“Nonostante le mie esperienze passate con i russi, ho creduto – forse ingenuamente come laureato in diritto internazionale – quella guerra su vasta scala nel 21 ° secolo era impossibile. Ho immaginato le controversie commerciali, forse, ma non questa.” – Callingign Kyi
https://www.reddit.com/gallery/1liya46
di Lysychka-
3 commenti
**Why “Kyi”?**
The call sign “Kyi” has a double meaning. First, my last name ends with that syllable. Second, I’m from Kyiv, I was born and raised there, and I worked in Kyiv until the full-scale invasion began.
**Before the War**
Despite past sad experiences with russians, I believed – perhaps naively as an international law graduate – that full-scale war in the 21st century was impossible. I imagined trade disputes, maybe, but not this.
I have two higher education degrees—one in international law and the other in accounting and taxation. I worked in top international law firms that advised multinational companies on tax law, antitrust, intellectual property, and corporate law. Those things now feel infinitely far from what I do today, but back then, they were my world.
**Do You Plan to Return to Law?**
I do plan to return. I don’t see myself as a career military officer. I hope I can eventually reintegrate into civilian life. It won’t be easy; even on leave, the gap between military and civilian life feels enormous.
**Did You Have Any Military Training Before the Invasion?**
Honestly, I never even wanted to serve.
I started as the duty officer at the command center. Then I was promoted—first to deputy chief of staff, and for the past three months, I’ve served as deputy battalion commander.
The chief of staff is the commander’s right hand. I guess I’m the left. I need to understand the situation in the battalion as well as the commander does. I inspect positions, run drills, talk with the troops to ensure we’re not fooling ourselves with false reports. I listen to concerns, hear suggestions, and help organize effective combat work. I also handle documentation, safety protocols, and internal oversight.
**Before the War, You Spoke Russian**
Yes. Even though I could work and speak fluently in Ukrainian, at home I spoke Russian. But after the first missile strikes on Kyiv, my wife and I agreed – no more. I haven’t spoken Russian since. I switched my writing to Ukrainian too.
**What Was the Moment You Decided to Enlist?**
It’s hard to pinpoint. I often think I should’ve volunteered in 2014, but I didn’t believe it would come to this. In 2022, when I saw Kyiv bombed, it felt apocalyptic—like my entire life was being erased. I was overwhelmed at first. Then came rage. “Are we really going to let them do this?” I didn’t think much beyond that. I knew I’d have a tough conversation with my wife—but I went with my friend Volodymyr to enlist.
Would I do it again? Yes. I couldn’t live with myself, hiding somewhere, knowing the fate of my country was being decided without me.
**But We Need Reinforcements**
We need rotation. Those who’ve been serving for four years should have the right to step back and become reservists. Some say “let the MPs or judges serve,” but I say – we need people. If you’re afraid of the recruitment office, come to us. We’ll introduce you to your future commander and explain everything.
[https://suspilne.media/ternopil/1045935-a-b-ce-zrobiv-znovu-istoria-urista-z-kieva-akij-dolucivsa-do-zsu-na-ternopilsini/](https://suspilne.media/ternopil/1045935-a-b-ce-zrobiv-znovu-istoria-urista-z-kieva-akij-dolucivsa-do-zsu-na-ternopilsini/)
>**I believed – perhaps naively as an international law graduate – that full-scale war in the 21st century was impossible. I imagined trade disputes, maybe, but not this.**
I mean, Kyi is not entirely wrong. It’s a good, educated, and quite valid perspective.
But I think I can help point out the subtle flaw at work here.
Kyi understands — correctly, I reiterate — that in the 21st century full-scale war is *utterly insane*. That is the part that they get correct. With that slight restatement, they are right on the money.
Wars such as Russia’s invasions of Ukraine are utter madness. Complete folly.
What happens next is where the subtle fallacy lies. And it’s a fallacy that many people have made, entirely in good faith.
The fallacy is this: *If something is utterly insanely self-destructive, that means that therefore no one will ever do it*.
That is how we go from (correctly) understanding the insanity of war, to (incorrectly) concluding that therefore it won’t happen.
The problem that Putin posed for so many people is that they do not account for how utterly fucked up and insanely mass-murder-suicidal some people, and some peoples, can be.
Hopefully we will now remember.
It’s still a little surreal, particularly with the casualties. If the us got into a conflict and lost a dozen men the country would go apeshit. How does a country lose a million men and not blink an eye?