ZOV: Inside Putin's Corrupt War on Ukraine - A Dissident Soldier's Story

by Pavel Filatyev

'A 141-page bombshell ... until now, there has been no more detailed, voluntary account from a Russian soldier participating in the invasion of Ukraine' Guardian

Pavel Filatyev was a paratrooper in the Russian army that invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Part of the invasion force that shelled the city of Kherson, an opening salvo in a conflict that disrupted global supply chains and sent millions of Ukrainians fleeing for safety across Europe, Filatyev grew sickened and angry at his part in what he came to see as an unjust war. After being injured and evacuated from the conflict, he posted a shocking expos� of what he had witnessed on social media.

A day-by-day account of how the Russian army crossed into Ukraine and captured the city of Kherson in the face of heavy resistance, ZOV is both a testimony to the horrific destruction of war and a damning indictment of Vladimir Putin and the corruption that controls the Russian people. In ZOV - the title a reference to the pro-war symbol daubed on Russian tanks - Filatyev bears witness Ukraine's battlefields, barracks and shelled cities, as well as the demoralised ranks of Russian conscripts who face an inescapable choice: fight in a senseless war, or face imprisonment back home.

Motivated by a conviction to expose the rot at the heart of the invasion, Filatyev was forced to flee Russia when ZOV became a viral sensation around the world. Now in hiding, his story provides a chilling insight into life behind enemy lines, and a powerful account of the extraordinary people caught in the struggles of Putin's war.

Genres: Ukraine, War, Nonfiction, Military Fiction, Biography

208 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2022

About the author

Павел Филатьев / Pavel Filatyev - former Russian paratrooper.

Reviews

[Ірина Грабовська · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don’t buy this book, do not support genocide of Ukrainian people. The author is a war criminal

[Mariya Dekhtyaruk · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pavel Filatiev is a war criminal and a scammer. He willingly and knowingly took part in the invasion of Ukraine, terrorized the residents of the Kherson region for months together with his buddies, and when an opportunity presented itself, chickened out, escaped to Paris, and walked away with a €300,000 book deal. Pavel Filatiev does not oppose the war, he likes to pass his time posting Z-memes on his vk page about the greatness of his fellow VDV troops (russian airborne troops). Pavel Filatiev does not care about the Ukrainians he terrorized, he is now suing a russian charity that was supposed to donate proceeds from this book to Ukrainian refugees to keep all the profits to himself.

If you buy this book, you are lining the pockets of a self-admitted war criminal.

[Юлія Бернацька · Rating 1 out of 5]

The only thing you need to know about this book is that it was written by russian war criminal, who took part in terrorising Kherson. After escaping russia he promised to donate money from this book to Ukrainian charities to try and atone for his crimes, but now he's actually suing the very same organisation that helped him escape russia and refuses to donate money he promised to donate. All around great guy: liar, thief, murderer and war criminal.

Don't buy this book, don't finance russian terrorism. You don't need 'the other side of the story' in this case, because all you gonna get is a bunch of fresh lies.

[Lazarus · Rating 1 out of 5]

By buying this book, you will be lining the pockets of a man who terrorised residents of Kherson.

[Alexandra Povoroznyk · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don’t platform war criminals. The “hero” lauded by western journalists and handed a publishing deal on a platter is someone who didn’t just accidentally stumble across the Ukrainian border — he was a Russian soldier who took part in the inhuman and illegal slaughter of Chechens, and then chose to remain in the Russian army and willingly participated in the invasion of Ukraine, committing even more war crimes here.

[Inga Rudzinskaitė · Rating 1 out of 5]

He was not "caught" inside a war, he is a professional soldier and likely a war criminal. Do not not enable profiteering from murdering Ukrainians.

[Medollga · Rating 1 out of 5]

WAR CRIMINAL ALERT

By purchasing this book you support russian war terrorist, who fought on russia's side in this war, later moved to Paris, and now uses all the proceeds from this book to fund russia's war against Ukraine!

[Olesya Mykhailenko]

This book is an attempt to whitewash a person who participated in Russian barbaric invasion of Ukraine and terrorized people of Kherson, Ukraine. Don’t buy it, don’t pay money to war criminal.

[Oksana Uskova · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author is a war criminal !!! Don’t support genocide of Ukrainians. Do not buy this book!

[Kseniia Nosulenko · Rating 1 out of 5]

By buying this book you support russian war crimes and genocide

[Lena · Rating 1 out of 5]

By buying and reading this book you support the war criminal!

[Leya · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow, so, now we are reading books written by war criminals.
you can just do some horrible things, then just write a book about it, and the world would tolerate you, sponsor you and praise you.
unbelievable

[Saša Iskrić · Rating 1 out of 5]

A "book" by a war criminal? Really?

