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As efforts continue to defuse tensions between Moscow and Kiev, Ukrainian residents living along the border are planning what they will do if Russia invades Ukraine.
Voice of America correspondent Olena Adamenko spoke with residents of the Sumy region of northeastern Ukraine about the preparations they are making.
Yulia VitkOvska, 40, is a nurse and reservist with the Territorial Defense Forces in northeastern Ukraine. In an interview with VOA, she says she is preparing for war.
“We are about 50 kilometers from the border with Russia. A complete rocket attack mounted on the BM-21 Grad truck and the town of Sumy is reduced to rubble. In such a situation we can not wait for someone to come and save us. I’m making plans to leave my family in case of war. My elderly mother is ill and I have a son at school. I will make sure they leave but I will stay, I do not want to leave my house for anyone else to live here. “
Activist Andriy Bukin says she is not alone.
“Two thirds of my friends, no more, will defend our Sumy region and city, involved in official or voluntary organizations. “If Russian troops appear, as in Crimea in 2014, the issue would be acute.”
The team of VOA reporters stopped in the town of Kostyantynivka – one of about 30 towns forming the Sumy region near the Russian border.
“On the other hand, you can see Russia. “The gardens with vegetables of the inhabitants extend to the border”.
Mykola ToriAnyk is the chairman of the Khotyn United Territorial Community, which includes 10 villages. So far, he says, there has not been much movement.
“Sometimes we see small planes, maybe border forces. There are times when we see our planes and the Russian ones. “But the situation has been calm.”
Yet people have anxiety.
“People are not leaving, and the tension is palpable. Residents once talked about fuel, rising food prices, politics. But today, when people meet in a store or anywhere else, they ask, ‘Have you heard anything? Will there be a war or not? ‘ ”
Local officials say there are rumors of an increase in the number of military forces in the Sumy region. VOA spoke with the representative of the State Administration of the Sumy Region, Dmytro Zhyvytskyi.
“We are discussing with the Mini Defense String to deploy one or two more brigades here. “During February, the Territorial Defense Forces will conduct full military maneuvers.”
But reservist Julia Vitkovska says they are not prepared enough.
“I do not see the right reaction from the responsible structures in such a difficult time. It is impossible to learn with one or two exercises! ”
Reservist Vitkovska says that together with some of her friends she is planning to start civil protection courses, while preparations for an uncertain future continue./VOA
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