Ukrainian civilians prepared to be warriors as Russian forces closed in on Kyiv, the nation’s capital. Days after Ukraine’s Defense Minist...
Ukrainian civilians prepared to be warriors as Russian forces closed in on Kyiv, the nation’s capital.
Days after Ukraine’s Defense Ministry called for citizens to prepare to make Molotov cocktails to defend Kyiv, people were responding.
A report in the Los Angeles Times, which did not use the last names of those interviewed in its report, described a factory for making the gasoline-filled explosive devices.
The report described an assembly line of production that included a woman named Olga who had formerly worked as a project manager at a graphics firm.
“I left my old job two weeks ago, and was supposed to start the new one on Monday,” she said. “I never imagined I’d be doing this instead.
“I prefer my new job to this, really. But it’s important,” Olga said.
The operation included multiple civilians in a building where arms to defend it were everywhere.
Omelanenko, 41, said many were helping.
“In the last two days we’ve got more than 400 people,” she said. “I have a phone call every minute from people who donate or who want to join.”
“Many people give money to help us out,” Omelanenko said.
The Defense Ministry has called for citizens to make every inch of Ukraine a battlefield.
“Block roads, cut down trees, stretch nets from gates, whatever way suits you,” one order said.
“If you know the enemy stopped in the forest, and you are 100% sure that it is the enemy, do not pity the forest, set it on fire … a new one will grow on the bones of the occupier!!!!” another exhortation read.
John Spencer, chairman of Urban Warfare Studies at West Point’s Modern War Institute, said that Russia will face problems if it has to take Kyiv through urban warfare.
“In the urban terrain, it doesn’t matter how powerful a military you are. … Any untrained individual can turn it into hell for the most trained individual,” he said, according to the Times.
Social media was being used to spread the call to arms.
“We ask citizens to inform about the movement of equipment!” read one tweet calling for citizens to fight back.
“Make Molotov cocktails, neutralize the occupier! Peaceful residents – be careful! Do not leave the house!” the tweet said, according to a translation.
Russia has admitted losses, according to the BBC.
“There have been killed and wounded among the Russian military during the course of the special military operation,” the Russian Defense Ministry said on Saturday.
“The losses suffered by the Russian armed forces are several times less than the number of exterminated nationalists,” it said.
Ukraine was suffering losses as well.
No comments