Every day since February 24th, soldiers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, territorial defense units, and civilians have been desperately resisting the Russian occupiers. Thousands of people are queuing up to get weapons so they will be able to protect their hometowns. The ranks of volunteers are being replenished daily as Ukrainians return from abroad. More than 170,000 men have come back home during the seventeen days of the war.
In order to strengthen the army, the Ukrainian President has announced the formation of the International Legion of Territorial Defense, which can be joined by foreigners with military and peacekeeping experience. More can be found on the Legion’s official site: https://fightforua.org/. As of March 6th, more than 20,000 people from 52 countries have volunteered to join the Ukrainian army.
Irakli Okruashvili
Despite Tbilisi’s controversial stance, Georgian volunteers, who are familiar with the ‘Russian world/peace’ firsthand, arrived in Ukraine on March 2nd to fight against the aggressor. Irakli Okruashvili, former Defense Minister of Georgia, has arrived along with the other volunteers to help defend Ukraine. At the same time, approximately 400 Swedes have enlisted in the Ukrainian army. Along with the military from the United States, Great Britain, Lithuania, Mexico, and India, they were the first among the world-wide defenders of Kyiv.
The International Legion has also been reinforced by 3,000 American volunteers. Meanwhile, British marines have already poured into Ukraine’s military ranks, along with Polish soldiers, helping to destroy the Russian occupiers.
Previously, 70 Japanese who used to serve in the Self-Defense Forces (Japan’s state armed forces) have appealed to the Ukrainian Embassy in Japan, stating their desire to defend Ukraine.
Despite Belarusian troops’ concentration on the Ukrainian border, the vast majority of soldiers don’t want to go to war, as indicated by an anonymous poll conducted among the Armed Forces of Belarus that was published on March 8th. On the other side of the border, Belarusians are enlisting in the territorial defense units; some are helping to protect Kyiv.
Along with Ukrainians, the volunteers from Scotland, Brazil, Portugal, and Canada; the soldiers from the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria and the Netherlands; the special forces from South Korea, Israel, Italy, Belgium, and France; and people from Denmark, Latvia, Laos, Lithuania, Indonesia, Morocco, Germany, Syria, and Finland — all of them help to fight against the Russian occupiers.
Photo: United Hatzalah
A team of Israeli doctors on the Ukraine-Moldova border provides medical care to the refugees.
The whole world unites against the single enemy.
