Medyka, Poland. With a goat-horn rifle in his hands, Alexei walks somewhere in Ukraine. He wears tactical gear and his stride is determined, claiming to be ready for combat at any moment.
His military equipment includes everything necessary for war, including a bulletproof vest in which he carries the magazines for his automatic rifle and grenades.
Alexei is one of the thousands of Ukrainians participating in the resistance militias facing the Russian invasion. He stayed with his eldest son, 20 years old. Both are determined to give their lives if necessary.
His story is told by his wife, Janna, who proudly displays a photo on her cell phone of Alexei wearing a military uniform and holding an AK-47.
Alexei, his wife claims, participated in the Ukrainian resistance in 2014, when Crimea was annexed by Russia. " These days he's been defending Mariupol. He and my son will give their last breath to defend the country
."
Located on the shores of the Sea of Azov, this port city is increasingly under attack from the Russian military. Tensions rose after the Ukrainian military was given a deadline until Monday morning (Eastern European Time) to surrender control. Various sources have indicated that Mariupol has also become a site of dozens of reported disappearances.
In the vehicle zone at this point on the Polish-Ukrainian border, Janna was hoping to re-enter Ukraine yesterday—she escaped a few days ago—to bring food and other support to civilians and the resistance.
Before passing through the gate, she agrees to speak with this newspaper's envoys in exchange for not revealing her last name. Lucía is worried and fearful of the Russian threat, although certain that her compatriots will do everything to prevent the fall.
" My husband and son stayed behind to fight, defending the country, especially our city. Things are very difficult in Ukraine right now; there's no city or town where people feel safe. I have family members who have been displaced up to four times from one place to another due to missile attacks, which force them into hiding
."
In this region of Eastern Europe, La Jornada managed to contact another Ukrainian enlisted in the squadrons made up of civilians.
Vadim Vasylkiv has dug in with several neighbors to join the defense of his recently bombed town, Vasilkov, 38 kilometers south of kyiv. It is a strategic point for a possible Russian takeover of the capital.
He agrees to answer some questions from this newspaper. He isn't afraid to make his name public. He says he's proud to be part of the struggle, where men and women have lost their fear of danger. " Little by little, we're getting used to war. We're no longer as afraid of dying as we were at the beginning
."
