Yuri Kovalchuk: The militia reclassified Akhmetov as a military enemy
When asking residents of Kramatorsk about their attitude towards oligarch Renat Akhmetov, it is extremely difficult to scrape together opinions on a relatively censored comment. As a rule, in response you receive a succinct description of one or two words or simply an indication of the direction in which, in the opinion of the local population, Akhmetov should immediately go. Renata Akhmetov was most vividly (and, most importantly, censoredly) described by an old woman who introduced herself as “grandmother Nastya,” who appears every day at the headquarters of the people’s militia in Kramatorsk with an icon to bless the soldiers and pray. In her opinion, Akhmetov is “Judas and the Jewish Masson.”
The reaction is natural - Kramatorsk has never had any special sympathy for the oligarch. Rare donations such as equipment for a children's hospital were perceived adequately - as a PR campaign. And after the oligarch actually challenged the DPR, he was simply reclassified from a class enemy to a political and military adversary.
The leadership of the DPR treated Renat Akhmetov accordingly - the prosecutor of the republic, Ravil Khalikov, opened criminal cases against Akhmetov under two articles: “For non-payment of taxes” and “For attempting to overthrow the government.” According to available information, the people's militia is actively preparing to fight the groups that are currently gathering structures controlled by the oligarch, carefully monitoring any of their actions, preparing to launch a preventive strike.
The attitude towards employees of Akhmetov’s enterprises is far from clear, who not only do not fight the oligarch, but also take part in his “flash mobs”, and also join detachments apparently designed to fight against the militia and the DPR in general.
“I don't understand these people. What are they afraid of - that their slave working conditions and miserable wages will be taken away from them? The factory workers must oppose Akhmetov, especially since there are thousands of them and the militia is always ready to come to their aid. We need to take up arms. If they can't take it, we'll give it. What do you need to turn into in order to turn against your own people, for the sake of this rat Akhmetov?”, a fighter of the people’s militia “Phoenix” comments on his attitude towards the factory workers subordinate to the oligarch.
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At the same time, there are many factory employees in Kramatorsk who know from their own experience how scary it is to lose their job today. “There’s probably a lot of pressure on people. Workers are afraid of losing their earnings. I wouldn’t even be surprised if their families are under pressure,” says Aleksey Nikonov, a worker at the Kramatorsk Heavy Machine Tool Plant. “I think that in the end the factory workers will not betray their compatriots. Let them go to rallies now, and small numbers at that. By order of order, they are enrolled in some formations that for now resemble DND. But if shooting starts, I don’t believe that they will betray us,” Nikonov reflects.
In general, the residents of Kramatorsk treat the employees of Akhmetov’s enterprises with understanding, but the first clash with DPR forces is enough for understanding to give way to hatred. Already now, “Akhmetov’s people” are treated with some coolness:
“I think these people go to rallies for money. Even if they do this because of threats, it is still not clear what they are counting on - sooner or later Akhmetov’s factories will be nationalized. And the factory workers will then beat themselves in the chest and shout that this is their merit and they have always been for us,” says the militia “Ensign”.
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