美国国家公共电台 NPR--NPR investigates Russia's notorious 53rd Anti-Aircraft Brigade

NPR investigates Russia's notorious 53rd Anti-Aircraft Brigade

Transcript¹

The 53rd Anti-Aircraft Brigade has been blamed for hundreds of civilian² deaths even before the invasion of Ukraine. The brigade's former headquarters has been tracked to a liberated³ region of Ukraine.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

Russia's 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade is one of its most notorious and secretive military units. And even before Ukraine was invaded, it was implicated⁴ in killing⁵ hundreds of civilians⁶. NPR investigative correspondent Tim Mak followed their movements and found their former headquarters in a liberated region of Ukraine.

TIM MAK, BYLINE⁷: The region of Kharkiv is in northeast Ukraine. It is the site of some of the earliest and fiercest fighting in the full-scale war between Ukraine and Russia. We'd asked to talk to the prosecutor⁸ general for the region, Oleksandr Philchakov. He's been tracking Russian units for possible war crimes investigations¹⁰ and has some news for us about the 53rd.

OLEKSANDR PHILCHAKOV: (Through interpreter) Yes, I can confirm that, that we had information that, for some time, they were settled in Izyum region, in Izyum district, in Kharkiv region.

MAK: We'd been looking for information about this unit for months. The 53rd Brigade is notorious for its role in the downing of a Malaysian Airlines flight in 2014. A joint¹¹ investigation⁹ team concluded that a missile system supplied by the 53rd Brigade was behind it and the killing of 298 civilians, including 196 Dutch nationals on board.

BRECHTJE VAN DE MOOSDIJK: You can regard the downing of Flight MH17 as Dutch 9/11.

MAK: That's Brechtje van Moosdijk (ph), a spokesperson for the joint investigation team.

VAN DE MOOSDIJK: When it happened, it was a hot summer's day, July 17, 2014. Everybody was happy and on holidays, and then this plane was downed.

MAK: Last month at The Hague, the joint investigation team held a press conference to announce some final findings.

SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.

MAK: They had stunning¹³ news to report. The investigators¹⁴ played intercepted¹⁵ phone calls that they had obtained of Russian-backed separatists that were fighting in eastern Ukraine in 2014.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: (Speaking Russian).

MAK: Using these calls, investigators concluded that the president of Russia was behind the transfer of an anti-aircraft system, the same system that eventually shot down MH17. It underscored the 53rd Brigade's fatal actions were at the direction of the most powerful person in Russia - Vladimir Putin. After the press conference, I spoke¹² to a member of a victim's family, a man named Piet Ploeg.

PIET PLOEG: I always say our family members were, in fact, the first non-Ukrainian victims of a war that started eight years ago.

MAK: His brother, his brother's wife and their son were on the plane.

PLOEG: So everything what gives us information about the role of Russia in Ukraine is, for us, important because it helps us to form the world opinion about the role of Russia in Ukraine.

MAK: As an Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade, the 53rd is a strategic Russian asset with the ability to shoot down Ukrainian jets and helicopters. They would have provided cover for other Russian units to fire on Ukrainian troops, says George Barros, a Russia analyst¹⁶ at the Institute for the Study of War.

GEORGE BARROS: Militaries undertake significant efforts to try to hide their important key battlefield assets. The 53rd is certainly one of those.

MAK: During fighting this past fall, Ukrainian forces had retrieved¹⁷ some documents Russian forces left behind, including information about the 53rd. After months of investigations, we had the prospect¹⁸ of finding intelligence that could reveal, without a doubt, what the 53rd had been up to. So we traveled to Izyum to meet with local prosecutors¹⁹.

(Non-English language spoken).

UNIDENTIFIED PROSECUTOR: Hello.

MAK: Hello.

One of the prosecutors said Russian troops had left behind some important files.

UNIDENTIFIED PROSECUTOR: (Through interpreter) In one of the headquarters of Russian forces, we found this document that consisted of the list of the units that the Russian forces they had in the area of Izyum.

MAK: And on the 17th line of that document was information about who the 53rd's commander was, his phone number, his call sign, the number of troops he had with him, and where his former headquarters were - in an old chocolate warehouse²⁰ in Izyum. So we took the documents to Barros.

BARROS: I've seen these kinds of documents before, and it looks legitimate²¹.

MAK: They confirm that the 53rd had been actively²² fighting in Ukraine during the full-scale invasion. Despite the international community's condemnation²³ of the brigade's actions, including the killing of hundreds of civilians, Russia redeployed the notorious unit to eastern Ukraine to use its deadly capabilities²⁴ once again.

BARROS: Politically and symbolically²⁵, it is significant.

MAK: It is all information that would be important to Ukrainian and Western prosecutors looking to find justice for possible war crimes, not to mention the families of the victims of MH17.

BARROS: This unit did not face any retribution. They did not face any justice for the crimes they committed. And unfortunately, this is very much systematic²⁶ of the way that the Russian Federation²⁷ has been able to violate international law.

MAK: There was one more place we had to go - these old chocolate warehouses²⁸ on a street littered with rubble²⁹ in Izyum. Izyum itself was cleared of Russian troops months before we arrived. When we got to the warehouse, there was no sign of the 53rd. We asked the locals whether they had observed any.

So you heard and saw that there were anti-aircraft going off near this place.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #3: (Through interpreter) We not only heard, we also saw it, how they were operating from here.

MAK: That confirmation³⁰ is important for people like Selena Fredricks, whose son was killed on MH17. She's paid special attention to the 53rd and is haunted by how members of that unit could have made their fateful and deadly decisions.

