Ordinary Citizens In The Army

Residents attend an open training organised for civilians by war veterans and volunteers who teach the basic weapons handling and first aid on one of Kyiv's city beaches. — Residents attend an open up preparation organised for civilians by war veterans and volunteers who teach the basic weapons handling and beginning aid on one of Kyiv'southward city beachesGenya Savilov/AFP via Getty Images

Ordinary Ukrainian citizens are taking up arms all over Kyiv to defend the capital city.
Ukraine'south government is distributing firearms to anyone who wants to fight and teaching people how to brand Molotov cocktails.
Kyiv came nether heavy attack early Friday morning time, local time, every bit Russian forces entered the urban center.

Ordinary citizens all over Kyiv are taking up arms in the fight confronting Russian forces as they close in on the capital letter metropolis following two days of heavy attacks and hundreds of casualties.

Russian President Vladimir Putin appear a "special armed forces operation" in Ukraine early Thursday morning, local time. Minutes later, Russian troops began pushing their way into Ukraine via its northern, eastern, and southern borders.

Equally Russian forces started making their way toward Kyiv, the Ukrainian government called on all citizens and "patriots" to take upward artillery in defence force of the state, saying that only an ID was required and adding, "We give weapons to all patriots!"

"We will give weapons to anyone who wants to defend the country," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a tweet. "Exist ready to back up Ukraine in the squares of our cities."

And they were.

According to The Kyiv Independent reporter Illia Ponomarenko, as of Fri afternoon local time, 18,000 rifles had been given to noncombatant defense forces on the streets of Kyiv.

BuzzFeed News reported that some fighters were dressed in camouflage while others wore neon puffer coats. They carried weapons including AK-47s, AR-15s, and shotguns. According to BuzzFeed, they were seen standing "on nearly every other street corner, beside local government buildings and cultural institutions, and on overpasses around the capital letter."

1 video posted to social media appeared to show firearms existence delivered to anyone who wanted to fight.

Ukrainian government agencies too urged citizens to make Molotov cocktails, and the National Guard of Ukraine tweeted out instructions on how to make the weapon.

Among those taking up arms were Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko, a former boxing champion who said he was forming "territorial defence force brigades" for volunteers with a military background.

"If necessary, we are ready to defend our urban center," Klitschko said. His brother, Wladimir, is also a old heavyweight champion and is fighting alongside Klitschko.

Ukraine's former president, Petro Poroshenko, likewise said he's preparing to mountain a defense against Russia's invasion of the seat of autonomous power in Kyiv.

Poroshenko told CNN that he'due south part of a "territorial defence force" battalion. He was seen property a Kalashnikov rifle while speaking with CNN'southward John Berman but said his unit doesn't have tanks, artillery, or an armed personnel carrier withal because "nosotros just launched this process a couple of days agone."

Just in many means, the Ukrainian public has been bracing for this very moment for weeks.

As Insider's Julie Coleman wrote, Ukrainians from all walks of life accept been practicing combat drills with current and one-time military members on the outskirts of Kyiv and other cities in preparation for Russia'southward invasion.

"Nosotros will never surrender," one Ukrainian architect told The Wall Street Journal earlier this month. "Nosotros are using every opportunity to train. So I remember Putin should be afraid of united states."

Ukraine's interior ministry building said Fri that the civilian fighters fabricated a paring in Russia's onslaught and managed to stop Russian troops from advancing on Kyiv from the northwest.

Zelensky gave an impassioned speech early Fri morning, local time, as Russian troops moved in on Kyiv, praising the bravery of Ukrainian soldiers and civilian fighters and condemning "the world's most powerful forces" for "watching from afar."

"End the enemy wherever y'all run across it," he said. "The fate of Ukraine depends only on Ukrainians. No 1 simply ourselves volition command our lives. We are on our land. The truth is on our side. It will not be possible to destroy our graphic symbol."

Jake Epstein contributed reporting.

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