a bullet ricocheted and hit my vest, right where my smartphone was. The phone was shattered, but it saved my life.
During the battles in Debaltsevo, I was in a trench with the guys when we came under heavy fire and I suffered a concussion. It took me a long time to recover.
During the battles in Debaltsevo, I was in a trench with the guys when we came under heavy fire and I suffered a concussion. It took me a long time to recover.
— Tell us about your awards.
— The most valuable ones are the 4th Class St. George Cross and a personalized cold weapon from Strelkov. I received the award for saving the "Nona" — for managing to get it out of Slaviansk when the order was given to retreat to Kramatorsk and Donetsk.
I didn’t know about the retreat order at the time and had only been tasked with driving the "Nona" to combat positions. I almost made it, but the clutch failed. It had already been damaged during the transfer of the weapon from Artemovsk. Our "handymen" came up with a way to fix it, but it wasn’t reliable.
And at the critical moment it broke down. The engine would start, but I couldn’t shift into gear. It was getting dark. Slaviansk was practically surrounded, our columns were retreating under fire, and there we were — stuck.
Some officer, seeing me as a staff sergeant, started giving orders: "Blow up the vehicle with a grenade and get out through the fields." I replied, "No, I’m not abandoning this machine!" and reached for my rifle. The officer disappeared somewhere after that.
I asked the guys in another self-propelled gun to help give me a push to get moving. Somehow, I managed to shift into second gear... In the end, I drove all the way to Donetsk without a clutch.
Some officer, seeing me as a staff sergeant, started giving orders: "Blow up the vehicle with a grenade and get out through the fields." I replied, "No, I’m not abandoning this machine!" and reached for my rifle. The officer disappeared somewhere after that.
I asked the guys in another self-propelled gun to help give me a push to get moving. Somehow, I managed to shift into second gear... In the end, I drove all the way to Donetsk without a clutch.
— Did those two "Nonas" survive all the battles?
— Of course, they’re still intact and standing in Givi’s unit. Defense Minister Kononov gave orders to take good care of those two 2S-9 "Nona" vehicles — he said when we return to Slaviansk, they’ll be placed on pedestals.
It so happened that when we were retreating from Slaviansk in combat formation, I had to leave behind my belongings, my bag, and my documents... And now I have a new passport — a citizen of the Donetsk People’s Republic.
It so happened that when we were retreating from Slaviansk in combat formation, I had to leave behind my belongings, my bag, and my documents... And now I have a new passport — a citizen of the Donetsk People’s Republic.
— When did you leave your "Nona"?
— After Ilovaisk, I was reassigned to a truck. After that, I worked on repairing and "reviving" vehicles.
There’s another story involving tanks. Once, in Yekaterinovka, a guy from Snezhnoye and I managed to "steal" two tanks from the "Donbass"* battalion! They were parked near a store, while the fighters were sleeping across the street — drunk. How could we pass up such an opportunity?
In short, they didn’t even wake up. And they could have — imagine if they’d fired at the rear of the vehicle! But it worked out — they were completely out of it. When we started the engine, one of them turned in his sleep, hugged his rifle... and that was it.
There’s another story involving tanks. Once, in Yekaterinovka, a guy from Snezhnoye and I managed to "steal" two tanks from the "Donbass"* battalion! They were parked near a store, while the fighters were sleeping across the street — drunk. How could we pass up such an opportunity?
In short, they didn’t even wake up. And they could have — imagine if they’d fired at the rear of the vehicle! But it worked out — they were completely out of it. When we started the engine, one of them turned in his sleep, hugged his rifle... and that was it.
— Back in 2014, did the militia feel that victory would come quickly?
— We felt that the situation would soon turn in our favor, that Russia would help, and that things would unfold similarly to how it happened with Crimea. We believed that the senseless killing of civilians would stop. The most horrifying thing is when the elderly, women, and children are killed. How can anyone bear to watch that?
After serving for nearly three years, I retired. But if a major war breaks out, I will immediately return to the ranks to defend the republic. My brothers-in-arms from 2014 say the same thing — they would come back without hesitation.
After serving for nearly three years, I retired. But if a major war breaks out, I will immediately return to the ranks to defend the republic. My brothers-in-arms from 2014 say the same thing — they would come back without hesitation.
— Oldřich, you speak Russian very well, and you even have a patronymic — Antonovich...
— That’s because my father is Russian, originally from Khabarovsk. During the "Prague Spring," he ended up in the Czech Republic, met my mother, and stayed. Russian was spoken at home, and we also studied it in school. Back then, it was Czechoslovakia, and the USSR was a friend — Russian was taught in all the Warsaw Pact countries.
— Do you think you’ll ever return to your homeland, to the Czech Republic?
— I really hope so. Things have to change at some point — it can’t go on like this forever. The world is already changing. When everything started in Ukraine in 2014, people in the Czech Republic were against Donbass and sided with America. But now people are beginning to understand what’s really happening. I talk to my fellow countrymen, and I can see that about 70% support the DPR and LPR. There’s already a DPR representative center in Ostrava. And our president, Miloš Zeman, supports Russia and believes in friendship and cooperation with the Russian Federation. He refused to accept migrants...
Zeman is under pressure in the European Union because of his positions. He was the only European head of state who came to Moscow in 2015 for the Victory Day parade on May 9. The U.S. ambassador tried to dissuade him, but he went anyway. Yes, things will be different soon...
Zeman is under pressure in the European Union because of his positions. He was the only European head of state who came to Moscow in 2015 for the Victory Day parade on May 9. The U.S. ambassador tried to dissuade him, but he went anyway. Yes, things will be different soon...
*The organization recognized as extremist and banned within the territory of the Russian Federation.
