Five days after the start of the Russian invasion, the war in Ukraine continues on Monday, February 28. The country is trying to block the firepower of Vladimir Putin’s army. The second largest army in the world enjoys on paper an overwhelming military superiority. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky decreed general mobilization on Friday and all men aged 18 to 60 are prohibited from leaving the territory. Moreover, on a voluntary basis, a provisional army made up of men and women who, for some, have never held a weapon in their life.
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In the city of Lviv there is no shelling or Russian troops. However, the war is there. There are the exercise sirens for the moment, and there are these Ukrainians in single file who come to register at the town hall to join the ranks of the territorial defense. “I witnessed the events in Maidan Square in 2014 but I was never in direct confrontation with an enemysays Mikhail. My son is a computer scientist and I am the editor of a university literary journal. All that is military, it’s not my cup of tea, and yet, we are here.” His son is there, but behind Mikhail. “My son: shyness decorates him”he says using a Ukrainian expression, words of tenderness from a father for his son.
“It is a great tragedy for any father to send his son to war and potentially see him killed in combat. Especially since with my wife, he is our only son. . But if our country asks us, we will both go without any hesitation.”
Mikhail, Ukrainianat franceinfo
An old lady circulates among the sons of the volunteers. She distributes holy images, small prayers too, calling for peace. But now is not the time for a truce. “We are sure that there are Russian spies in the city. We are therefore there to monitor. And if we ever see anyone suspicious, we call the police”, says Viktor, who volunteered to patrol at night after the 10 p.m. curfew. It is difficult to confirm the facts put forward by this retiree, but it nevertheless testifies to this state of permanent mistrust which hovers in Lviv.
Mistrust, but not enough to undermine the morale of his troops of amateur soldiers. “You know, the Ukrainians always have small fights between them, but when there is a misfortune, they are all there, standing up”, explains one of them. Under the snow which begins to fall, these men who wait in the cold are well and truly on their feet.