This The excitement of a few days ago is gone, today is pure faith. Numbers and words say so, especially their faces. Many now hide their eyes between turnstiles and unloaded rifles.The Russians are not afraid, although there are rumors in Odessa that Several attacked after going to civilian training center. They say the fault lies with the “boycotters” who scour the same media for photos that cover up attacks on teachers so as not to instill fear in the population.
Citizen three weeks ago wake up in the bombing of ukraine And their lives have been completely changed. They are lawyers, teachers, mechanics… they are not part of the military or territorial defense (military volunteers) in the area. However, they decided to learn first aid and the handling of large-caliber weapons in case of guerrilla warfare from house to house.
“I don’t want to see an intruder here. Nor run away. i want to stay in my house‘, Natalia said in the corridor of the Polytechnic University Odessa. As a staff member at the institution’s cultural center, she protects a nine-year-old son. For the first few days, he took him to his sister’s house near the Belarusian border. Horrified by an attack that has killed thousands, the boy’s aunt fled to Europe, where they returned to the “capital of the south”.
In the corridor on the second floor, two soldiers teach basic postures with weapons.
“I was so confident in our preparation and victory, I never thought of running away,” she lamented Wear a bulletproof vest before picking up a rifle he doesn’t know how to use.
“If the Russians come, will you fight?”
– You watch me train, right? – He replied with a smile, squinting at the coach.
Soldier and ski mask
The formation starts at nine in the morning and lasts until five in the afternoon.These are the days that the same group is divided Rotate between different sites in groups of ten. From disassembling rifles to combat-focused first aid classes.
The presence of journalists and rumors of an attack on the street thinned the atmosphere. The entrance to the building was blocked by a metal bar, a makeshift guard checked new admissions, and a secretary was in charge of registering passports and certifications in worn notebooks. It does not look like a university, although before the war it was a military academy for students of different grades. Most are in their forties now.
Teaching how to use a rifle from the ground, the instructor requires a balaclava to be worn for safety.
Oleg, 24, is one of the exceptions. Also because of being part of a territorial faction, but he offers a quick explanation: “My commander asked me to travel to Kyiv. I’m a mechanic and I’ve never fired a gun. My job is to repair motorcycles”, he admitted that he showed great skill when using Kalashnikov submachine guns. His future is far from Odessa, exactly 422 kilometers. Further away is his family, Safe at last in Europe. You may never see them again.
don’t panic
To avoid this, there are people like Vadym and Inés. As the first cardiologist, he taught “Combat Medicine” classes 3 times a week. He goes to the hospital in the morning, and every two afternoons he goes to the sports venues on this campus, where he spends three hours explaining the most basic safety elements.
“Vital Learn how to stop bleeding, make a tourniquet, or perform CPR (CPR), but most importantly, when the time comes, they remember something and don’t panic,” he admitted.
Image of a first aid course designed for combat.
One of the courses was attended by a 38-year-old lawyer, Dimitri, who had no military experience unless, out of obligation, he ruled out taking up arms. Its purpose is to save lives when the time comes. He smiled, he had already started with his wife and children. They have been in Moldova for a few days.
Ines corrects him in first aid class. Failure to tighten the rubber around the legs can cost your life. Ukrainians, veterinarians and patriots, are responsible for reviewing the most basic elements of survival, in that order. She decided not to run away, staying with her family in a town that had been preparing for weeks of resistance: “We’re old and inexperienced, but I have no doubt we’ll win”.