Roman Yaromenka, 32, had previously served in both the Belarusian Special Operations Forces and the French Foreign Legion. Having joined the Ukrainian defenders in 2022, he now works as an operator of “Vampire” type heavy drones in the Kryvtsov tactical group. This group forms part of the International Legion of the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence.
Having been wounded twice, he has received awards from the Ukrainian military command. He has participated in a number of operations in the Bakhmut, Kupyansk, Chernihiv, Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia areas.
In December 2024, the Investigative Committee of Belarus opened a criminal case against Yaromenka, accusing him of establishing an extremist group. He could face up to seven years in prison.
Pozirk: You can often hear and read the phrase “tired of war”. What keeps you personally from becoming tired, despite the hardships of service, the loss of your comrades, and your injuries?
Roman Yaromenka: First and foremost, I came here to defend the innocent children who are being killed. Secondly, I believe that the stronger Ukraine is, the more likely it is that at least some of Belarus’s territory will be liberated. [Belarusian leader Alexander] Lukashenka poses a threat to Ukraine. In the future, Ukraine will establish relations with Belarus so that it no longer poses a threat. The better Belarus’s relations with Ukraine are, the less the regime will harass Belarusians. Third, I cannot stop because otherwise my comrades’ deaths would be in vain.
At the beginning of the full-scale aggression, many Belarusians decided to fight for Ukraine, saying that they were doing so to liberate Belarus. This gave hope to both the Belarusian people and those who had emigrated. Is this phrasing still relevant today?
Our goals have not changed. Ukrainians military expect that Belarus will at least be neutral and, at best, an ally of Ukraine. I am a Belarusian patriot. My goal is to return to Belarus. The only problem is how to achieve it.
Various reports are emerging about the presence of Belarusian soldiers in Ukraine. In particular, it is suggested that many have left and that the Kalinouski regiment has disbanded.
There are just as many Belarusians at the front; they are simply spread out among different units. The Kalinouski Regiment collapsed because it mixed political and military structures, which was a strategic mistake. A military structure needs discipline, hierarchy, and security. None of these elements were secured because most of the Belarusians who came here were non-professional military personnel who thought that the regiment was a military-political organisation.
Previously, it was a military structure that operated in a specific sector of the front. It had its own recruitment, training camp, combat and rear logistics, medical support, patronage system, media unit, infantry unit, drone unit and artillery unit. Now only about 30 people remain, under “Dzyadzka” Shurmei. At its peak, including the reserve in Poland, the regiment had approximately 500 people, of which roughly 200 were engaged in combat in Ukraine.
I serve in Mikita Kryvtsov’s tactical group, but we do not belong to Kalinouski’s regiment; we are part of the International Legion of the GUR.
There has been talk of possible negotiations day and night. The Kremlin has made its demands, which the Ukrainian side cannot agree to. As someone with experience of the war, do you think the negotiations could really end in a complete ceasefire?
Negotiations are premature. Neither side is close to victory or exhaustion, so the fighting will continue. Neither side has yet reached this point, so Vladimir Putin and his military will not stop for now. Perhaps they will freeze the conflict for a few days or even thirty days.
What gives me hope is that Donald Trump’s team’s policy is tough; they are looking for what is beneficial to the United States. This firstly applies to energy, thus Trump’s recent tour of Arab countries. In the long run, this may mean that the United States will be able to cut off Putin’s supply.
‘I believe that the stronger Ukraine is, the more likely it is that at least some of Belarus’ territory will be liberated’
I consider European politicians to be both hypocritical and indecisive. They previously purchased Russian gas through Germany; now, they buy it through Turkey. They give Ukraine less financial support than the value of the gas they buy from Putin. The only thing they invest in Ukraine is the production of weapons, both Ukrainian and foreign.
All intelligence information, both offensive and defensive, comes from the United States. The supply of defensive intelligence did not stop for a single day. However, the provision of offensive intelligence stopped, which led the operation in the Kursk region to an end before it was encircled.
What does victory in this war mean to you?
