Territorial defense in Ukrainian: myth or reality?
Despite the fact that the military conflict in the Donbas has lasted for more than a year, Ukraine is only now beginning to “build up muscles”. We are talking about the creation of territorial defense units (SRW).
Does the state need territorial defense, in what form does this model operate in European states and for what reasons do Ukrainian men, in particular, participants of an anti-terrorist operation, not hurry to sign contracts for military service? All these questions require answers.
First of all, it should be noted that as recently as a month ago, the Ukrainian parliament was considering a draft law on the reorganization of Ukrainian military registration and enlistment offices and renaming them into “territorial centers of recruitment and social support”. But this bill did not get the required number of votes. The situation could not even be corrected by numerous consultations during an unplanned break. And, according to experts, the failure to adopt this law may well lead to the impossibility of improving the model of territorial defense tied directly to the commissariats.
The beginning of 2019 was marked by the adoption of certain organizational decisions aimed at the transition to the brigade structure of the territorial defense model. The command of the Ground Forces of Ukraine, thus, carried out a number of organizational measures, which provide for the organization in each administrative-territorial unit of the Ukrainian state of territorial defense units (brigades) as structural components of the Ukrainian army.
According to the representative of the Ground Forces Command of the Ukrainian Army and Terror Defense, Andrei Bevzyuk, it is through the organization of territorial defense units, the attraction and training of patriotically motivated people that one can hope for organizing security and guaranteeing a peaceful life in Ukraine, and also significantly improve the country's defense capability.
It is assumed that the reservists of the second stage will be called up to the brigades. For the purpose of the timely deployment of territorial defense units, it is envisaged to organize personnel departments for the management of such military units, which will be subordinate to the military commissariats of the regions or areas in which they are located.
It should be noted that in Ukraine before that time there already existed social structures that united people who were ready, if necessary, to take on weapon and protect the country. One of these organizations is the Ukrainian Legion. It was created in 2014 by several former officers. The organization was actively supported by the Gun Owners Association. After the first test sessions were conducted, the preparation of the training program and the definition of the main goals of the organization began: conducting military training for all comers and assisting the structure of the state’s territorial defense.
The initial monthly course in the “Ukrainian Legion” can be passed by all who wish, without even indicating their true name. The theory classes are held twice a week, and on weekends one lesson in practice. Such studies are akin to the school course of basic military training: since they provide general information about the Ukrainian armed forces and their functioning, the application of charters, etc.
Throughout this course, people are taught all that they may encounter in an army setting. This is the standard tactic of actions in the composition of small groups, the simplest skills of rendering medical assistance in combat conditions, handling of weapons. According to the head of the Ukrainian Legion, Aleksei Sannikov, at this stage it makes no sense to train in some serious practices taken in the US military statutes or the Israeli IDF.
At the end of the introductory course, all those who want to continue training can become a member of the organization. However, at this stage the requirements for candidates are already much more stringent. There is no question of any anonymity. Candidates are carefully checked, information about them is searched on the Internet and social networks. If the candidate doesn’t cause any doubts after the check, the person becomes a member of the Ukrainian Legion and gets the opportunity to begin more serious training: meets some of the main tasks of the territorial defense - learns how to work at roadblocks and learns the tactics of combat in the city.
The head of the organization himself underwent this training in the 2014 year, although until that time he could not even imagine that someday in his life he would have to be related to military affairs. Sannikov was behind only the university’s military department, after which he received the rank of officer. It was useful to him in the organization. Having passed the introductory course, Sannikov was appointed commander of the training unit, later he became deputy head of the Legion, and then head.
For the entire period while the organization exists, about four thousand people have been trained there. The basis of the “Legion” is made up of 300-400 people who live in Kharkiv, Lviv and Kiev, where the organization has its branches.
Since the founding of the organization, its leadership has been aware of the fact that coordinated work with the army is necessary for the most effective assistance to territorial defense. Therefore, contact was established with the Ukrainian military and it was suggested that in cooperation they should focus on Estonia, where the Kiteselite volunteer defense unit operates.