Put this abominable ruSSian shit (no other words) where it belongs - in the trash.

War criminals must be arrested, prosecuted and imprisoned - not getting fancy book deals!

Shame!

[Olya Fedchenko · Rating 1 out of 5]

War criminals shouldn't profit from their crimes. They shouldn't be platformed as well. This book is a shameful mistake and it's existence is highly offensive to me as a Ukrainian.

[solomiya · Rating 1 out of 5]

THE AUTHOR OF THIS BOOK IS A WAR CRIMINAL.
He is a Russian soldier who took part in the illegal occupation of Ukraine and committed acts of genocide against its people. Despite finding a way out of russia he’s not actually against the war (and it’s not the first one he took part in) and not anti-putin. It’s outrageous that he received asylum in France and a fucking book deal. And to top that now he is refusing to donate the promised 300k€ to a Ukrainian cause. He’s actually suing the org that helped him escape. Do not buy or read it unless you’d like to sponsor russian terrorism.

[Tetyana]

The book is written by a war criminal who was participating in the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine and terrorised Kherson citizens. Now tries to whitewash himself and russia with this book.

[Oleksandr · Rating 1 out of 5]

All you need to know about this book is that it was written by russian war criminal that tries to whitewash his and his country actions. By buying this book you support genocide of Ukraine.

[Гончаров Андрій · Rating 1 out of 5]

It is so progressive to buy a book by a war criminal. This is how I see Europeans in 1944 reading the memoirs of Adolf Eichmann, who fled to Argentina and tells how he, a poor victim of the regime, had to torture, kill, and collect gold teeth and jewelry from murdered civilians.

By buying this book, you are supporting the genocide that is happening right now in Europe

[Yuliia Kabanets · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dear all, by buying or reading this book you finance Russian war criminal who terrorised people in Ukraine. He is not against the war. It is clear from his social networks that he was proudly supporting what is happening. Now he is trying to play a victim but he is not. We, Ukrainians, ask you not to finance person who was killing us.

[lunataradja · Rating 1 out of 5]

disgusting

[Avari Tamm · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author of this book is a russian war criminal, who admitted that he only stopped to murder Ukrainians because it became boring. Now he hypes with a book about his crimes, while the people he murdered rot in the ground of some undiscovered mass grave. This is pure disgrace, that this book was published at the first place. Murderers should be held responsible, not praised and applauded to.

[Yulia Puchnina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Author of this book is a shitty cowboy who think he can kill humans and enjoy the life of popular author after.
Apart of that, the book itself is a total crap. Such a poor language, don't even deserve 1 star

[Kostique · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book is by a war criminal and for war criminals. This guy detained Ukrainian civilians in Kherson, and gave them up to Russian "security forces". He's ok with the war, but if it wasn't so uncomfortable.

After his ass got beaten near Mykolaiv, he decided that war wasn't comfy anymore and ran to France.

Pawel belongs to the prison cell in The Hague, not your bookshelf.

[Nastia Teslenko · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book whitewashes genocidal criminals who participated in mass murders and occupation of Ukraine. Are you sure you want to support that?

[Solomiya · Rating 1 out of 5]

Please do not buy this book, do not help russians in their genocidal war against Ukraine. By purchasing this book you sponsor a russian murderer and a war criminal.

[Вікторія · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author of the book came to kill Ukrainians, but quickly realized that it is easier to deceive and write books. By buying this author's books, you are supporting a murderer.

[Lori Peacock · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you buy this book, you are giving money to a war criminal and a liar. He committed atrocities in Ukraine, and then fled to France saying he would donate proceeds from the book to Ukraine. What a liar. Now he is suing the publishers to give him the money instead. Don’t give this fraud your hard earned money.

[Володимир Любецький · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you ever wanted to support a war criminal, a murderer and a rapist or felt sorry for a SS officer operating gas chambers— this is your book.
All proceeds will go to ensure that more civilians are killed and raped by his friends more effectively.
Don’t forget to wash your hands from the blood

[Olena · Rating 1 out of 5]

When buying this book, remember that you are paying a murderer and rapist whose hands are in the blood of Ukrainians. his victims lie in mass graves, and he will enjoy life in Paris thanks to your money. Do you want to be his partner? This is your choice and as a Ukrainian, I hope it will be the right one.

[Kate Burovova · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is peak hypocrisy - making money on war crime stories while war is still very much on. I’m sure you’d all want to see a nice redemption story, but that’s not it - and the author’s refusal to donate to Ukraine proves that point.