A politician, an entrepreneur, a car inspector. Since Thursday, Ukrainian civilians have become soldiers in an attempt to repel the Russian invader. Testimonials.
Posted at 7:09 p.m.
” Living. I’m alive, ”Sviatoslav Yurash breathes on the line. As if he didn’t believe it himself.
Since Thursday, the young parliamentary deputy has become a soldier. Between attacks, he roams the streets of Kiev in a vehicle loaded with weapons and medical equipment intended for the Ukrainian forces. With each outing, he runs the risk of finding himself in the middle of a confrontation.
I’m not a soldier, but either we fight or we lose. And if we lose, we lose everything. In our situation, everyone is a soldier.
Sviatoslav Yurash, Ukrainian MP
The streets of the capital are deserted, but police stations are crowded with civilians responding to President Volodymyr Zelensky’s call to take up arms, Mr Yurash reports. And the more Ukrainians join the resistance, the more the country can hope to hold out against the Russian invader, he believes.
“We have to fight with everything we have, as long as we can, if we want to continue to exist. »
Wait your turn
Maksym Lutoshkin had already thought about this for a long time. In 2014, after the annexation of Crimea, he decided to take up arms if the Russian threat presented itself again.
PHOTO FROM MAKSYM LUTOSHKIN’S FACEBOOK PAGE
Maksym Lutoshkin
On February 24, she was there, at the gates of Kiev. “The explosions woke me up. An hour later, the war was confirmed,” says the 47-year-old entrepreneur. That very morning, he had volunteered to participate in the war effort as he had promised himself, eight years earlier.
Since then, he has stood ready in a small town 50 kilometers from the Ukrainian capital, in fire and blood. He is waiting to be called to the front. A question of hours? Days ? Lutoshkin can not say. But he keeps his spirits up.
“I’m sure we’ll win. We have no other choice,” he thunders.
“I love my country, so I defend it”
At 6 a.m. Thursday morning, Vitaliy was made aware of explosions in the Kherson region, where he lives. At 9 a.m. he joined the army.
He gave his name knowingly, having himself participated as a volunteer in the Ukrainian revolution of 2014, then in the framework of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict until 2017. But this time is different.
“I was scandalized by the despicable Russian attack”, decries the automobile inspector. “I decided to help because I am familiar with the army. I love my country, so I defend it. »
On the fifth day of the war, his mood is combative. “A bit anxious, but I believe in the victory of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. What keeps him motivated? His wife and daughter, who are waiting for him at home. ” I miss them. »