What is Ukraine's DIY Army? Civilians make bombs and take up guns to fight Russians
The medieval town of Chortkiv in Western Ukraine is home to around 30,000 people. Located some 300 miles from the capital of Kyiv, the city was gearing up to celebrate its 500th anniversary, but those celebrations have since been put on hold. Instead of decorating their town, the citizens are busy removing road signs, learning how to make petrol bombs, and fire guns as they anticipate an attack in the coming days.
The residents of Chortkiv are just the latest example of how ordinary Ukrainians are defending their nation against the Russian invasion. On February 25, an 80-year-old tried to enlist in the Ukrainian army, with the photo going viral almost instantly. The same day, one woman was caught telling Russian soldiers in the city of Henichesk "Put sunflower seeds in your pockets so they grow on Ukraine soil when you die." We also reported on Ukraine's 'Tank Man', who attempted to stop a column of Russian tanks, echoing similarities to Tiananmen Square.
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Such brave actions are extremely common in Ukraine, giving the world a sense of belief that they will indeed resist the Russian onslaught. Now, we've got another heartwarming story for you, from Chortkiv and its 30,000 residents.
Ukraine's DIY Army
The residents of the Chortkiv have been dubbed a 'DIY army' for their preparations, which really show DIY at its finest. Residents have taken it upon themselves to remove all road signs, so as to confuse the invaders, but their preparations go much further than that. "We are getting ready to defend ourselves because we think there is a strong possibility that we will be attacked," noted mayor Volodymyr Shmatko.
The Daily Mail observed police giving residents a lesson on how to prepare Molotov cocktails, which they renamed 'happiness cocktails' to avoid using the name of Vyacheslav Molotov, a Soviet-era politician after who the home-made bombs are named. The bombs are made from a variety of glass bottles, including beer, wine, and even oil bottles. The town's main entry point now has a checkpoint, made with sandbags and tires. Around 500 men have also been drafted into the Territorial Defence Force (TDF) and given weapons and ammunition.
"There are also volunteers who might be hunters who know how to handle a rifle but don’t know how to throw a grenade or fire a Kalashnikov. We are training them. There are 100 so far but will be many more to come," Shmatko added. Inside the town hall, around 22 residents are busy sorting donations, including food for refugees and medicinal supplies for Kyiv. At the heart of the efforts to get supplies to Kyiv is 25-year-old Inna Dzyndra. She and her boyfriend are already in the city and using an online system to identify what medicines are needed.
The efforts have all been started only in the past few days, and quickly gathered steam as Chortkiv feels the presence of Russian troops. Despite being 300 miles away from Kyiv, the town anticipates it could come under attack from Belarusian forces, given its proximity to the nation. "Ukraine will pay a high price for democracy and we might not all survive. We did not want to fight but we must keep the enemy off our land and make them leave us alone," a defiant Shmatko said.