* Young men and women, some as young as 21, have been taking part in Kyiv Territorial Defence unit training
* They are among thousands of Ukrainian civilians who are receiving basic combat skills as they prepare for a possible conflict with Moscow
* In the event of a potential invasion by Russia, these youngsters will be part of the country's civil resistance that will carry on the fight against Russian soldiers if the Ukrainian military is overwhelmed
Thousands of young civilians, from veterinary medical students to architects, have been drafted into Ukraine's army reserves and trained for war, as fears mount over a potential invasion by Russia.
Young men and women, some as young as 21, have been taking part in Kyiv Territorial Defence unit training over the weekend in a snow-covered forest in the capital, as they prepare for a possible conflict with Moscow.
Scores of civilians across the country have signed up to similar training programs to receive basic combat skills.
Read more ....
Update #1: In a Ukrainian city near Russia, a civilian army prepares for war -- Al Jazeera
Update #2: Ukraine Crisis News, Analysis: Militias Prepare for Russia War -- Bloomberg
WNU Editor: This reminds me of my father and his experience when the Germans invaded the Soviet Union in 1941. He was conscripted right away into the civilian militia (south of Kiev at Bila Tserkva), but because his university studies were focused on mathematics he was sent to the Urals for training in an artillery unit.
He learned after the war that everyone who was in his original militia unit were completely wiped out in their first encounter with the German Army.
Civilian militias provide good copy for the press, but as fighters they are no match against professional soldiers.
6 comments:
they've really become obsessed with the number 100 000.
A while year group was wiped out in the USSR, which would mean regular soldiers and militia. So they story may be true, but it does not prove anything.
During the Battle for Berlin, who killed more Russians> The Volksturm or the Russians? It seems as though Russians killed a few hundred thousand Russians in Berlin.
Russians are not stupid enough to fall for the gasbag defense unless someone like Stalin is riding their ass with a time table developed in Moscow.
In answer to Caecus. 100,000 makes a good initial goal if Russians still use correlation of forces in their decision making. 100 militia is not worth 100 soldiers, but one sniper is worth 3 to 10 soldiers and may wreck a timetable.
Anon 7:38
You underestimate the effectiveness of the German military in the Second World War. Or you watch too many Hollywood movies.
Russians did not kill a few hundred thousand Russians in Berlin. The Germans did.
Well said WNU. Gosh, there are so many morons who comment on your blog posts. Maybe they're all interbreds, same gene pool down at the pond and under the rocks.
There are quotes of Russian generals making about other Russian armies killing their men. There was enough air power and artillery that the Russians had sufficient throw weight for mass slaughter.
The Volksturm (militia) could give a good account of itself against Russian armor in the narrow confines of a city with the panzerfaust. the Russians suffered heavily until they changed tactics and shot first and then moved.
When your own bombers hit you own troops, casualties add up fast. It is not a Russian thing. In the break out from Normandy during Operation Cobra (I think it was) allied bombers had the wrong coordinates or something and badly mauled an allied division. Zhukov's troops did in fact fire on Konev's troops and the casualties were high. There was a German formation, an ad hoc division, which on being pushed back to Berlin kinda, of sort of skedadled to the side and headed west. They wished no more contact with the Russians than necessary. There comes a point when until they lose so many men they are not fighting coherently. At that point most of the Soviet casualties would have been self- inflicted.
I don't know 8:30 I have provided quotes by Konev in the past on multiple occasions.
Go argue with Konev and bark at the moon.
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