Despite the fact that this unit is a structural part of the Estonian armed forces, it is still a non-governmental organization whose cadets are trained under the guidance of army instructors, receive small arms and equipment (including body armor, off-road vehicles, helmets), and the state provides the necessary funding . Thus, the unit is able to quickly and effectively respond to threats within a few hours, as each fighter has everything they need. And the only thing that is needed is to unite in groups and begin active actions. The main task of such units is to win a certain time required to mobilize the regular army.
However, in the Ukrainian case, effective cooperation did not work out. The military did not receive direct instructions from above. When the presidential decree on the establishment of SRW was published in 2014-2015, they tried to involve the population in territorial defense units, cooperating with military commissariats, however, as it turned out, the regulatory framework and all documents were written to the military enlistment offices for peacetime, despite the actual military conflict. According to these documents, military officials and worked.
In 2014, those “legionaries” who did not go to the zone of military operations decided to join the territorial defense units at the military commissariats, which were supposed to be formed according to Soviet standards. In the event that martial law was declared in the country, these units were entrusted with the execution of minor tasks that “make life easier” for the National Guard and the regular army: providing security for the facilities and patrolling them. After receiving the documents and attempts to contact those who were on the military reserve lists, it turned out that the territorial defense, organized through the military commissariats, was paper-based, and there were almost no living people in it.
The fact is that most of the reservists were once registered with the military commissariat, but many moved, migrated, or simply died. Therefore, to determine the relevance of the database was simply impossible. And, as it turned out, such a situation can lead to very sad consequences. An example of this is Mariupol. When in the summer of 2014, in the hope of forming a defense unit, weapons were delivered, it turned out that there was no one to recruit, because after calling around all the reservists, 40 people responded, only three and a half arrived at the assembly point. That’s how, according to Sannikov, territorial defense organized on paper looks like.
In the end, most of the “legionnaires” became disillusioned when confronted with the bureaucratic system.
Today in the world there are several effective structures of the defense. In the process of developing its structure, Ukraine took the Baltic countries and Switzerland as a guide, where each person is a reservist, ready to replenish military units on the first signal.
The system of territorial defense, which began to form in Ukraine, can be analyzed on the example of the capital. For almost a year in Kiev, there is a brigade territorial defense unit, which includes the 6 battalions. Components of the unit assigned to the military commissariats. As part of the brigade, according to the list - four thousand people. If you believe the documents, the team is fully staffed, but its management understands that in reality the situation is much worse. For this reason, at the moment, the main task is to make sure that all people on the list really exist, understand the essence of defense and can arrive at the training points on the first call (once a year, one or two weeks).
Those on the lists should ideally be contracted for the backup service on 3 of the year. Then the person receives payments, and in the headquarters there is genuine information about the presence of people in the units. Such a model in the prevailing conditions is most optimal, since many who had previously been ready for territorial defense later changed their mind. And signing a contract will automatically mean that you can count on a person.
Currently, only about 5 percent of all contracts are signed. It is assumed that by the end of the year this figure will increase to 30 percent, and in the 2020 year all 100 percent should be closed. On the one hand, the work in this direction began quite recently, therefore, at first glance, there seems to be nothing surprising in the low indices. However, the main reason lies entirely in the other - people lost confidence in the military leadership. Only in Kiev live about 27 thousands of ATO participants with the right skills and sufficient combat experience. It would be logical to assume that these very people should form the basis of territorial defense and without special efforts close all 100% in the list. However, in practice, most of them have great doubts about the effectiveness of the proposed territorial defense structure and that such units will not begin to close the “holes” in the combat zone.
And for such doubts there are well-justified reasons. The fact is that in 2014, the Kiev division of the defense almost immediately after the formation was sent to the area of the ATO, although it went against the very essence of the model.
Therefore, today, the main task, as noted by Ukrainian speakers, is reduced to the need to convince Ukrainians that terrorism is honorable, and not scary, that this is a real necessity in the face of the constant threat of escalation of the conflict. But such persuasions, most likely, are not very convincing. For example, last fall, according to Colonel Sergei Klyavlin, the military commissar of Kiev, about 50% of draftees from the plan were called up for military service. A turnout of conscripts and recruits to the draft areas was very low and was only 8%. According to the Ukrainian military official, the main reason for the low turnout is the overall rather negative attitude towards the service in the Ukrainian army and the decline in patriotic sentiment.
