Born in the Uzhhorod region of Ukraine, Petro Maha is known for his work in Ukrainian television, on stage, and, recently, for his war-poem videos on YouTube. On July 16, he screened these videos and recited from his book, “Poems from the trenches.” In an interview with this reporter, he spoke on a wide range of subjects.
Upon the Russian invasion, Mr. Maha joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine to serve with the air defense of Kyiv. He notes with pride that every member of his theater group stepped up to the challenge – women volunteered for various jobs, while the men signed up for the army.
He now conducts counter-intelligence operations to combat enemy agents. He described at one point how night-vision goggles are crucial because dense, tree-lined Ukrainian cemeteries offer perfect hiding spots for Russian infiltrators.
“War reveals everything – who is a hero and who is a coward; who is faithful and who is a traitor,” Mr. Maha said.
There have been many reports of native Ukrainian individuals and even groups of people who have betrayed their country and relayed sensitive military coordinates to the enemy. According to Mr. Maha, these turncoats betray their countrymen for paltry money. But they are morally responsible for all of the slaughter resulting from well-aimed Russian missiles.
“If one such convicted traitor were to be publicly hung, this problem would greatly cease,” Mr. Maha said.
When asked about the effectiveness of Western-supplied heavy artillery, Mr. Maha praised how quickly Ukrainian personnel not only learned to operate all of the new howitzers, but also became expert at repairing them. The towed U.S. 155-mm M777, dubbed the triple Toma-hawk by Ukrainians, is favored by the troops for its mobility and accuracy, even though it overheats after firing four shells, he said
Mr. Maha also expressed doubt regarding when, or even if, the Kerch bridge to the Crimean Peninsula will be blown up.
“There may be a tacit agreement between Kyiv and Moscow that Kerch will not be attacked, because Russia would then destroy the bridges around Kyiv – and that would be a horrendous catastrophe for us,” Mr. Maha said.