Putin Recognizes Donbass Republics, Sends Russian Military to 'Denazify' Ukraine
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NPR is desperate to convince a weary US audience that Ukraine is advancing with even more canon fodder to confront the superior Russian Army
Ukraine's military trains civilians in 'Test Week' to give a sense of war with Russia September 7, 20246:00 AM ET
Editor's note: The Ukrainian military's 3rd Separate Assault Brigade reviewed the images before publication.
KYIV, Ukraine — As Ukraine continues its mass conscription drive to fight Russia, more and more civilians find themselves in the armed forces. Many units do their own recruiting.
An elite 3rd Separate Assault Brigade even allows civilians to try living and training like soldiers for a week, to give them a quick sense of what they will face if they are conscripted or decide to sign up for the military voluntarily.
Live and train like soldiers
At the training base of what the military calls "Test Week," at an undisclosed location in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, several dozen people are exercising on a clearing that serves as an improvised battlefield. Carrying mock-ups instead of real guns, they learn how to move and regroup during an attack, to cover their comrades and evacuate the wounded.
Every few minutes, firecrackers explode, simulating grenades and artillery fire.
Although Ukraine’s draft is for men who are 25 to 60 years old, several of the participants were younger than that but still eligible to volunteer to serve in the military, with a minimum age of 18.
“We’re not sure that hostilities won’t come to our area,” he says, before joining other trainees for a next exercise.
For seven days, Sichkar and other participants learn how to use weapons, study battlefield medicine and improve their physical fitness. Many have signed up for this course because among Ukrainians the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade is known as one of the toughest units.
Maryna Kirsanova, a 50-year-old engineer, heard so much about the brigade’s exploits from her friends that she decided to take the course.
“They are so cool,” she says. “I didn't even expect that everything would be so real.”
Instructors with combat experience
All the “Test Week” instructors have real combat experience. Maksym Levchenko helped set up the program. He joined the army at the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and was one of those who volunteered to fly into the besieged port city of Mariupol later that year.
“We had to fly to Mariupol and bring weapons, food, medicines and soldiers," Levchenko remembers.
He fought in the city and managed to get to the Azovstal steel plant, site of a fierce, months-long last stand before the city fell, and he ended up in Russian captivity.
Last year, Levchenko was released in a prisoner swap. But he couldn’t go back to the front line because his eyesight worsened. Instead, now he’s preparing civilians for military service.
“We give them assessment according to physical training, knowledge of theory, medicine [and drones],” Levchenko explains. “Also we evaluate their leadership abilities, teamwork and analytical mindset.”
At the end of the week, all participants receive feedback as well as advice on what to improve.
Ukrainians train to provide medical aid in the battlefield during "Test Week" on Aug. 7. Oksana Parafeniuk for NPR
The main requirement is motivation
One of the common fears among many Ukrainian draft-age men is that they will find themselves at the front line if they are conscripted.
Volodymyr Davydiuk, the head of the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade’s recruiting center in Kyiv, assures recruits not everyone has to fight in trenches.
“The army is a much wider structure, and there are many noncombat professions there that require specialists,” he says. “We show civilians that they can choose the unit and the position in it.”
The brigade relies mostly on its own recruiting rather than conscription, looking for motivation more than anything else.
“Two to three weeks of physical training will put you at a decent level of conditioning," Davydiuk says. “Tactics and medicine — you can teach everything that is needed for war.”
To encourage civilians to sign up, the unit launched a nationwide ad campaign with banners strung across city streets calling to join. There’s even a documentary on Netflix called We Were Recruits, recounting the journey soldiers take from basic training to fighting on the front line.
The "Test Week" program for civilians is also considered effective. Of about 400 people who took part in it, almost 1 in 5 signed up after, according to Levchenko.
Sichkar, the participant from central Ukraine, has decided to enlist in the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade.
“I’m doing this for my family, to protect my mother and sister," he says. “I love them more than anything in the world.”
