"Sinking Moskva cruiser is like striking at the Kremlin": businessman and front line warrior on the war

Oleksandr Matiash is currently at the frontline and performing combat missions.

Still, despite the high workload, he found time to tell Rubryka at the front and how his business prevails: men's underwear production Regata Club during martial law.

Oleksandr is a war veteran; during the first campaign in 2013–2015, he served in the volunteer battalion subordinated to the police. Then a separate unit was created, working within the patrol police called Sofia. Sofia's militants are carrying out support and humanitarian mission tasks. Matiash explains that support means working in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, with the territorial defense or the police, and the unit performs humanitarian aid tasks in the cities where volunteers cannot get to:

"For instance, we have a mobile group, we need to settle somewhere, we all have combat experience," he explains. "We jump in the car, arrive, and do everything we need to do. Or, for example, nobody is allowed in liberated Irpin, but we have the right to come there. That's why we organized humanitarian convoys that delivered aid to people in the hospital and others who suffered from russian aggression."

Oleksandr Matiash on the right in the fleece jacket

Veterans' community was preparing for a full-scale invasion in advance

Oleksandr has been at the front from the first day of the full-scale war; we can even say that from the first hour. Before the full-scale war, he, along with other comrades from the veteran community, was ready in advance:

"We were ready [for a full-scale war, ed.]; we understood that it would be long-lasting. This story is unfinished and will somehow end. I, for example, didn't have to load up the gear. When the first explosions took place at four o'clock, at five o'clock, we all gathered as we had a designated place to gather with weapons and gear; we were ready if necessary to join our armed forces to repel aggression. We talk with everyone in different units. For example, I have a friend near Mykolaiv [frontline, ed.]. Another one is in Kherson."

How to keep business afloat during the war?

As we mentioned earlier, Oleksandr Matiash is a co-owner of Regata Club. Their history is quite non-trivial: in 2015, Oleksandr served in the anti-terrorist operation zone as part of a volunteer battalion. On one of the first days, his underwear rubbed against his skin under the belt and above his knees. That's when Oleksandr came up with the idea to create undergarments that wouldn't rub against the skin in challenging conditions. While still in the anti-terrorist operation zone, Yevhen, co-founder of the Regata Club and Matiash's friend, developed the first test batch of underwear. Over the years, the business grew and developed until a new phase of the war with russia began.

In the first week, Oleksandr donated some of the underwear to charity, sent it to various funds, and partially distributed it to fellows. While production isn't working, the warehouse with the items is closed. However, customers still write to order:

"When people need it, I redirect customers to the people who work, but I don't know what's happening. I don't control it; I don't have time."

However, the business wasn't closed but only temporarily suspended. Oleksandr is very optimistic:

"After the victory, everything will work even better. I'm convinced that after we win, what remains after russia will be ours," said the soldier. He believes the russians themselves didn't even realize how badly they lived before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine: "Where there were russians [troops, ed.], there are a lot of abandoned things, even shoes. They take their shoes off and put on ours because their things are so bad. I don't feel sorry for them, but you know you look at them and want to cry. It feels like I need to eliminate the soldier, but he's so poor that I want to say, 'Ok, just die on your own.'"

We ask Oleksandr how entrepreneurs who aren't at the front now can support their businesses during the war.

"Every business is distinct. The only advice is to do everything for victory. We have a lot of people who had their own business before the war, and now someone closed it or someone stopped working during the war. We will deal with this after the victory. It will not be easy, but I think everything will be fine."

War and modern generation 

In previous interviews, Oleksandr said that "the current generation of teenagers isn't interested in anything and might be nearly lost." After February 24 this year, his opinion changed:

"After what happened, more or less adequate teenagers, who saw everything with their own eyes, will not look up to russia. They understand that the war is terrible and disgusting, and nothing good comes of it. But there is one huge plus: the russians have done everything they can to ensure that our nations never come across in the context of 'brotherly nations'; they must die, and that's it. When they die, when they come hungry, as in '91, and ask about 'Bush legs,' then we will sit down and negotiate, and now there is nothing to talk about with them."

"Bush legs" was a term in the post-Soviet states denoting chicken thighs, which at the end of the Soviet Union began to be imported from the United States. Because Soviet counters were utterly empty in 1990, Bush legs became very popular because of their affordability.

Mariupol, destroyed by russia

Oleksandr even acknowledges the positives of the war, in particular, the fact that the younger generation will never have a dilemma about if russia is good or bad:

"It's about music and everything. This war they [russians, ed.] started helped us identify as a nation. And I'm not going to say I'm grateful to them for that. They're scum, but it's how it is."

War is for the long haul, and the russians can backstab Ukraine

After mayor Klychko and other officials, Oleksandr again emphasizes: "It's too early to return to Kyiv." There are several arguments as to why, and Matiash explains:

"I'm not in Kyiv now. I have no misunderstanding about what is happening now. I understand that there's a war in Ukraine. But, for example, in Kyiv, almost all restrictions have been lifted, and people are returning. I think it's premature because we haven't won, and our enemy is strong enough; the russians can backstab us. What will these people do in this case? I know one thing: if they strike again, they will strike better, and many people who are infantile about it can fall victims. I think this war is for the long haul: not for a month, not for two. If it's adults, it's their responsibility, but if they have children, they don't have to pay for their parents' mistakes. Yes, we're making some progress, but we need to understand and look at things soberly: the entire East and part of the South is occupied, our people are dying there, and we need a lot of time, resources, and energy to liberate the territories and rebuild everything."

But there's also good news: about Moskva cruiser and the Kremlin

"Today, 20,600 russian soldiers dead [as of May 3, it's 24,200] is cool news. That's 5,600 more than in the 15 years of the Afghan war, and I can say we do better than the Mujahideen, and that's cool. That's good news. The more they die, the sooner we'll live like human beings. Every killed invader is good news, and I thank everyone who helps." I keep track of their losses every day, and I'm very excited about it."

However, the best news now is the sinking of the Russian flagship cruiser Moskva or Moscow which the russians and Putler were so proud of. At the beginning of the war, the same missile cruiser was shown the direction where to go by the border guards on Zmiinyi Island. "Flagship" became russia's most expensive military loss in the war with Ukraine. According to Wikipedia, at an initial cost of about $2 billion, the cruiser's residual value was $750 million.

"The 'victorious' cruiser Moskva, which our army slammed, is worth almost a billion dollars; we destroyed 30 million with two missiles! We took away their flagship and the lives of 500 positional occupiers, people who hate us. And it is also fantastic news! And I'll tell you: sinking the flagship is striking the Kremlin! It is excellent news! People don't understand that the Ukrainian armed forces have hit the best, newest, the most modern ship of the russian federation. It's spit, as if we climbed into their house, danced on the table, and they can do nothing. It is super news!"

We hope there will be even more good news soon, pleasing every Ukrainian without exception!

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