NATIONAL RESISTANCE: NEXT STAGE OF DEFENCE ENHANCEMENT
The Russian aggression against Ukraine has continued for almost 8 years. In 2014 Russia perfidiously attacked us violating all existing treaties when we were not prepared. First of all — psychologically. But Ukraine resisted and withstood. Ukrainians resisted and withstood. Since that we have become much stronger.
Morale of our warriors is high. The Armed Forces are ready to fight back and we are equipped for that.
We are evaluating the risks soberly.
Threatening Ukraine, the Kremlin is attacking the whole civilized world. Escalating ostentatiously, Moscow attempted to shatter the unity of the West. However, this bluff did not succeed.
We are receiving unprecedented support from our partners and will receive more. I cannot explain all our actions publicly. We have agreed with our partners to work without unnecessary announcements and publicize the results. And we are steadily moving forward.
The Kremlin is attempting to destabilize Ukraine using hybrid warfare, including panic. We must not succumb.
Confidence in our own country, in its Armed Forces is as effective as a Javelin, NLAW or Stinger.
Today we are not only thinking of tactical steps but also of development. The best way to protect Ukraine from further military escalation on the part of the Russian Federation is to set conditions under which the aggressor will suffer unacceptable losses and will not be able to attain its goal. And the aggressor’s goal is to put an end to independent Ukraine.
International support, for which I am sincerely grateful, helps to deter the enemy. But we have to recognize that it is our own responsibility to defend Ukraine and we will have to do it first and foremost ourselves. We have to develop our own capabilities, relying on ourselves.
Realistically assessing the correlation of military capacities of the Russian and Ukrainian armies, we believe that our task is to provide asymmetric responses where the balance is not in our favour.
To achieve that, not only must our army and other security structure units fight but so must the whole Ukrainian nation. Prepared, armed, united. This is what we have to put up against Russian efforts to cause panic, mistrust and dismay. Then the aggressor will have no chances. They will not even think of embarking on escapades.
This approach has been set as a basis for the philosophy of “comprehensive defence” in the Strategy of Military Security of Ukraine.
The system of the national resistance is the instrument which will allow us to involve the will, energy and courage of the whole Ukrainian society to fight the aggressor. Here I speak of a true strategic advantage.
On July 16, 2021 the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (Parliament) of the current convocation adopted the Law On the Essentials of National Resistance. It took effect on January 1, 2022. Thus, it has been in force for a little more than three weeks.
For its practical implementation, the Cabinet of Ministers has adopted 15 by-laws. The normative basis has been formed. Now we can act. I would like to advise of the logics of our actions, current situation and plant for imminent future.
What are we working on and how are we doing it?
The President of Ukraine as the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine via the Minister of Defence is in charge of the national resistance.
In accordance with the Law, the national resistance has three components:
- Resistance movement
- Territorial Defence
- System for training citizens for national resistance
The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces via the Commander of the Special Operations Forces and the Commander of the Territorial Defence Forces is in charge of the resistance movement and the territorial defence.
To create a resistance movement is a direct task of the Special Operations Forces. And I will not speak of it here. I would only note that the process is ongoing.
The Law has provided for the increase of the Special Operations Forces by 1,000 persons who will take care of setting up the resistance movement and forming appropriate structures.
Regarding citizens’ training. The Cabinet of Ministers via appropriate agencies of central executive power is in charge of Ukrainian citizens training for national resistance.
We have united efforts with our colleagues from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Education and Science, Ministry of Veteran Affairs in order to identify needs, algorithms of actions and to propose to our colleagues from the Cabinet of Ministers a draft Act with a road map which will regulate and start this work. Here we speak of setting up a system of general military training practically for the whole population of Ukraine.
Currently our efforts are focused on establishing a system of Territorial Defence.
What will Territorial Defence look like and what will it do?
Large-scale involvement and the capability to deploy rapidly on a certain territory to fulfill certain tasks are the major advantages of the Territorial Defence (TD).
The Law defines several tasks for TD but the mission is very simple — not to allow a disaster to come into our houses.
TD organization is a task for military which they perform jointly with civil authorities, local self-governance bodies and citizens.
The Territorial Defence Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine constitute the basis of the TD. The Territorial Defence Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are a separate branch of the military, which together with the Ukrainian Air Assault Forces and the Special Operations Forces are subordinated to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The Commander of the Territorial Defence Forces — Brigadier General Yurit Galushkin, an active service officer, participant of the Donetsk airport defence operation — was appointed to the position on January 1 by the first Decree of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy in 2022. At that moment unfolding of the TD Forces started.