The problem also lies in the lack of the necessary skills for personnel military to work effectively with the civilian population, so they cannot cope with the task of convincing people to join the units of defense. Yes, and the military problems themselves are more than enough. Equipment and weapons need to be constantly updated, but there is no funding. Therefore, the allocation of funds for the creation of a territorial defense system is not considered to be a primary task.
Great difficulties also arise with employers, who, fearing to lose employees for a long time, in every possible way impede the desire of people to enroll in the defense unit.
According to Sergey Klyavlin, the problem will be solved if employers are brought to administrative responsibility for creating obstacles of this kind. In any case, as long as Ukraine does not have the corresponding official law on defense, there can be no systematic work.
One of the most important issues that needs to be addressed in the SRW document is a weapon. In most countries where effective models of defense exist, fighters receive all the necessary combat equipment, including small arms. But the Ukrainian military and political leadership doubts that this is advisable in the context of Ukrainian reality, since it fears a rise in crime ...
However, even the leadership of the Ukrainian Legion is convinced that these are just excuses, since there are relatively few crimes committed with the use of legal firearms. According to Sannikov, the country's leadership simply fears to arm the population, because it has doubts about its loyal attitude.
According to military officials, they are fully prepared for a dialogue, inviting all public structures interested in creating territorial defense to take part in the development of a draft law that would enable the formation of the most effective SRW system.
Materials used:
https://focus.ua/opinions/419746-neboevoe-razvertyvanie-pochemu-ukraine-srochno-nuzhna-effektivnaya-territorialnaya-oborona.html
https://focus.ua/ukraine/419737-voenkomaty-v-ukraine-reformirovat-poka-ne-budut.html
http://argumentua.com/stati/territorialnaya-oborona-ukrainy-skoree-mif-chem-shchit
https://www.rbc.ua/rus/news/minoborony-rasskazali-formirovanii-brigad-1545401416.html
Does the state need territorial defense, in what form does this model operate in European states and for what reasons do Ukrainian men, in particular, participants of an anti-terrorist operation, not hurry to sign contracts for military service? All these questions require answers.
First of all, it should be noted that as recently as a month ago, the Ukrainian parliament was considering a draft law on the reorganization of Ukrainian military registration and enlistment offices and renaming them into “territorial centers of recruitment and social support”. But this bill did not get the required number of votes. The situation could not even be corrected by numerous consultations during an unplanned break. And, according to experts, the failure to adopt this law may well lead to the impossibility of improving the model of territorial defense tied directly to the commissariats.
The beginning of 2019 was marked by the adoption of certain organizational decisions aimed at the transition to the brigade structure of the territorial defense model. The command of the Ground Forces of Ukraine, thus, carried out a number of organizational measures, which provide for the organization in each administrative-territorial unit of the Ukrainian state of territorial defense units (brigades) as structural components of the Ukrainian army.
According to the representative of the Ground Forces Command of the Ukrainian Army and Terror Defense, Andrei Bevzyuk, it is through the organization of territorial defense units, the attraction and training of patriotically motivated people that one can hope for organizing security and guaranteeing a peaceful life in Ukraine, and also significantly improve the country's defense capability.
It is assumed that the reservists of the second stage will be called up to the brigades. For the purpose of the timely deployment of territorial defense units, it is envisaged to organize personnel departments for the management of such military units, which will be subordinate to the military commissariats of the regions or areas in which they are located.
It should be noted that in Ukraine before that time there already existed social structures that united people who were ready, if necessary, to take on weapon and protect the country. One of these organizations is the Ukrainian Legion. It was created in 2014 by several former officers. The organization was actively supported by the Gun Owners Association. After the first test sessions were conducted, the preparation of the training program and the definition of the main goals of the organization began: conducting military training for all comers and assisting the structure of the state’s territorial defense.
