A mother of three in Ukraine has armed herself with a sniper rifle as
thousands of the country's civilians prepare for a possible Russian
invasion. Mariana Zhaglo is far from a typical Ukrainian soldier, but the
52-year-old who works in marketing research says she is willing to do
anything to defend her country.
"As a mother, I don't want my children to inherit the Ukraine problem, or
this threat to be passed on to them. I better deal with this now," Mariana
said.
"If that's the case then we will fight for Kiev; we will fight to protect
our city. If there is a need to start shooting, then I will start shooting,"
continued the mother, showing off the Zbroyar Z-15 rifle she had just bought
in her flat. in the Ukrainian capital as reported by the Daily Mail,
Wednesday (26/1/2022).
He then explains that the Zbroyar Z-15 is a hunting rifle, but he has no
intention of hunting.
"I've never hunted in my life. I bought this carbine after listening to some
soldiers discuss the best rifle to get," Mariana told The Times.
Even so, the rifle wasn't the only thing Mariana bought. In addition to
shelling out more than £950 for the gun, he also took a two-week marksman
course and installed a number of extras including a bipod, telescope and
silencer to ensure he could kill as many enemies as possible.
Mariana also spent another £830 on military clothing such as a helmet, snow
camouflage uniform, bulletproof vest, ammunition and boots. He had also
stockpiled canned food so he could stay hidden in his apartment for weeks.
Mariana told The Times that many Ukrainians have learned to live with the
potential threat of invasion since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.
He said it was not uncommon for Russia to occasionally increase troop
deployments near the border. But he remained steadfast in his intention to
remain in the capital and fight in the event of an invasion.
"Neither my husband nor I have any relatives living elsewhere, we have
nowhere else to go. This is our home. We will fight for it."
Mariana is just one of thousands of Ukrainians who recently joined the
country's Territorial Defense Force (TDF), Ukraine's military reserve. The
troops are a volunteer part of an army whose numbers have swelled amid
rising tensions on Russia's borders.
Thousands of civilians, from veterinary students to architects, have joined
the TDF to be trained in armed conflict. The Kiev branch of the TDF ran
exercises over the weekend in snow-covered forests outside the capital,
while scores of civilians across Ukraine - many of them young people - have
signed up for a similar training program to receive basic combat skills.
In the event of a potential invasion by Russia, these young people will
become part of the country's civil resistance that will continue the war
against the Russian army if the 255,000-strong Ukrainian regular army is
overwhelmed.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged his citizens to
remain calm about the threat of a Russian attack. He said there was work in
progress to bring about a meeting between him and the leaders of Russia,
France and Germany.
In a televised video address, Zelenskiy said the withdrawal of personnel
from the Western embassy in Kiev did not signal that a military escalation
with Russia was inevitable, but called for caution.
"No rose-colored glasses, no childish illusions. It's not simple, but there
is hope," Zelensky said.
"Protect your body from the virus, your brain from lies, your heart from
panic," he said. The situation on the Ukrainian border has been heating up
since late last year when Moscow removed as many as 100,000 troops, as well
as tanks and missiles.
But tensions have risen in recent days after a surge in equipment and troop
movements, including military police from Russia's far east.
Russia denies planning to attack Ukraine but demands legally binding
security guarantees from the United States and NATO over concerns that
allowing Ukraine to join an international security bloc would threaten
Russia's borders.
