« Butja’s witches » are training for a feared Russian offensive
The newspaper visits the band « Butja’s witches » in connection with a workout. Scots are heard when they practice shooting with heavy bullets towards different goals.
So far, the soldiers have mainly devoted themselves to air defense, by shooting down incoming Iranian -produced Shaheddröre, but now they are trained to fight on the ground, the collection of the band called « Veles » tells.
Some already have Sent to areas where hard battles are ongoing, such as Pokrovsk in the Donetse region. According to « Veles », their main tasks are to secure so -called second -line defense, for example by the engineering facilities of the war. The band also conducts counter -sabotage actions.
Pluton manager « Calypso » is often at the front. She tells The Times about why she founded the band:
– The idea was that the men are needed on the front line. They are there and we stay here to protect our families, which has worked. Around half of the women were here in Butja when the city was occupied, so the motivation is soaring, she tells the newspaper.
« Butja’s witches » was formed after the occupation of Butja in March 2022 and consists of surviving women. Russian soldiers have been charged with executing hundreds of civilians in Butja, and there are also suspicions of rape and torture against women and children.
The soldiers tell The Times that if the Russians come to Butja again, they will be ready to meet them. But at the same time, they are preparing for a feared new offensive against Kiev, which is 25 kilometers away from Butja.
In September, the Russian-Belarusian military exercise « Zapad 2025 » will take place. Belarus has reported that over 13,000 Russian and Belarusian soldiers will participate in the exercise. The number of Belarus has reported is a lowest figure, so the amount of soldiers can be considerably larger.
The latest « Zapad » exercise Between the countries were held in September 2021, and preceded Russia’s full -scale invasion of Ukraine. The exercise is seen as alarming among nearby NATOallied countries, such as the Baltic States, which considers it a potential prelude to further aggression, writes Politico.
However, military expert Johan Huovinen considers it less likely that Russia would start a new offensive against Kiev in connection with the exercise, when it had been too predictable.
– But the significance for the war is that Ukraine will be forced to distribute units north to be prepared if it were to escalate. This will mean that there are fewer resources to put in the east in mid -August towards the end of September, he says.
According to Huovinen coming It is probably not to be done any Russian troop movements from Ukraine, when « Zapad » is considered to be a final exercise for Russian conscripts to go into battle.
– As Ukraine will need more troops north of Kiev, a Russian late summer offensive would be possible in connection with the exercise to take place at the end of August, says Johan Huovinen.
In the Ukrainian army there are around 70,000 women, but still have many more logistics roles such as healthcare providers. In order to strengthen the army after over three years with losses of soldiers, Ukraine has removed all restrictions on women being able to take on fighting positions. It is also hoped to attract more women to become drone pilots.
– Of course, there are outdated opinions, as it does in all communities, but in general I would say that it is perceived as positive in Ukraine that more women are advancing their positions in the Armed Forces, says Huovinen.
