1 million Ukrainians have fled their war-torn country. The European Union is welcoming Ukrainian refugees with open arms, unlike the previous floods of refugees. Ukraine is a European country and thus has the credibility to send its people to European cities.
Few, however, expect Ukrainians to return to the country while the war with Russia rages on. Yet, that is exactly what some are doing. Although there are no official estimates, Ukrainians in Europe are choosing to return to their homeland and fight for their country.
Take for example Nikita Azarkhin, reported by the Wall Street Journal, he is a 32-year-old Ukrainian tattoo artist who resided in Berlin. He chose to leave Berlin, deciding that he must return to Ukraine and fight for his motherland.
"I would love not to fight, but this is the time where if I want to be able to look myself in the mirror, I have to, I have to go," said Mr. Azarkhin.
Boarding a bus in Poland, he went to Ukraine. Like Mr. Azarkhin, many of these Ukrainians have little to no combat experience. Yet the Ukrainians currently defending Kyiv and Kharkiv are in a similar circumstance. Many have never fired, let alone owned a gun. Now, the Ukrainian government is issuing guns to anyone who wants one.
The armed Ukrainian populace has become more than just a nuisance for Putin and his army. These partisans are, in some cases, stopping the Russian advance and humiliating the Russian army. So far, Russian forces have failed to take their major objectives of Kyiv, Ukraine's capital, and Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city and former capital. Ukrainian forces have been able to repel several major assaults on both cities, using a variety of tactics.
Ukrainians are removing street signs, blowing up bridges, and making Molotov cocktails in the street. Ukrainian civilians are taking matters into their own hands.
Their efforts are working.
Videos on social media show abandoned tanks and armored vehicles; some are damaged, while others are out of fuel. Another video shows a Ukrainian tractor stealing a Russian tank. A Ukrainian woman has begun posting videos to Youtube teaching her fellow freedom fighters how to drive Russian tanks. A Ukrainian man posted his dashcam video, pulling over by an immobile Russian tank. Two soldiers stand nearby
"You guys want a tow... back to Russia?" asks the man filming.
The soldiers laugh.
The world is laughing too.
Such has been Putin's initial assault. His prediction of a lightning blitzkrieg has been hindered by poor logistics, unclear directives, and Ukrainian citizens. Putin's hope that the Ukrainian people will overthrow their government has backfired. The ridicule of the Russian attack hinders the morale of its soldiers. Ukrainian morale is at an all-time high. Ukraine's president has turned from a media star to an effective war leader, sharing in the strife his citizens are facing. His approval rating has rocketed from 31 percent to near 90 percent.
Russia Begins its Strikes
There are, however, reasons to worry. If Putin cannot have Ukraine the easy way, he will have it the hard way. Reports of intensified Artillery shelling of civilian targets have shown a shift in Russia's war tactics. Russian armor is moving to encircle Kyiv and Kharkiv, possibly initiating sieges of the two cities. If the Ukrainian cities are blocked from the rest of the world, they will collapse. Without supplies entering the city, millions of people will die from starvation, disease, and bullets.
Additionally, Russia has not used its full military might. Roughly half of all Batallion Tactical Groups (BTGs), groups of 600 to 1,000 soldiers, have been deployed into Ukraine. The rest of the BTGs remain stationed on Ukraine's border. These forces are more disciplined and professional. The Russian soldiers that are currently fighting in Ukraine are young and inexperienced. Many question the reason behind their invasion.
"We were sent for exercises... but they lied to us," says one soldier in a video of Russian POWs.
"No one wanted to [invade]. But they said 'You will be enemies of the people. And since this is wartime, you can be shot," tells another soldier in the platoon.
A feeling of betrayal will not produce disciplined soldiers with high morale. Quite the opposite, Russia's soldiers are wondering why they are invading their cultural relatives. Others wonder why they haven't been welcomed into Ukraine as liberators — Russian propaganda claims Ukrainians want to be saved from a nazi regime. Once cracks are formed, they are hard to fix.
If the Russian army continues to botch their assault on Ukraine, diplomats from Ukraine will have the upper hand in peace negotiations. Already cease-fire negotiations have begun, with the Russians making outrageous demands. An agreement that favors Ukraine will translate into victory for Ukraine. Such a feat will be legendary for the fledgling nation that is trying to cement itself on the world stage. Ukrainian identity and sovereignty will never be questioned again.
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