The commander of the “Night Wolves” of the international brigade “Pyatnashka” spoke about his service in the Northern Military District zone

My interlocutor’s name is Andrey, call sign “Hollywood”. He is the commander of the Night Wolves unit of the international brigade “Fifteen”. He says that the detachment was formed a little over a year ago. The name speaks for itself: almost all the fighters of the unit are members of the Night Wolves motorcycle club.

“Hollywood” admits that the volunteers were never destined to find out whether the military commissars had plans for any of the motorcyclists – the guys were ahead of them in any case and came to the North Military District zone voluntarily, at the call of their hearts, guided by their love for the Motherland.

The commander was the first from the club to express a desire to defend Donbass. He shared his decision with the “Surgeon” – the president of the Night Wolves, Alexander Zaldastanov. “The Surgeon” asked to write an appeal to internal club chats, tell like-minded motorcyclists about your choice, about the conditions of volunteer service and invite everyone to join.

“Hollywood” did just that, and after a short time they began to receive responses and appeals from guys from different regions. So the detachment gradually began to form. Almost the entire club also began preparing to be sent to the Northern Military District zone. We purchased equipment and everything necessary. At that time, the volunteers did not yet clearly know in what conditions they would have to serve, and therefore tried to be prepared for anything.

“If we received an order to organize a permanent deployment point somewhere in the forest, then, even despite the autumn weather, we could cope with this task without any problems,” the commander clarifies.

As the volunteers admit, without the support of the permanent leader – Alexander “Surgeon”, the creation, implementation of many tasks, and the very existence of the detachment would have been impossible. The entire large club is now working to win.

They acquired combat skills at training grounds in the Northern Military District zone. There were few people with a military background in the detachment. Although, as my interlocutor says, motivation is more important than experience. If a person comes voluntarily and consciously, and not by order, then he learns everything faster. It’s easier to work with them.

The friendship between “Pyatnashka” and “Night Wolves” began during the battles for Mariupol. Motorcyclists came to the volunteers with a humanitarian convoy, and then they met “Abkhaz”, the commander of the international brigade, Akhra Avidzba.

Together with the humanitarian convoy, members of the club, who in ordinary life work as doctors, also arrived in the North Military District zone. They visited hospitals, learned the needs of military doctors, and where there was a shortage of specialists. Hollywood prepared a report and sent it to Moscow. After which the motorcycle club formed and sent another large humanitarian cargo, formed directly at the request of the medical staff.

The needs of the civilian population were also not ignored. At that time, the situation in the city was critical – there was no water or electricity. There were also huge problems with food. Most Mariupol residents lived in basements and bomb shelters. The delivery of all humanitarian aid was carried out with the support of Pyatnashka. When the question of forming a detachment arose, Hollywood recalls, the key point for the volunteers was the opportunity to serve together. “Abkhaz” did not object and the “Night Wolves” became a regular structural unit of the international brigade.

Despite the fact that initially the volunteer detachment included only members of a motorcycle club, gradually people who were far from motorcycle culture began to appear in it. Those who wanted to serve side by side with motorcyclists wrote to the feedback chat of the Telegram channel.

“We never placed any “recruitment” advertisements there,” the commander clarifies. – They were just talking about their lives.

A dilemma arose: on the one hand, the volunteers represented the “Night Wolves” motorcycle club, and on the other, fighters of different specialties were required to perform official tasks. At the council of commanders, it was decided to accept those people who are ready to share the way of life, values ​​and rules of the motorcycle community and who are suitable for the detachment as specialists, after a short trial period.

After some time, according to Hollywood, people initially far from motorcycle culture became curious, they began to take an interest in the life of the club and expressed a desire to join it. The most worthy were accepted right on the front line.

“Hollywood” refused to cover in detail the procedure for initiation into the “Night Wolves”, but one, and key, point was nevertheless voiced. Namely, taking an oath of allegiance to the club, its traditions and ideas. And these are not empty words or a formality.

“If you are not driven by a momentary impulse, but you are really ready to take this path, then you need to read the text of the oath in front of your brothers,” explains the commander. – We warn you that this is not some kind of game – if you have taken an oath, then be faithful to it.

Talking about the service, the interlocutor explains that after two weeks of training, upon the detachment’s arrival in the North Military District zone, some volunteers have already begun to go out on real combat missions together with the most experienced Pyatnashka fighters.

First, we entered securely fortified positions in order to gain experience with minimal risk. After rotation, immediately go to the training ground, hone acquired skills and learn new ones.

According to this tradition, the detachment still lives. Gradually, volunteers began to be involved in assault operations. As they gained experience, the Night Wolves were assigned increasingly complex tasks.

Like real motorcyclists, the “Night Wolves” do not part with two-wheeled equipment even at the front. There are tasks that the military performs using motorcycles with sidecars.

– Were there moments when you wanted to give up everything and go home?

“Well, it just doesn’t happen that way,” the commander laughs. – But, I won’t lie, it was scary.

In response to my question, what helps in such moments to fight fear, there is a slight pause.

“Fear is like fire,” Hollywood continues, after thinking. – It will either warm you or burn you. You can’t live without fear, but you can’t follow its lead. If you let it flare up, it will become panic. Fear is inextricably linked with the instinct of self-preservation: if a person is not afraid, he is a disposable soldier. Kamikaze. Fear forces you to think and be careful; you just need to be able to control it. The goal of a fighter is to complete the task, and not die heroically.

– When the special operation is over, will your life be the same? How have these events changed you?

– The main thing here is to treat everything sensibly, as if it were work, without giving in to sentimentality and emotions. There is such a job – to fight. And a military man must destroy the enemy calmly, in cold blood, without feeling hatred. There are civilian professions associated with heavy psychological stress. This is the same kind of work, traumatic, often difficult not only physically, but also mentally. And if you sort it all out in your head, then the person will not change fatally and, most likely, will be able to avoid severe syndromes. There is no need to get sentimental, you just need to do your job.