POSTIMEES IN UKRAINE: Soldiers defend Kyiv next to its residents

Ukrainian volunteer territorial defense fighters in their positions. The fighter in the foreground comes from the same quarter and has been defending the home since the first day of the war. Photo: Jaanus Piirsalu

The commander of the Ukrainian infantry company on positions in the outskirts of North Kyiv was full of fighting spirit yesterday: “I am totally confident of my men. Even if the Russians reach here, they will either die or become prisoners of war.”

The 28-year-old lieutenant added: “I am as confident that every defense line before us and next to us will hold and defend its positions until the last man.”

Eyes glowing with determination

His company with a small airborne unit and territorial defense members held the line at the edge of a large residential area of Kyiv. Directly behind them were new 14-floor apartment blocks, some of them still without residents. Others are already occupied, but many inhabitants have not yet left anywhere although the war threatens to reach their very doorstep.

On the contrary, the local residents are passionate about defending their home city. A few days ago they were actively helping to dig trenches and foxholes, but now they are bringing tons of food to the solders they call “our heroes”. Pots with hot soup and steak are everywhere. The soldiers laughed that they cannot eat it all and tried to force their army field rations on us. They must have heard about the long lines in the city center grocery stores.

Some residents of the apartment houses stood here next to the professional soldiers as members of the territorial defense unit only a hundred meters away from their home. There was no point asking about their motivation. It was glowing in their eyes and could be seen far away. It was strong enough to blind the enemy attacking in the dark. “This is our strongest front,” the company commander recognized their zeal

Next defense line was ten kilometers away from that unit and the actual frontline, according to the lieutenant, was a further 30–40 kilometers away as of yesterday afternoon.

“They wanted to take Kyiv in two or three days but failed,” said the lieutenant, who had joined active service at the age of 20 immediately before the war in Donbas. He had repeatedly gathered valuable experience in Donbas. “We had eight years to learn to wage war. I can assure that we have learned it very well,” he said.

As for the attacking Russian army, the company commander said that their best troops had been in the first assault waves and many of them had been killed. And that wave failed. “Now they are sending less experienced units, Instead of attacking us they should think about how to get back to Moscow alive. Their ranks became ragged after the first failure,” the young officer said confidently.

When asked whether he believes that the Russian army could launch rocket and artillery attacks against the residential districts of Kyiv like they had already done in Kharkiv, the company commander answered tersely: “Could be.”

Ivan, the commander of the airborne troops supporting the infantry, said that all his unit members are experienced men with combat record. He was as determined as the lieutenant: “If they should reach here, they will die here.”

Civic initiative comes to help

The airborne troops had marked their presence clearly to let the Russian know it from afar. A bunker of huge concrete blocks had been built in the crossroads they were guarding with large orange lettering “Airborne (abbreviated). Always first. Death to Russian Fascists.” RPG grenade launchers and petrol bombs had been lined up in the bunker.

Ivan told us how a Russian sabotage team had been caught in their district. “One of our ambulances drove by. We stopped it. They told us that they were responding to a call. But the men were all in white gowns. They did not know that our medics wear blue gowns.”

The Ukrainian unit, which Postimees visited with its German colleagues, had taken good care to disguise its equipment. Ivan allowed us to take a look around and asked how many infantry fighting vehicles we could find. It took us five minutes to locate two. “Let us say that you missed most of them and you are supposed to be very observant people! We must have done a good job,” the paratrooper laughed.

Kyiv with an official population of three million people is currently full of obstacles meant to slow down the Russians’ advance if they should manage to enter the city after all. Concrete blocks, buses, trolleybuses and trams, as well as large X-shaped anti-tank obstacles welded of steel – one can see them after every 500 meters. They have not been set up in the very center of the city near the Maidan, but already begin a kilometer from the center. Most of the bridges across the River Dniepr have been closed as well.

Territorial defense volunteers said in a checkpoint about the X-shaped obstacles that these were brought by a businessman who had his workers manufacture them in his enterprise. They ordered a large truck, loaded them up and brought to the location. It was all their civic initiative.