🧿 Stop signs are white in Russia.

Felt like you should know that.

🧿 Some slow motion rain as proof that it is unlikely I will be flying today.

🧿 Yesterday I met a veteran, off camera, he had been on the front since 2014, lost both legs above the knee.

He said something that stayed with me:

"They tried to bury us underground, they didn't know we were seeds."

🧿 So, one of you had asked what about "family members on the other side and families split along the front?"

Yesterday I had the opportunity to meet a handyman, he came to disassemble a couch so it would be taken for donation.

I asked if he would agree to be on camera, he was apprehensive, so I didn't force it. Instead I just asked him a few questions.

He has a brother who lived here till 2019 and then the company he worked for closed their offices here in Donetsk and he was asked to move to Dnepropetrovsk, which he did, as he got a raise. So he lives there. Not for political reasons. The Handyman told me, after I prompted him, his brother is not afraid of the extremist govt there, he says the sentiment of the people is nowhere near to what it is purported to be. The extremist views of the Ukrainian government, according to him, are shared by maybe 15% of the people there, I asked about persecution by authorities for 'wrongthink' but he said that in his brother's city it's not a problem.

So in conclusion, yes families are split. In this case it seems, not in a very extreme manner.

It is also worth noting that on the drive back to drop him home, he complained about the lack of mechanics (as they have either started to work for the army, or moved to Russia to earn more) and he also concluded that all kinds of handymen are missing, from plumbers to carpenters and everything in between, electricians included.

🧿 That feeling when you recount your socks and find out you have 7 more pairs and u thought you had max 4 more pairs left. 🧦 😏

Also heating is working so well that I need to open a window to keep the temp indoors not boiling, and I'm not in a hotel. (Worth noting that the PVC windows installed in this hundred year old building are better than most I've seen back home.)

🧿 'Working Brother' also went to see Russell Bentley (aka Техас Донбасс, pronounced 'Tehas Donbass') yesterday, other than being very welcoming he is not only a treasuretrove of information (and history) , he could well be the subject of a series of movies.

Photo translation: "Object is under guard"

The rest is clear.

🧿 When I went to see Texas Donbass, Russell Bentley, he gave me a few of his older "best hits" videos that had been removed off of YouTube, here is one in them raw. So you can get more of an idea of who he is, and what the Russian (then DPR) Spetsnaz soldiers use.

(This video is from 2017ish)

And get an insight into the Makarov PM.

Enjoy.

🧿 Visited the 'Alley of Angels" earlier today, as requested by you. There is a memorial for all the children that died as a result of the ukranian shelling of Donetsk, and there are other monuments to child victims that we also filmed.

Went to film a couple of monuments today, more videos coming.

🧿 Earlier today at one of the memorial monuments we visited.

🧿 The oligarchs stadium. Abandoned since the start of the war, 2014 that is, not the start of the SMO. The team now plays as a team from Kiev, for the ⚽ soccer fans.

🧿 Exclusive, Russian with Russell part 1 🔞