The cruelty of war was recently captured in a picture where four 18-year-old Ukrainian boys were seen armed and ready to fight for Kyiv. The fact that the inexperienced teenagers, who only had three days of training, had volunteered to fight against the Russian forces left netizens horror-struck.
The haunting picture was reportedly captured by BBC’s Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen. In this, the teens were seen donning several layers of clothing along with backpacks, kneepads, and holding sleeping bags while standing in a suburban street. The boys were also wearing fluorescent yellow bands on their arms while carrying a large firearm, reports HuffPost.
18 year old Ukrainian volunteers off to war in Kyiv. Three days training and they will be on the front line. pic.twitter.com/xWudDwhpXS
— Jeremy Bowen (@BowenBBC) March 4, 2022
None of them were smiling in the photo and they even looked a bit scared due to the ongoing conflict. “18-year-old Ukrainian volunteers off to war in Kyiv. Three days of training and they will be on the front line,” Bowen wrote as others highlighted the brutality of it. “War is brutal. It shows you sadness and despair that stays with you forever, no matter how good life might get in the future,” noted Mikey Kay.
“If they are extremely lucky, they’ll walk away with their limbs intact. But mentally, they are likely to be haunted. I do admire them. It’s an unnecessary fight for national survival. The alternative isn’t any better – living under Putin. But the following days, weeks, and months will rely on a lot of luck and organic judgment. 3 days of training gives them next to nothing,” he added.
Children. https://t.co/5pd7sqCb4G
— Yvonne Redmond (@yvonneredmond) March 4, 2022
“While just a few hours away from Kyiv, in London, Paris, Madrid, Berlin, and other major European capitals, we in the West go about our days pretty much as normal, these young lads will be embarking on a journey with low odds of survival. When people talk of winning in this conflict. No one wins in war. The physical and mental aftermath of what a soldier or fighter sees isn’t a win, it’s a resounding loss. Everyone loses. And the metrics that define the outcomes, IMHO, is who loses the least,” he concluded.
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“Three years younger than my youngest son. Can’t even imagine it. Just kids,” noted Piers Morgan. The courage and strength of Ukrainians to resist the enemy forces have shocked everyone, including the Russian army who allegedly expected the takeover to be smooth. As the attacks on Ukraine continue, Nato is unlikely to send in troops to defend them as Ukraine is not currently part of the alliance. They can only attack if Russia sets foot on land that belongs to a Nato member.
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Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a developing story, and we’ll update as we learn more. Information is swiftly changing and Newsner is committed to providing the most recent and verified updates in our articles and reportage. However, considering the frequency in developments, some of the information/data in this article may have changed since the time of publication.
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Cover image source: Twitter | Jeremy Bowen