The initial monthly course in the “Ukrainian Legion” can be passed by all who wish, without even indicating their true name. The theory classes are held twice a week, and on weekends one lesson in practice. Such studies are akin to the school course of basic military training: since they provide general information about the Ukrainian armed forces and their functioning, the application of charters, etc.
Throughout this course, people are taught all that they may encounter in an army setting. This is the standard tactic of actions in the composition of small groups, the simplest skills of rendering medical assistance in combat conditions, handling of weapons. According to the head of the Ukrainian Legion, Aleksei Sannikov, at this stage it makes no sense to train in some serious practices taken in the US military statutes or the Israeli IDF.
At the end of the introductory course, all those who want to continue training can become a member of the organization. However, at this stage the requirements for candidates are already much more stringent. There is no question of any anonymity. Candidates are carefully checked, information about them is searched on the Internet and social networks. If the candidate doesn’t cause any doubts after the check, the person becomes a member of the Ukrainian Legion and gets the opportunity to begin more serious training: meets some of the main tasks of the territorial defense - learns how to work at roadblocks and learns the tactics of combat in the city.
The head of the organization himself underwent this training in the 2014 year, although until that time he could not even imagine that someday in his life he would have to be related to military affairs. Sannikov was behind only the university’s military department, after which he received the rank of officer. It was useful to him in the organization. Having passed the introductory course, Sannikov was appointed commander of the training unit, later he became deputy head of the Legion, and then head.
For the entire period while the organization exists, about four thousand people have been trained there. The basis of the “Legion” is made up of 300-400 people who live in Kharkiv, Lviv and Kiev, where the organization has its branches.
Since the founding of the organization, its leadership has been aware of the fact that coordinated work with the army is necessary for the most effective assistance to territorial defense. Therefore, contact was established with the Ukrainian military and it was suggested that in cooperation they should focus on Estonia, where the Kiteselite volunteer defense unit operates.
Despite the fact that this unit is a structural part of the Estonian armed forces, it is still a non-governmental organization whose cadets are trained under the guidance of army instructors, receive small arms and equipment (including body armor, off-road vehicles, helmets), and the state provides the necessary funding . Thus, the unit is able to quickly and effectively respond to threats within a few hours, as each fighter has everything they need. And the only thing that is needed is to unite in groups and begin active actions. The main task of such units is to win a certain time required to mobilize the regular army.
However, in the Ukrainian case, effective cooperation did not work out. The military did not receive direct instructions from above. When the presidential decree on the establishment of SRW was published in 2014-2015, they tried to involve the population in territorial defense units, cooperating with military commissariats, however, as it turned out, the regulatory framework and all documents were written to the military enlistment offices for peacetime, despite the actual military conflict. According to these documents, military officials and worked.
In 2014, those “legionaries” who did not go to the zone of military operations decided to join the territorial defense units at the military commissariats, which were supposed to be formed according to Soviet standards. In the event that martial law was declared in the country, these units were entrusted with the execution of minor tasks that “make life easier” for the National Guard and the regular army: providing security for the facilities and patrolling them. After receiving the documents and attempts to contact those who were on the military reserve lists, it turned out that the territorial defense, organized through the military commissariats, was paper-based, and there were almost no living people in it.
The fact is that most of the reservists were once registered with the military commissariat, but many moved, migrated, or simply died. Therefore, to determine the relevance of the database was simply impossible. And, as it turned out, such a situation can lead to very sad consequences. An example of this is Mariupol. When in the summer of 2014, in the hope of forming a defense unit, weapons were delivered, it turned out that there was no one to recruit, because after calling around all the reservists, 40 people responded, only three and a half arrived at the assembly point. That’s how, according to Sannikov, territorial defense organized on paper looks like.
In the end, most of the “legionnaires” became disillusioned when confronted with the bureaucratic system.
Today in the world there are several effective structures of the defense. In the process of developing its structure, Ukraine took the Baltic countries and Switzerland as a guide, where each person is a reservist, ready to replenish military units on the first signal.
