Amidst the rising tension between Ukraine and Russia, a new fold has come forward. Soldiers from Ukraine shuffle across a vast post-Soviet industry. Ukraine’s Territorial Defence Forces, a civilian reserve created to bolster the regular army.
This came in lieu with the event of a Russian invasion, is recruiting electricians, nurses, attorneys, and even priests. “Aim for the crotch rather than the head. That way, even if it ducks at the last minute, you’ll be sure to hit your objective “An instructor from Ukraine instructs a small group of camouflage-clad trainees.
With Kalashnikovs in hand, the volunteers have been practicing moving in small groups without putting themselves in harm’s way. The tens of thousands of Russian soldiers massed on the other side of the border are the enemy for these Ukrainian Territorial Defence Forces reservists from Kharkiv.
With all these preparations going on in Ukraine this news also escalates several hopes of releasing tensions between the two countries. Recently, French President Emmanuel Macron stepped into the tensions between Russia and Ukraine.
He held a meeting with both the Presidents regarding the clashes happening. To the extent, Moscow also assured Macron that Russia won’t be the reason behind any war. Putin claimed that Russia will try its best to relieve the tensions.
On the other hand, Ukraine in Kyiv too gave similar assurances. Ukraine has been quite passive since the commencement. It also assured Macron that Ukraine will be always on a defensive foot rather than the attacking side.
After all these assurances, it is still not clear why Ukraine is suddenly switching on its war mode. Reports, doubt USA’s remark that Russia will invade Ukraine could become true. Russian military assets, including 100,000 men, have recently repositioned themselves on Ukraine’s borders, raising fears of a massive offensive in the next weeks or months.
The movements of the Ukrainian army are meticulously planned and executed. They maneuvered with rehearsed accuracy using hand signals and shoulder taps.
Their professionalism is above and above what one might anticipate from a bunch of volunteer troops who meet only once a week and are not required to complete any basic training.
War with Russia is a distinct possibility, as it is a country where a tiny group of people may make such decisions. The worst thing that might happen is to be trapped in a shelter with no idea what to do. According to Alexei Sus, a 36-year-old electrical engineer.
For the past six months, he has been a member of the Territorial Defence Forces. The Territorial Defence’s civilian soldiers provide all of their equipment. The vintage Kalashnikovs that they trained with are constantly kept at the base.
“Only in the case of an invasion would the weapons be disseminated. Meanwhile, you can only keep a hunting weapon at home if you have a permit “Alexei Sus says. That isn’t enough for him: he has been saving for his ideal weapon, a KelTec RFB 308 assault rifle made in the United States.