Sichkar wants to join the brigade’s assault forces, even though he realizes how dangerous his choice is.
Editor's note: The photos above were reviewed before publication by the Ukrainian military for anything that might reveal their location.
Source: Information about claimed advances by Ukraine and assessed advances by Russia via the Institute for the Study of War and AEI's Critical Threats Project. Credit: Alyson Hurt, Nick Underwood and Daniel Wood/NPR
Ukraine Loses Over 10,700 Soldiers, 84 Tanks in Kursk Region Attack - Russian Ministry
The Ukrainian armed forces have lost over 10,700 soldiers and 84 tanks in the course of the offensive in Russia’s Kursk Region, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Saturday.
sputnikglobe.com
"On the first day, 32 armored vehicles were destroyed, on the second day, 20 vehicles, on the third day, 10. Now we have not been able to find them for over a week," Apti Alaudinov described the situation in the Akhmat-Sila area of responsibility to me.
From Southfront News And Analysis
06.09.2024 -
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The Living Force
Flamethrower "Dragon" Drones
Just two days ago Dima of Military Summary caught sight of Ukraine's newest import drone type from many Western drone manufacturers, who jumped onto the Bandwagon of War Profiteering on the growing altar of human sacrifice.
What better way to cause US forest fires than the Thermonator Flamethrower Robot Dog! Helping them from the air no doubt these new flying burning Napalm dispenser Dragon Drones were also used in the USA to set the forests on fire as the trees and bushes were dried up in the summer heat.
While it looks ridiculous in a warzone with its tepid efficiency, it definitely can help in pushing USA populace out from their burned houses into camps and totally destroying American farmers property and livestock.
Russian answer is perpetual military innovation. Now making an even newer - third iteration - of their TOS-3 Dragon Flamethrower missile launcher system. Katyusa definitely came a long way since WW2!
I wish the medical industry would advance at such speed: naturally re-growing teeth and completely regenerating eyesight.. ..nope! Killing is more profitable..
Just two days ago Dima of Military Summary caught sight of Ukraine's newest import drone type from many Western drone manufacturers, who jumped onto the Bandwagon of War Profiteering on the growing altar of human sacrifice.
What better way to cause US forest fires than the Thermonator Flamethrower Robot Dog! Helping them from the air no doubt these new flying burning Napalm dispenser Dragon Drones were also used in the USA to set the forests on fire as the trees and bushes were dried up in the summer heat.
While it looks ridiculous in a warzone with its tepid efficiency, it definitely can help in pushing USA populace out from their burned houses into camps and totally destroying American farmers property and livestock.
Russian answer is perpetual military innovation. Now making an even newer - third iteration - of their TOS-3 Dragon Flamethrower missile launcher system. Katyusa definitely came a long way since WW2!
I wish the medical industry would advance at such speed: naturally re-growing teeth and completely regenerating eyesight.. ..nope! Killing is more profitable..
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Metrist
The Living Force
This video is about the business incentive for war. All the resources Ukraine has is motivating the Western businessmen/politicians to fight Russia. But these businessmen have no national interests - just getting rich serving their own interests using their connections with govt. to use as their assets. They sold out. And now they continue to keep the store open by stealing all the worlds resources by installing corrupt govts.
Steal. Sell. Steal. Sell.
They no longer pretend to have nationalist ambitions. 'For our cause...' 'For our freedom'... They just got tired of lying and hope that by impoverishing everyone, we'll all dance to their tune and grovel for acceptance, to further their aims... Against who? A nation state.
A country that is for the people, run by the people and is united by a common ideal - other than selling out.
Steal. Sell. Steal. Sell.
They no longer pretend to have nationalist ambitions. 'For our cause...' 'For our freedom'... They just got tired of lying and hope that by impoverishing everyone, we'll all dance to their tune and grovel for acceptance, to further their aims... Against who? A nation state.
A country that is for the people, run by the people and is united by a common ideal - other than selling out.