“If Russia attacks, it is very important to know these techniques,” says a Ukrainian citizen taking part in a two-day survival course.
In a forest located on the outskirts of Kiev, a group of Ukrainian civilians learn to dig shelters in the snow fearing an invasion by Russia, which concentrated some 100,000 soldiers on the border.
“If Russia attacks, it is very important to know these techniques,” summarizes Artem Kuzmenko, a 29-year-old computer scientist who is taking part in a two-day survival course.
Ukraine, a former Soviet republic, is used to war. Since 2014 fight against pro-Russian separatists in the east of the country in a conflict that has already left more than 13,000 deaths.
Despite the signing of peace agreements, the violence never completely ceased on the front. The West accuses Russia of wanting to invade Ukraine, an accusation that Moscow rejects.
“In big cities, people are used to conflicts taking place far away,” says the instructor, Sergei Vishnevski, dressed in military uniform.
“Now they are aware that the war can reach them,” he adds.
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Vichnevski, 40, fought on the front lines before giving these civilian survival courses. It has seen renewed interest in recent weeks as fears of an invasion grow.
An online training that will be offered in the coming days has already received some 4,000 registrations.
“Everyone should know how to build a shelter for their family,” he says.
Yana Kaminska, a 33-year-old psychology student, who is doing this training with her partner, has already packed a bag in case she has to leave home in a hurry.
“First, take care of our families,” he replies when asked what his priority is in the event of an invasion.
“Responsibility”
After years of war often punctuated by fears of a full-scale Russian invasion, Kiev shows no signs of panic despite alarmist statements from some Western capitals.
Shops show no signs of shortages, which is when people stock up to the max, and there were plenty of walkers in the city center, covered in a blanket of snow over the weekend.
Even President Volodimir Zelensky himself urged the West on Friday not to sow “panic”, stating that he was more concerned about internal “destabilization” than about a possible Russian attack.
But, according to a survey released last week, 48% of Ukrainians believe a Russian invasion is possible and a growing contingent of coaches prepares them for the worst.
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On the weekend, more than 150 women attended a conference at a Kiev university, where they learned how to neutralize an unarmed assailant, pressing certain points on the head or neck.
For Olena Biletska, from the Ukrainian Women’s Guard, at the origin of this initiative, Ukraine must learn to protect itself, It is a matter of “personal responsibility”. Adding that he had to reject potential participants due to anti-covid restrictions.
Among the crowd, Oleksandra Kovalenko, 25, explains that she wants to prepare “for the worst case scenario (…) An attack is really possible.”
Kalashnikov made of wood
In another neighborhood of Kiev, Some 300 people participated this Sunday in a military training on the site of an abandoned factory.
Organized by a nationalist party created by former volunteers who have been fighting separatists in eastern Ukraine since 2014, the activity is called “Instead of Panic, Be Prepared.”
“Panic can happen when people don’t know how to react, how to use a weapon, how to defend themselves, what to do in the event of a shooting”, explained Maksim Jorin, former commander of the controversial Azov battalion, welcoming the participants who formed lines under the snowflakes.
In small groups, the participants, mainly young people, but also entire families, learned how to hold and handle a weapon using wooden replica Kalashnikov rifles.
They also received first aid training and, in a dilapidated building, were shown how to move around inside a building taken over by the enemy.
“The left leg is again misplaced!” snaps an instructor to a young man who is learning to handle a gun in his hands.
“It’s my country, how can I not worry?” Evgueni Petrik, 20, told AFP. Does he believe in an upcoming Russian invasion? “Likely or not, I am not the one to judge it, I am not a fortune teller. But, you have to be prepared”, he adds. (I)
Source: Eluniverso
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