The system of territorial defense, which began to form in Ukraine, can be analyzed on the example of the capital. For almost a year in Kiev, there is a brigade territorial defense unit, which includes the 6 battalions. Components of the unit assigned to the military commissariats. As part of the brigade, according to the list - four thousand people. If you believe the documents, the team is fully staffed, but its management understands that in reality the situation is much worse. For this reason, at the moment, the main task is to make sure that all people on the list really exist, understand the essence of defense and can arrive at the training points on the first call (once a year, one or two weeks).
Those on the lists should ideally be contracted for the backup service on 3 of the year. Then the person receives payments, and in the headquarters there is genuine information about the presence of people in the units. Such a model in the prevailing conditions is most optimal, since many who had previously been ready for territorial defense later changed their mind. And signing a contract will automatically mean that you can count on a person.
Currently, only about 5 percent of all contracts are signed. It is assumed that by the end of the year this figure will increase to 30 percent, and in the 2020 year all 100 percent should be closed. On the one hand, the work in this direction began quite recently, therefore, at first glance, there seems to be nothing surprising in the low indices. However, the main reason lies entirely in the other - people lost confidence in the military leadership. Only in Kiev live about 27 thousands of ATO participants with the right skills and sufficient combat experience. It would be logical to assume that these very people should form the basis of territorial defense and without special efforts close all 100% in the list. However, in practice, most of them have great doubts about the effectiveness of the proposed territorial defense structure and that such units will not begin to close the “holes” in the combat zone.
And for such doubts there are well-justified reasons. The fact is that in 2014, the Kiev division of the defense almost immediately after the formation was sent to the area of the ATO, although it went against the very essence of the model.
Therefore, today, the main task, as noted by Ukrainian speakers, is reduced to the need to convince Ukrainians that terrorism is honorable, and not scary, that this is a real necessity in the face of the constant threat of escalation of the conflict. But such persuasions, most likely, are not very convincing. For example, last fall, according to Colonel Sergei Klyavlin, the military commissar of Kiev, about 50% of draftees from the plan were called up for military service. A turnout of conscripts and recruits to the draft areas was very low and was only 8%. According to the Ukrainian military official, the main reason for the low turnout is the overall rather negative attitude towards the service in the Ukrainian army and the decline in patriotic sentiment.
The problem also lies in the lack of the necessary skills for personnel military to work effectively with the civilian population, so they cannot cope with the task of convincing people to join the units of defense. Yes, and the military problems themselves are more than enough. Equipment and weapons need to be constantly updated, but there is no funding. Therefore, the allocation of funds for the creation of a territorial defense system is not considered to be a primary task.
Great difficulties also arise with employers, who, fearing to lose employees for a long time, in every possible way impede the desire of people to enroll in the defense unit.
According to Sergey Klyavlin, the problem will be solved if employers are brought to administrative responsibility for creating obstacles of this kind. In any case, as long as Ukraine does not have the corresponding official law on defense, there can be no systematic work.
One of the most important issues that needs to be addressed in the SRW document is a weapon. In most countries where effective models of defense exist, fighters receive all the necessary combat equipment, including small arms. But the Ukrainian military and political leadership doubts that this is advisable in the context of Ukrainian reality, since it fears a rise in crime ...
However, even the leadership of the Ukrainian Legion is convinced that these are just excuses, since there are relatively few crimes committed with the use of legal firearms. According to Sannikov, the country's leadership simply fears to arm the population, because it has doubts about its loyal attitude.
According to military officials, they are fully prepared for a dialogue, inviting all public structures interested in creating territorial defense to take part in the development of a draft law that would enable the formation of the most effective SRW system.
Materials used:
https://focus.ua/opinions/419746-neboevoe-razvertyvanie-pochemu-ukraine-srochno-nuzhna-effektivnaya-territorialnaya-oborona.html
https://focus.ua/ukraine/419737-voenkomaty-v-ukraine-reformirovat-poka-ne-budut.html
http://argumentua.com/stati/territorialnaya-oborona-ukrainy-skoree-mif-chem-shchit
https://www.rbc.ua/rus/news/minoborony-rasskazali-formirovanii-brigad-1545401416.html
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