For his entire professional career, Vasyl Pipa has been a police officer in the eastern part of Ukraine, servicing the Donbas area. He has witnessed firsthand the transformation of his role and the region itself.
Despite the menacing risks of the Russian invasion and the outbreak of the separatist war in Donbas in 2014 – orchestrated by Moscow’s decision to deploy arms and fighters to claim territory – Pipa decided to remain. Numerous colleagues chose to resign and relocate due to the imminent threat and complex allegiances, especially in an area with historically significant connections to neighbouring Russia.
The frontline has essentially remained static all these years, etching a borderline across deserted fields, declining coal mines, and massive piles of waste, virtually equidistant between Pipa’s native Kurakhove and the principal separatist stronghold of Donetsk city around 40km to the east.
Pipa’s initial emergency evacuation duty dates back to 2018, following a Russian artillery strike on the small town of Krasnohorivka, causing a man from a fifth-floor flat to break his leg. Shockingly, Pipa’s police unit didn’t possess their own medical kit, compelling them to employ belts to stanch the man’s bleeding.
Fast forward two years into Russia’s intense invasion of Ukraine, and Pipa’s day-to-day responsibilities now comprise of expedited missions into frontline villages in an armoured vehicle alongside his teammates, to deliver aid to injured civilians and individuals firm on remaining in their homes until the bombardment and advancement of the Russian military become insufferable.
Pipa adds, recounting his experiences, that he and his colleagues have learned everything practically on the front line. One incident that remains fresh in his memory involved him evacuating a man from Krasnohorivka who had suffered a chest wound during a visit to Pokrovsk, a village in the Donetsk region that now serves as an important operations base for Ukrainian forces. Despite a challenging 45km ride to the hospital, the man survived.
Very recently, Pipa’s team had three emergency trips to Krasnohorivka; they rescued a trapped man due to a wall collapse caused by a direct hit on his house, then an 82-year-old paraplegic with his caretakers, and lastly, they collected some children. Two of these high-risk journeys were undertaken in an armoured truck while the final one was performed using a regular ambulance. Adding to the difficulty was the continuous shelling and the ominous presence of a drone overhead, which Pipa affirms wasn’t one of theirs.
The danger associated with evacuation missions escalates daily due to the encroachment of Russian forces on Krasnohorivka. The troops have been brutalising the front line and surrounding communities using shells, explosive drones and highly destructive air-launched “glide bombs” that weigh as much as 1.5 tonnes. Nonetheless, a number of residents choose to stay in spite of the surrounding perils and damage.
A video posted online last Saturday showed Pipa and his superior, Artem Shus, driving into Krasnohorivka, finding two locals injured by shrapnel. The video depicts a close call where a shell almost hits them while they are packing the locals and their belongings into their fortified vehicle.
These evacuation groups have earned the nickname “White Angels”, however, Pipa dismisses this as just a PR stunt by someone in the police department. He emphasises that they are simply police doing their job. He goes on to say that people from various professions, such as doctors, bakers, pharmacists, and IT technicians, have all joined the army in defence, and just like them, he has a responsibility as a police officer.
Operating from Kurakhove, Pipa and his associates service heavily damaged frontline towns such as Vuhledar and Velyka Novosilka. Their services include delivery of essential supplies like food and water and evacuation of individuals unable to leave independently. They offered similar services in the severely damaged town of Marinka before it was captured by Russia last December and continued to support fellow officers in nearby Avdiivka until Russia took control in February.
Pipa asserts that their aim is to assist those in distress whenever they can. If emergency services like ambulances and fire departments are unable to reach them, they can count on the military and the police. He acknowledges that there are areas too hazardous to reach due to battle activities and times when they are unable to retrieve bodies. However, he asserts their effort in evacuating all civilians, sooner or later, and emphasises their resolve against mass graves.
Pipa’s colleagues have sustained injuries from explosions during previous evacuation operations, and many officers in the region are not willing to undertake such perilous tasks.
“Not all individuals serving wish to continue, with some dubbing us insane. In 2014, several officers resigned owing to the volatile state of affairs or had associates on territories under militia control who defected. Once conditions improved, these officers mysteriously resumed their positions here in the police force. They vacated their roles in tough times and returned later – a move I deeply mistrust,” he admits.
Several officers neglected their duty and bailed out, putting their fellow team members at risk, following the full-blown invasion. “Such acts of cowardice exist within the police force too,” suggests Pipa.
The White Angels’ dedication has left many in a society, which often views the police force as synonymous with graft and impunity, amazed.
“Locals and volunteers support us immensely, it’s what keeps us going. From mending our vehicles to raising fund for resources including bandages and tourniquets, they’re aiding the police. That definitely sends a message as in other areas the police are primarily associated with corruption,” he expresses.
Videos capturing Pipa’s team’s actions display their firm and swift approach when moving people who often slowly emerge from damaged properties carrying loads of possessions and unwilling pets. The more static they remain, the higher the chance of being identified by a Russian drone and fired upon by artillery.
Despite the criticism towards parents who retain their children in hazardous zones by declining evacuation, he otherwise regards the individual’s desire to remain domestic and sustain hope.
“A mother and her children evaded us for a year. The other day, after practically presenting a ‘take it or leave it’ proposition, we discovered and relocated them to a safer place. There was combat taking place just 500m from their residence, with 50 Russians entrenched near their village,” he recounts.
“But we call this place ours…and a home, is indeed, a home. Soldiers are there to safeguard the lives of people and it’s the police’s responsibility to assist,” he continues. “Everyone should do their part. Each person should guard their place, every building, every life. They are our people.”