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Fighters who have been fighting since February 24, or since 2014 will need to be replaced, so there must be a reserve. Those who are not well adapted to it will have to fight as well. Therefore, we need to be more efficient at all levels. And for this, we need to train ourselves. What skills we need today in a war with an aggressor – explained by a military officer of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Yevhenia Zakrevska.

I noticed that many acquaintances who do not fight, especially men, seem to apologize for something when communicating. Or, they even avoid communication. In the background, there is always some tacit, and sometimes already spoken guilt. Friends, this is a little crazy, fairly. And this is counterproductive. I know it for sure because I’ve had it since 2014. But here is also superimposed «even you, girl, are at the front, when I/we/they...» And this is even more maddening. Well, this is the most primitive and stupid cliché that it’s natural for men to go to war. Only for them, or to them in the first place. That the war is their place.

War is fundamentally unnatural. It’s not a place for anyone. And men aren’t more adapted to it. That is, not all are adapted. And not all are effective. The same refers to women. People are different, and everyone’s training is different. Both physical and mental. And this is not determined by the article. This is determined by previous experience, physical condition, genetics, psychological characteristics, previous work, hobbies, education, worldview, and many other things.

I’m absolutely convinced that:

Not everyone should fight. Not all men should fight. Not all men should fight in front of women, let alone instead of women.

This is ineffective, it’s wrong. This is not the criterion by which to choose. This is a primitive simplification that leads to inefficient use of human resources. The most scarce resource in this war…

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Actually, please, stop biting yourself, breathe out and do what you can do well. What you do.

But. Since the human resource is really scarce, unfortunately, we will run out of it. Cargo 200 and 300, the soldiers who are simply exhausted physically and mentally and have been fighting since February 24 (and even earlier – since 2014) will need to be replaced. There must be a reserve. I’m afraid that even those who aren’t well adapted to it will have to fight. Not very suitable. Not quite ready. Both women and men. Because there are far fewer of us. And you can’t do anything about it. In addition to how to become much more effective, at all levels. Including the individual level.

Therefore, you will have to prepare. You still have time.

And I advise you to spend it on:

1) Physical training: in war, you will have to walk in armor, run (run across), run with acceleration in full equipment with weapons or crawl in similar equipment, dig a trench – quickly, from your knees, or lying down, be in an uncomfortable position for a long time, to pull out a wounded comrade, quickly fall to the ground and just as quickly get up and run. This is physically difficult. But it’s important for survival – yours and the unit’s. We need to increase this resource.

Practice and improve your fitness. Add + 100 to stamina and strength. And, maybe, to speed. Just don’t run in armor now, because it’s bad for your back. Just run, increase the distance, add 100-meter acceleration, swing your legs (climb the stairs), buttocks, back – that is, the entire muscle corset. Just train somehow.

2) Tactical medicine. No comments. Just must have.

3) Individual combat skills. Handling weapons and minesweepers, minimal tactics. It isn’t difficult. It’s not scary. It’s even interesting. And these are just the skills needed to survive in the conditions of war, which should be mastered before it burns.

4) Local orientation. Maps, compass, azimuths, landmarks, how to go/drive into that forest and return exactly the same way (and remember it from the first time), where they are shooting from/ where they saw movement/ how to tie it to landmarks and explain it to another person with words? How to bind yourself to the map? And what about that landing that can be seen in the distance? How to do it with gadgets? How on the offline map?

5) Learn how to use various military equipment. Volunteers, you deliver a lot of useful things to the front. At least learn to use all this. It will be very helpful. Rangefinders, binoculars with a grid, thermal imagers, night-vision devices, tablets, walkie-talkies, video surveillance systems, etc.

6) Learn to use household items and systems at a new level. Imagine that you are Robinson Crusoe and you are given an empty school, a dilapidated house, a place under a trench, and you need to settle there and live. What do you need for this? Where to get it? How to arrange life where there is no light, water, sewage? How to heal a house from a generator? How to repair this generator? How to use a gas cylinder? How to make a shower? How to start a washing machine without central electricity? How to make Wi-Fi?

7) Learn to drive if you don’t already know how. Including the mechanics and all the right-hand vehicles the volunteers drive to the front.

8) Learn how to operate a drone. Go through pilot school, immerse yourself in this community. Surprisingly, this is a scarce resource on the front. And extremely valuable.

9) Find and improve your superpower. How can your job, hobby, or once-forgotten education help in the war? Think, take care to make this knowledge and skills not theoretical, but practical.

10) Be ready to learn further. War is constant training in a very short time frame.

That is, not everyone has to fight. And that’s normal. It’s not shameful. It is effective.

But. Everyone should prepare to fight. Unfortunately, yes.

This way, you will increase your chances of survival and our chances of victory.

And war is a game of probabilities. Whoever wins it, will reach the victory ultimately. We’ll win. And the victory will be ours.

By Yevhenia Zakrevska, translated by Vitalii Holich

The author’s column is a reflection of the author’s subjective position. The editors of «Tvoe Misto» do not always share the opinions expressed in the columns, and are ready to give those who disagree the opportunity for a reasoned answer.

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