26-06-22, 08:10
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#60
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re: Ukraine Politicians & Civilians TORTURED in Russian Detention
Inside The British & US Elite Extraction Group Rescuing Civilians From Ukraine's Most Dangerous Warzones
British & US Veterans Form Group to Extract Ukrainians Stuck in Unsafe Areas.....
Racing through the dust as fast as their vehicles could take, Andy Milburn, a British former US Marine Colonel, and his team of military veterans knew they could be seen by Russian drones or spotters on the surrounding slag heaps, but had decided their humanitarian mission was worth the gamble.
“We wanted to get in from behind the town so we were masked from Russian artillery, but the Russians have every surface road dialled in [registered], so very quickly within seconds they can bring rounds down on vehicles travelling on it,” he said.
The Telegraph UK 26 JUN 2022.
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Marine Colonel Andy Milburn, British Founder of the Mozart Group
The potholed dirt road in and out of the besieged Ukrainian town of Novoluhanske last week was impossible to cross without the risk of being struck by heavy artillery fire, but there was no other escape route for terrified residents trapped in their basements for months.
As the convoy bounced towards the town, shells pounded craters in the fields on either side.
“It seemed to be what we call harassment and interdiction rounds – one round every minute or so. Those are worrying because you never know where the next one is going to land, and it looked like a couple were phosphorous,” said Mr Milburn.
Anything could go wrong, but the rescuers forged on. They had been told of a group of civilians, including children, under bombardment less than a mile from the Russian frontline and in desperate need of extraction.
“You’ve got to press the ‘I believe’ button. because otherwise you can second-guess yourself to death,” Mr Millburn said. “We didn’t know these people but it’s trust tactics and you take sensible precautions.”
His team of special operations veterans are volunteers with the Mozart Group – running daily evacuations from Ukraine’s war-torn Donbas region and riding in small, unarmed convoys into conflict hotspots that few would dare to enter.
In a scene encountered by rescuers as they raced to evacuate civilians, burnt-out cars lie abandoned across a road - Andy Milburn/The Mozart Group © Provided by The Telegraph In a scene encountered by rescuers as they raced to evacuate civilians, burnt-out cars lie abandoned across a road - Marine Colonel Andy Milburn The Mozart Group
They navigate the current hell-scape of the Donbas confident in their military expertise from decades of experience in armed forces around the world, but with the full knowledge of the extreme risks.
The Mozart Group, which has 20-30 volunteers in its ranks, was founded by Milburn, who was commander of a combined special operations task force in Iraq to counter ISIS, and a former commanding officer of the Marine Raider Regiment. He originally hails from Lymington, Hampshire UK
He said the group’s members were drawn together by a “sense of purpose” and “moral clarity” that was missing in the Iraq and Afghan wars. “Here we are definitely on the side of right,” he said.
Funded by donations, the group also trains the Ukrainian forces and conducts mine clearances but does not engage in fighting.
Novoluhanske in Donetsk lies on the cusp of territory occupied by Russian forces as they slowly advance across the eastern Luhansk and Donetsk regions to occupy Donbas.
Ukraine war: 80% of troops killed or injured in elite military unit, says commander
How Ukrainian refugees fleeing Russia’s war are settling in Wales – BBC News
Sean Penn helps Ukrainian fighter pilots lobby for US aid
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