The Washington Post - USA (2022-02-13)

A18 EZ RE THE WASHINGTON POST.SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 13 , 2022

BY MICHAEL ROBINSON CHAVEZ AND RUBY MELLEN

IN KYIV, UKRAINE

Volunteers and veterans train for war in Ukraine

In the blistering cold, ordinary Ukrainians gather each weekend at an old and dilapidated Soviet youth camp on the

eastern edge of Kyiv with one mission: to protect their country against possible Russian aggression. | As Moscow’s

troops continue to amass on Ukraine’s borders, more of its citizens are volunteering for the Ukrainian Territorial De-

fense Forces. Veterans and new unlikely combatants are trained by active military. ¶ One new volunteer is Rumiya Ro-

manenko, 59, from eastern Ukraine, which is now under the control of Russian-backed separatists. Wielding a prop

wooden rifle, she explains she had to flee from her village. | “I want to fight so that I can return home,” she said. ¶ The

aspiring soldiers gathered at frozen central plaza area that resembled a hockey rink. Veterans explained how to load

guns, duck fire and avoid land mines. | Dmytro Myhas and his wife, Olana, were there. Dmytro served in the military in

2015 and 2016. Although it was Olana’s first time training, she already knows how to shoot. ¶ The Defense Forces essen-

tially operate as military reserves and have been expanding amid Russia’s buildup at the border. Western military ana-

lysts warn Ukraine’s army is no match for Russia. Kyiv could fall in days should Moscow decide to invade, they said. But

on the city’s outskirts, these volunteers and veterans have not given up on preparing for a fight.

PHOTOS BY MICHAEL ROBINSON CHAVEZ/THE WASHINGTON POST

Dmytro Myhas, a military veteran, carries his flak jacket as he leaves for a training session with the Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces. His wife, Olana, also joined the

force and already knows how to shoot. Despite the grass-roots movement, Western military analysts say Ukraine’s army is no match for Russia.

Volunteers and veterans alike train with the Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces at an abandoned youth center on the outskirts of Kyiv

on Feb. 5. The group, trained by active military personnel, acts as a reserve force and has been expanding as Russia crowds the border.

ABOVE: Myhas helps his wife load her gun at a training session.

LEFT: Rumiya Romanenko, 59, trains with a wooden rifle.