By Kontur and AFP | 2024-07-23

WARSAW -- Four soldiers from Ukraine's popular 3rd Assault Brigade kicked off their multi-city European tour July 21 in the Polish capital, home to large numbers of Ukrainian refugees.

The meet-and-greets aim to dispel misinformation about the war in Ukraine more than two years after Russia's invasion.

"We came to our people in Europe. Because they are our voice in Europe," Vitaly, a 21-year-old fighter with the call sign Gats, said ahead of the sold-out event in Warsaw.

"If Ukraine fails, Poland will be next, and the Baltic countries. And they need to understand this. Russia will not stop. It will not stop at all," he told AFP.

He spoke alongside his tourmates at the Odessa Club, an arts loft and events space tucked away in downtown Warsaw.

Stops in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, the Czech Republic and Lithuania will follow.

"Did you want to jump in but didn't know how? Come and ask the professional military in person," the brigade said on Instagram prior to the tour.

"Only the truth about service in the brigade, stories from the front line and a true military vibe," it added, along with the list of cities.

Vitaly said they wanted to give civilians an accurate picture of the reality on the ground.

"Because they will read Russian fake news on the internet that everything is a mess, that everyone is dead and there is nothing at all," he said.

"That's why we pass on information firsthand, communicate with them on any issues," added Vitaly, who said he was grieving his brother's death on the front.

'Reasons for me to return'

The tour comes at a time when Ukraine is trying to entice fighting-age men living abroad to enlist.

Heavy casualties have drained Ukraine's military of the manpower needed to battle Russia's advancing forces, prompting authorities to launch an aggressive recruitment drive to replenish the army's ranks.

But the soldiers visiting Ukrainians in Europe say they are not here to recruit.

"Everyone has their own choice. With our tour, we are just telling our vision of what is happening in the war," said 32-year-old Viktor, who has the call sign Angel and sports a shoulder tattoo of angel wings.

"We are not agitating anyone in any way. It always comes from the heart. Those who love their homeland will definitely go and do what we do," he told AFP.

The show in Warsaw drew a 200-strong crowd of mostly young men, some of whom said they were considering returning to Ukraine and joining the battle.

"I came out to see the guys and listen to what they have to say because maybe they'll provide reasons for me to return," said Yegor Matviienko, 22, a Ukrainian who has lived in Poland since the invasion.

He said he fled in June 2022 after Russian soldiers questioned him, leaving him feeling that he was facing "a matter of life or death."

Still, he admitted to having some guilt for not fighting in Ukraine.

As did Oleksandr Tsertsek, 26, who was outside the country working as a sailor in Asia when Russia invaded and who is now working various jobs in Poland.

"I want to be in Ukraine as soon as possible, but I'm scared. And I want to break this fear," he told AFP.

"I came because I want to know about the war firsthand."

Though he said he was interested in enlisting, he added that there were also other ways to help.

"I think that everybody does his part as much as he can," he said.

"Someone can be a good fighter, and someone else -- a good supporter."