Kyiv [Ukraine], April 22: More than a year into Russia's full-scale invasion, Aleks, a translator with no prior military experience, was advancing through forest with rifle raised, training to ambush enemy forces in one of Ukraine's newest military units.
Border of Steel is one of eight new storm brigades totalling 40,000 soldiers that Ukraine wants to use during a counter-offensive against Russian occupiers in coming weeks or months.
"I want the war to be over as soon as possible and I hope the strike brigade will make it happen a lot faster," Aleks told Reuters at a training facility in a secret location in Ukraine.
He declined to give his surname for security reasons.
The units have benefited from an aggressive recruiting campaign on social media and billboards with the aim of attracting highly motivated volunteers.
The drive comes as Kyiv may face growing challenges recruiting new troops.
Its forces have been weathering a Russian onslaught for months in towns like Bakhmut in the east, where thousands of soldiers have died. Kyiv does not disclose its military losses.
The new brigades, drafted by the Interior Ministry, will fight alongside regular army units bolstered by new Western battle tanks and thousands of fresh troops trained by allied armies outside Ukraine.
The brigades have catchy names: Hurricane, Spartan, ChervonaKalyna, Frontier, Rage, Azov and Kara Dag, a mountain in Crimea.
Interior Minister IhorKlymenko told Reuters he believed Ukraine still had considerable mobilisation potential and that his recruits included women, people with no military experience and former police officers and servicemen.
A great deal is riding on the counter-offensive for Kyiv.
A bungled and bloody attempt to seize back territory from Russian forces could dim optimism among key Western backers and push them to encourage Kyiv to seek negotiations with Moscow.
Source: Fijian Broadcasting Cooperation