Ukraine’s victory lies in securing the country’s independence in domestic and foreign policy and the independence of the security forces. Despite losing territory and people, Ukraine has become much stronger than it was in 2022. It was the people who resisted and shouldered the main burden, more than the security forces. Many of the people who came to fight in 2022 are now in command of various units.
Security forces have become part of the people, unlike Belarus. Victory is not measured by territory but by the state’s capability and independence.
Take the economically strong Baltic countries, for example. They are not completely independent, as Putin wants to seize them – and he will do so if they are not supported. Ukraine is no longer in such a position. This is because it now has a military-industrial complex, a combat-ready army and a well-developed system of military-patriotic education. Lukashenka as well established a system of military-patriotic education, but it lacks the necessary ideological foundation. In Ukraine, however, this foundation has been established: we are the descendants of Rus, the Cossacks, and so on. This is why many young people are signing up for military, well-paid contracts.
The war will end someday. What will that mean for Belarus? Perhaps the country will finally be occupied by Russia?
That will not happen because Russia is simply not interested in occupying Belarus. I served in Belarus and was mainly commanded by Russian officers who held Belarusian citizenship. I had a good understanding of their ideology. For them, Belarus is like a proxy state; they need it to be formally independent in order to implement their imperial strategy. Putin will not be in power forever, and we do not know how this strategy will change in the future, or indeed if it will change at all. Perhaps only trade relations and special services will remain. Incidentally, the United States is pursuing a similar imperial strategy through trade relations and special services, and occasionally using military force.
What role have Belarusians played in this war to date, including those who have fought directly, those who have stayed in the country and those who are in exile?
Belarusian soldiers performed combat missions effectively and with commitment. They showed the Ukrainians that Belarusians are on their side. Those fighting on the side of Russia are culturally not real Belarusians. There are also Ukrainian citizens fighting on the side of Russia because they consider themselves to be part of the ‘Russian world’.
Ukrainians see us Belarusians at the front on their side and are grateful; they call us “druzi” – friends.
Although there are only a few of us here, the Belarusian people have gained combat experience that neither US nor German soldiers have. In Ukraine, the idea has emerged that the army is the people and the people are the army, a concept that was originally from Israel.
Belarusians [resistants] in Belarus greatly helped Ukraine by providing intelligence, and were ready for the offensive — anyone who thinks otherwise is mistaken.
Belarusians living abroad donate money for fighting in Ukraine, but for sure they could give more, given that many people with capital or good salaries left Belarus after 2020. The number of Belarusians enlisting as soldiers might also have been greater. Most of those who left Belarus are IT professionals, cultural figures or journalists. These are people who usually do not have a military mindset, which is about sacrifice.
The political opposition is a complete failure, both in general and with regard to the Belarusian agenda. I have a lot of contact with people in Belarus, and I have not heard anyone say anything positive about them. They hindered the development of Belarusian military structures in Ukraine. Same goes with the media, which hyped up and disseminated gossip. The army is based on secrecy, and the media simply destroyed it.
By demonstrating their incompetence, opposition leaders also showed the Ukrainian side that there is no one to talk to who represents Belarus politically. This is because they have no experience of governing.
What are the most pressing issues facing Belarusian soldiers in Ukraine? Has the issue of their legalisation, which Belarusians have complained about, been addressed?
It’s about to be solved. The only remaining problem is bureaucracy. Another problem is the Ukrainian law designating Belarus as a co-aggressor. If it is repealed, things will become much easier for Belarusians, even if most Belarusian soldiers simply think that fighting alongside Ukrainians is enough to be legalised and receive temporary and permanent residence permits, as well as Ukrainian citizenship. This process is slow, and it may take a long time. Some people do not want to go through this process and call journalists and raise the issue, which only irritates the Ukrainian side.
You have an unusual call sign “Senat”…
I took the name “Senat” because it is a reference to the Roman and American Senates. I want the legislative body in Belarus to be like the American Senate in the future: a body elected among professionals, not from populists, accomplices, corrupt officials, and bureaucrats, as is currently the case in most European parliaments.
👉 Original article on Pozirk