The backbone of the Territorial Defence Forces is constituted by 25 brigades (one in each Oblast and in the City of Kyiv) uniting over 150 battalions (one per district). The Law permits us to establish separate brigades in cities with a population of over 900,000 people, that is in Kharkiv, Dnipro and Odesa. Additional units can operate in regions with a population of over 2,4 million people. These are Dnipropetrovsk, Lviv, Kharkiv Oblasts and the City of Kyiv.
The Territorial Defence Forces consist of several components.
The first one is Peacetime Personnel, 10,000 people. These are professional contract servicemen. They form an organizational and commanding nucleus of battalions and brigades. On the average during peaceful times there has to be about 50 professional servicemen in a battalion and 90–120 — in a brigade.
The second component — Special Period Personnel — up to 130,000 people. These are civilians who will undergo a selection process and conclude a contract to serve in the Territorial Defence Forces. There will be 600 of them in a battalion. They will be under the military offices command. The State will provide weapons to them and ensure military training and coordination.
The third component — Voluntary Units of Territorial Communities. They can be formed upon the initiative of the Territorial Defence Forces Commander after approval by the Commander-in-Chief.
Voluntary units can be formed in smaller settlements to perform auxiliary tasks — protection, observation etc.
To a very great extent, Territorial Defence is a means to prevent external aggression. The enemy will know that they do not have an advantage of unexpected incursion. That in the case of crossing the border the ground will literally burn under their feet. They will not be able to cross a single bridge unimpeded, they will be met at every crossroad. It will allow the Ukrainian Army main forces to step in.
Another task, not less important, is to keep order and security on the flanks and in the rear and to control all communications. This will allow the Ukrainian Army to concentrate on its priorities.
When hundreds of civilians are prepared, know their movements near their own homes and are able to move to their positions within hours — it will take defence to a new level.
DEPLOYMENT
As we have three components of the Territorial Defence Forces, there are three stages of deployment as well.
Currently the deployment of Peacetime Personnel is taking place.
After units reach their capabilities according to the peacetime personnel structure (70% of personnel is deployed), reserve for special periods will be gathered, contracts will be concluded. It should be noted that reserves OP1 and OP2 for Armed Forces (e.g. Land Forces, Assault Forces) are being formed. The TD structure will have its own reserve.
After the reserve units are formed, the question of voluntary units will be considered.
Currently, Territorial Defence brigades in all border regions have 70% of their capabilities and the rest will achieve the level in 2 or 3 weeks. That is to say, within a month a commanding structure of TD will be completed in the whole country while in the border regions reserve units’ formation will be under way.
TD units are formed in accordance with administrative-territorial principle.
As it has been mentioned, a Brigade will operate in an Oblast and a
Battalion in a District. The Law establishes the following structure: Oblasts and the city of Kyiv constitute “Zones of Territorial Defence” and Oblasts Districts or cities are “Territorial Defence Districts.”
Heads of Oblast and District State Administrations are Heads of Zones and Districts of TD, responsible for the situation on their territories. TD Staff is established on each territory. Brigade Commander or Battalion Commander become Chief of Staff respectively, each responsible for preparation, training and TD forces operations.
Ukraine is divided into 4 military land zones: North, East, West and South. In the imminent future the Ministry of Defence will organize trainings for each of the military land zones, where leaders of local governments and self-government bodies will participate.
The highest priority now is to organize deployment for over 150 military units.
Communications, secure areas, premises for weapons — these have to be taken care of.
The Ministry of Defence has sent appropriate letters to the local governments about TD in regions and needs for the TD forces deployment.
We are working to build partnership relations with the local governments and self-governance as the TD means coordination between the army and communities. I would like to extend my thanks to these colleagues who are already supporting the work.
What should citizens do?
First of all, I am asking to evaluate the situation realistically. The deployment of national resistance system, and in particular territorial defence, is being done 24 hours a day. But there will definitely be some flaws. For example, we have enough weapons and ammo, but some premises which are not ready. We will make them ready.
Some staff at call-up centres are not clear with the action plan. We will train them quickly. We are currently working on simplification of procedures, and making them digital as much as possible so there will no requirements for additional paperwork.
I would like to apologies in advance for some flaws. I would like to ask understand it and treat them not as problems but rather as tasks. Secondly, I am appealing to citizens to evaluate in what manner they can be involved in defence of their country. As I mentioned, there are reserves of combat units of Ukrainian Armed Forces. Creating reserves of the Territorial Defence, we have to bring up the numbers and increase the quality of the reserves of other components of the Armed Forces.
In the nearest future we will start systematically informing those citizens who want to join Territorial Defence Forces or other reserves on how to do that.
I am grateful to all who make their contribution to strengthening the defence of the state. Every practical step decreases the possibilities of escalation in so far as it raises the stakes for the enemy.
And the time is coming for the return of Crimea and Donetsk and Luhansk. It doesn’t matter what anyone else says.
