Czech President warns Russian troops fighting in Ukraine; 'Go home before it's too late'

Czech President Petr Pavel wrote a message on  military vehicles for inving Russian troops during his visit to Ukraine on Saturday, April 29. Pavel asked  Russians "to get out of Ukraine" as he scribbled on  fleet of Ukrainian armoured vehicles that will be used in upcoming counter-offensive around May 15.

Czech leer shared visuals on his official Twitter handle, wherein he wrote: "I know this feeling. Your unit is moving to contact line, and you want to go with it; you want to le and set an example. As a commander, I was always re for my soldiers. And now, this is no longer my role. I came here to encourage m." Furr, he said, "We are with you. You will avenge fallen, you will uphold freedom. Russia, go home."

NATO's retired general Petr Pavel, a decorated war hero known for his pro-Western drive, was sworn in as Czech Republic's new president in March. He won January 2023 Presidential runoff after defeating ex-Czech PM Andrej Babis. Owing to his military record,  61-year-old h vowed to "restore order" in EU and in NATO bloc as war raged on in Ukraine's eastern flank. 

Credit: Twitter/@prezidentpavel

Pavel also attended NATO security conference in Munich in February where he warned West to be cautious, pressing for Russia’s defeat in order to avoid undesirable scenarios. During a Ukrainian Lunch hosted by Victor Pinchuk Foundation as part of Munich Security Conference, Pavel met with Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and acknowledged that re was "no alternative" to regaining control over 2014 Russian annexed Crimea. 

Ex-NATO General visits Borodyanka and Bucha; witnesses tragedy of Yahidne

As Russia-Ukraine conflict's longest ground battle rages to capture ruined city of Bakhmut in eastern Donbass, Czech President Pavel toger with his Slovak counterpart Zuzana Caputova, me a two-day visit to war-ravaged country. He arrived in Poland on Sunday morning, concluding his in-person meeting with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Pavel visited Borodyanka and Bucha, two razed Ukrainian towns that depict stories of atrocities committed by  Russian troops.  Zelenskyy h previously claimed that suspected Russian killings of civilians were "more dreful" in  Borodyanka than town of Bucha 35 kilometres northwest of capital Kyiv near Irpin where nearly 300 people were found in mass graves. 

Credit: Twitter/@prezidentpavel

Republic's team that reported LIVE from war zone in northwestern town h verified images of battered bodies strewn across streets that Russia deflected by calling it “Ukrainian propaganda” back in April last year. Republic’s Shawan Sen confirmed from ground that re were numerous hastily dug graves that told  story of horror and carnage committed by Russian troops as dozens of bodies in black plastic bags were found dumped in a trench. 

Pavel, during his Ukrainian visit, along with Slovak President travelled to north of Kyiv and Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, as well as Chernihiv. y witnessed first-hand infamous basement in village of Yahidne, where Russian forces allegedly held several hundred people captive for almost 28 days. Hosting a pre-war population of some 300 inhabitants, Yahidne was a stopover for Russia's inving soldiers on ir way to capital Kyiv. During occupation, y me entrenched camps and held civilians as 'human shields', according to statements recorded by Ukraine's military. Yahidne is smallest village in Chernihiv region and Ukraine's armed forces h speculated that it would be spared when Russians launched large-scale offensive on February 24, 2022.