SELENA FREDRICKS: Watch everything that has anything to do with the war now going on and everything that has to do with MH17 and Russia, Ukraine.

MAK: Information about the unit, about the Russian military's actions, help her process her grief.

FREDRICKS: I will never have closure. But when we get to know part of the truth - gives us rest.

MAK: The Russian government's ongoing³¹ deadly actions, however, make that rest more elusive³².

FREDRICKS: Russia has been very brutal³³, and they're capable of really, really everything. And they don't care for civilian targets. That's a strategy - civilian targets.

MAK: Shortly before the airing of this story, a Russia state-affiliated media outlet³⁴ announced that President Vladimir Putin had signed a new decree. It was about the 53rd Brigade. Apparently³⁵ unconcerned about how it would look to the outside world, he ordered that the unit be given a new honorary designation - the title of Guards, a term reserved for supposedly elite³⁶ Russian units.

Tim Mak, NPR News, Kharkiv.

(SOUNDBITE OF AMBINATE'S "THE MEANWHILE")

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

3 liberated   

a.无拘束的，放纵的

参考例句：

• The city was liberated by the advancing army. 军队向前挺进，解放了那座城市。
• The heat brings about a chemical reaction, and oxygen is liberated. 热量引起化学反应，释放出氧气。

4 implicated   

adj.密切关联的；牵涉其中的

参考例句：

• These groups are very strongly implicated in the violence. 这些组织与这起暴力事件有着极大的关联。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Having the stolen goods in his possession implicated him in the robbery. 因藏有赃物使他涉有偷盗的嫌疑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

6 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

7 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

8 prosecutor   

n.起诉人；检察官，公诉人

参考例句：

• The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。
• The prosecutor would tear your testimony to pieces.检查官会把你的证言驳得体无完肤。

9 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

10 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

11 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

12 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

13 stunning   

adj.极好的；使人晕倒的

参考例句：

• His plays are distinguished only by their stunning mediocrity.他的戏剧与众不同之处就是平凡得出奇。
• The finished effect was absolutely stunning.完工后的效果非常美。

14 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 intercepted   

拦截( intercept的过去式和过去分词 )； 截住； 截击； 拦阻

参考例句：

• Reporters intercepted him as he tried to leave the hotel. 他正要离开旅馆，记者们把他拦截住了。
• Reporters intercepted him as he tried to leave by the rear entrance. 他想从后门溜走，记者把他截住了。

16 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

17 retrieved   

v.取回( retrieve的过去式和过去分词 )；恢复；寻回；检索（储存的信息）

参考例句：

• Yesterday I retrieved the bag I left in the train. 昨天我取回了遗留在火车上的包。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He reached over and retrieved his jacket from the back seat. 他伸手从后座上取回了自己的夹克。 来自辞典例句

18 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

19 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

20 warehouse   

n.仓库；vt.存入仓库

参考例句：

• We freighted the goods to the warehouse by truck.我们用卡车把货物运到仓库。
• The manager wants to clear off the old stocks in the warehouse.经理想把仓库里积压的存货处理掉。

21 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

22 actively   

adv.积极地，勤奋地

参考例句：

• During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
• We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。

23 condemnation   

n.谴责; 定罪

参考例句：

• There was widespread condemnation of the invasion. 那次侵略遭到了人们普遍的谴责。
• The jury's condemnation was a shock to the suspect. 陪审团宣告有罪使嫌疑犯大为震惊。

24 capabilities   

n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities. 他有点自大，自视甚高。 来自辞典例句
• Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为，标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

25 symbolically   

ad.象征地，象征性地

参考例句：

• By wearing the ring on the third finger of the left hand, a married couple symbolically declares their eternal love for each other. 将婚戒戴在左手的第三只手指上，意味着夫妻双方象征性地宣告他们的爱情天长地久，他们定能白头偕老。
• Symbolically, he coughed to clear his throat. 周经理象征地咳一声无谓的嗽，清清嗓子。

26 systematic   

adj.有系统的，有计划的，有方法的

参考例句：

• The way he works isn't very systematic.他的工作不是很有条理。
• The teacher made a systematic work of teaching.这个教师进行系统的教学工作。

27 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

28 warehouses   

仓库，货栈( warehouse的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The whisky was taken to bonded warehouses at Port Dundee. 威士忌酒已送到邓迪港的保稅仓库。
• Row upon row of newly built warehouses line the waterfront. 江岸新建的仓库鳞次栉比。

29 rubble   

n.（一堆）碎石，瓦砾

参考例句：

• After the earthquake,it took months to clean up the rubble.地震后，花了数月才清理完瓦砾。
• After the war many cities were full of rubble.战后许多城市到处可见颓垣残壁。

30 confirmation   

n.证实，确认，批准

参考例句：

• We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
• We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。

31 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

32 elusive   

adj.难以表达(捉摸)的；令人困惑的；逃避的

参考例句：

• Try to catch the elusive charm of the original in translation.翻译时设法把握住原文中难以捉摸的风韵。
• Interpol have searched all the corners of the earth for the elusive hijackers.国际刑警组织已在世界各地搜查在逃的飞机劫持者。

33 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

34 outlet   

n.出口/路；销路；批发商店；通风口；发泄

参考例句：

• The outlet of a water pipe was blocked.水管的出水口堵住了。
• Running is a good outlet for his energy.跑步是他发泄过剩精力的好方法。

35 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

36 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。