Ukrainian reservist Mariana Jaglo, 52, takes her rifle out of a khaki case in the dining room of her house in Kiev and assures that she will not hesitate to defend her country in case of russian invasion.
“We will not wait for them sitting down. We are ready to give them the welcome they deserve,” coldly warns this marketing employee, who enlisted in a reservist corps two years ago.
“I am not alone. There are many like me in Ukraine. No man will do what a woman can do to defend her family, her children. She is a fearsome force,” says the mother of two adult daughters and a 12-year-old boy. years.
In 2021, he paid “2,000 or 3,000 dollars” – a sum considered a fortune in one of the poorest countries in the world. Europe– for a Ukrainian Zroyar Z-15 model hunting rifle and the necessary material to adapt it to combat.
“With a mechanical and telescopic sight, mounts and sound reducer,” proudly lists the woman, who also followed elite marksmanship training.
Your weapon, according to the legislation, cannot fire in bursts.
Ukraine, a former Soviet republic of 40 million people, is the scene of a conflict between the authorities and Russian-backed separatists in the east. The war began in 2014 with the annexation of the Crimean peninsula by Russiaand has left more than 13,000 dead.
In recent months, tension has increased and Western countries accuse Putin of having concentrated some 100,000 soldiers near the border with Ukraine, preparing an invasion, and threaten Moscow with harsh sanctions if it takes action. while delivering weapons to Kiev.
Do not panic”
Some media evoke the risk of Russian air strikes against the Ukrainian capital and more than 48% of Ukrainians consider a Russian invasion possible, according to a survey published this week.
The panic is not visible in the country, but many prepare emergency bags and store essential products or sign up for survival or first aid training.
Jaglo prepared his military backpack with his uniform, helmet, bulletproof vest, gloves and knee pads.
Along with other reservists, this short-haired brunette regularly trains to shoot, patrol or set up ambushes.
Many countries give us weapons, they send us specialists who instruct our military in the use of weapons, that also has an effect
“If there had been no war, I would never have thought about these military issues,” explains the Ukrainian.
Journalist Oleksandre Majov, also a reservist, had to leave eastern Ukraine after the conflict with separatists broke out. Today, his military backpack is also ready.
“The evacuation, I’m not going to experience it again. It’s a bag to go fight,” says the 35-year-old war correspondent. “I have a plan and I’m ready,” he adds.
Jaglo does not have a concrete plan for his family or where to send his children if the situation deteriorates. “Of course I worry about him,” he confesses, hoping the war can be averted.
“Many countries give us weapons, they send us specialists who instruct our military in the use of weapons, that also has an effect,” estimates Jaglo.
For her, the current crisis is due to the “imperialist” ambitions of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“I have no problem with the Russians as a people, just as I have no problem with the French, the Germans or the Chinese,” says the reservist. But if the worst comes to the worst, he will not falter. “I don’t want to kill people, but to defend my home,” she sums up.
ANIA TSOUKANOVA
AFP
KIEV-UKRAINE
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