Ukrainian volunteer battalions train for ‘Russian takeover of Kyiv’
Over 240 men undergo special forces training
Hundreds of men from Ukraine’s ‘Desna’ volunteer battalion are undergoing special forces training in case regular Russian troops will attempt a militarized takeover of Kyiv.
Their main task for today includes a reconnaissance mission, planting an explosive at a railway juncture, and lastly, getting out alive.
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Over 240 men with no military background are undergoing the special forces training. Among them are managers, artists and engineers. But this rag-tag team of volunteers all share one common trait: they don’t believe the Minsk ceasefire in east Ukraine will hold out for long. Many are waiting for the government to call a 7th wave of mobilization for service in the war with Russian-backed militants.
Nicolay Korbut, engineer: “Before all these events happened I didn’t know basic things, what a roll mat was and how to make a fire. These exercises not only teach you how to handle a gun but also basic things needed in everyday life.”
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This unit called ‘Ukrainian Legion’ is tasked with defending their base and capturing Russian paratroopers.
Most of the military trainers have already fought against combined Russian-separatist forces in the east. They say the volunteer battalions here still have a long way to go if they plan on defending Kyiv.
According to the military experts here, for the Ukrainian army to stand a chance of defending Kyiv, over 15,000 troops have to be deployed to the region.
At the current time only around 400 men have received proper training. Many of the military instructors here hope that next year the Ukrainian army command will start forming a military unit capable of defending the Ukrainian capital.
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