| Translate This News In |
|---|
Yuriy Korchemniy, a Ukrainian historian, has never shot an assault rifle before.
On the second day of Russia’s invasion, he joined a slew of others in picking up a Kalashnikov from a truckload of weapons dumped for Ukraine’s new volunteer defence troops.
“They gave us the weapons, loaded them for us, and here we are,” the 35-year-old added sheepishly.
He was protecting a Kyiv bridge underpass with a group of other guys, some in their 50s, that leads to the administrative complex of Western-backed President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The road’s opposite side passes through a working-class neighbourhood of Soviet-style tower blocks where a deadly gunfight with a small group of Russian forces occurred only a few hours before.
Ambulance workers hauled away a middle-aged civilian slain in the conflict, according to an AFP team.
According to one eyewitness, Russian shots fired from a speeding armoured vehicle killed the civilian.
Korchemniy seems unsure about his position in defending Kiev from Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion forces.
“I only know how to shoot single shots, so my idea is to click this here and turn off the automatic function,” he added, stroking the gleaming weapon with caution.
This once-bustling city of three million people has been invaded by a bizarre sense of fighting ghosts.
Defending against ghosts
At random hours, sirens wailing and thudding booms crashing across swaths of Kyiv.
Pockets of nervous-looking military and weirdly relaxed volunteers pacing from foot to foot and smoking stand out among the vacant streets.
Those who venture out on foot appear practically unconcerned about the danger.
One pair was seen jogging with their pet while others were riveted to their phone screens.
However, the Russians are nowhere to be found, despite distant blasts and empty bullet casings strewn over crossroads, indicating their approach to the city’s gates.
The commander of a masked volunteer battalion known only as “Bob” admitted he had no idea where the Russians went after they attacked.
The commander answered, “I don’t know.” “One of my employees is hurt. Bullets were fired down this street, and they weren’t regular bullets like the ones in my machine gun. We’ve got bullets that are a little more manageable. Russian projectiles are significantly larger.”
Years of continuous Western backing and an urgent rush of arms shipments aimed at deterring Putin have bolstered Ukraine’s once-dilapidated military forces.
They are, however, an overworked and outgunned force.
‘We’ll give it our all.’
For eight years, government troops had been fighting Russian-backed separatists on a frozen frontline in the east, then Putin attacked from three sides at the same time.
This caused Ukraine to scurry to send soldiers to Belarus’ northern border and the Kremlin-annexed Crimea’s southern border.
The military then encouraged everybody aged 18 to 60 to pick up a gun and prepare to fight.
Roman Bondertsev, a paragliding instructor, said he took the opportunity “It’s preferable to doing nothing at home. I’m less terrified this way “,
“And if I’m shot, there’ll be two people ready to take my gun and take my position,” the 47-year-old stated.
Unlike mechanic Ruslan Bitsman, the extreme sports coach was able to control his rage during the Russian invasion.
Bitsman admits, “I’ve never served.”
“But, you understand, it’s my nation. You want to know what I think about Putin. There are only things that aren’t possible to be printed.”
Nonetheless, both guys agreed that blocking the Russians from blowing past their positions was a difficult task.
“I merely got my hands on a weapon for the first time yesterday. What are your options? We shall give it our all “Bondertsev explained.
