A mother of three in Ukraine bought an automatic rifle, helmet and camouflage uniform in case the situation in Russia and Ukraine further deteriorates and can defend herself in the chaos.
(Mariana Zhaglo)
Mariana Zhaglo is 52 years old and is a marketing researcher staff member and a member of the Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces (TDF). The TDF unit she is in is an volunteer army of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
After listening to some soldiers discussing the best rifle, she spent $1,300 to buy the gun. She bought the Zbroyar Z-15 carbines, which were originally designed for hunting, but Mariana did not buy it to hunt deer.
She said in an interview: "As a mother, I don't want my children to inherit the historical legacy of Ukraine." She said that if that time really came, she would fight for Kiev to protect the city.
Maryanna believes that if war really starts, Kiev will become a major target of hit. Kiev is also known as the "Mother of Russia's City". In the book "The Story of the Past", Kiev is an important city in ancient Russia. But people in Ukraine are resistant to this statement.
(Security assistance provided by the United States to Ukraine)
In addition to rifles, she also has a silencer, a tripod and a scope. She also bought a helmet, snow camouflage clothing, body armor, , ammunition bags, boots and extra uniforms from the British army, spending a total of $1,000.
It's not enough to have guns, and Mariana also took a two-week sniper training course. At home, a large amount of stockpiles were also stockpiled, including food and ammunition.
Just as Russia's troops were dispatched, the panic atmosphere spread. Many citizens like Mariana joined the Ukrainian TDF troops and received military training. Just last year, when tensions continued to escalate, TDF began to allow ordinary citizens to join and began to provide training for newcomers.
In December last year, a survey by the Kiev Institute of International Sociology showed that if Russia and Ukraine really reached the point of going to war, 58% of men and nearly 13% of women were ready to pick up weapons and participate in the war. But so far, Russia has denied that it will take military action against its neighboring Ukraine. Recently, Britain and the United States have begun to evacuate non-essential staff members of the embassy and their families of diplomats. Yesterday, the United States confirmed that 8,500 soldiers were ready to be deployed to Eastern Europe.
Jiupai News Intern Reporter Yuan Jiabei
