183
 |
| Local residents prepare Molotov cocktails to defend their city, in Zhytomyr, Ukraine – Photo by Reuters |
As Russian rockets pounded targets in eastern Ukraine, men of fighting age lined up for hours outside gun shops in the western city of Lviv on Tuesday to buy hunting rifles and shotguns to protect their communities.
โI can see that Russia will not stop, so I must stop them,โ said Andrew Muzyka, a web developer waiting with dozens of men outside a gun shop near Lvivโs medical university.
Inside, the men received basic instructions on how to operate a firearm, then sought further approval from police before being permitted to buy one. Most models cost hundreds of dollars.
Nearly a week since Russian troops launched an invasion of Ukraine, they have not captured a single major city after running into far fiercer resistance than they expected.
Some experts have warned that Russia will now rely on a pitiless bombardment of built-up areas to weaken Ukrainian resistance.
On Sunday, the Lviv police announced that the procedure to buy such weapons had been simplified. A process that had previously taken two or three weeks could now be completed in two or three days, said Muzkyka.
He said he was thankful to other countries for their support but knew they wouldnโt send troops to fight in Ukraine. โIf we canโt save ourselves, nobody can,โ he said.
The shutters at another Lviv gun shop were pulled shut, but shotguns were being dispensed from a side door by a man in military uniform.
Among those waiting was Oleh Lekhush, who hailed from Stebnyk, about 80 km (50 miles) away. He said that the 500 people in his townโs civilian defence force had only about 20 firearms between them.
Lekhush said he ran a restaurant business and had no military experience. โBut when the tensions began on the border I started making preparations,โ he said. โUnfortunately the only thing I didnโt do was buy a weapon. But Iโm hoping I will get it as soon as I can.โ
Lekhush said he would buy whatever gun he was offered and was willing to spend up to $2,000.
Yuri Futalo, a video producer, held his documents in one hand and, in the other, the leash of a Vizsla hunting dog called Terra.
โI was planning to get a gun for hunting โ the season opens soon โ but now itโs a more urgent situation,โ he said. โSo Iโm trying to get it as fast as possible, hopefully tomorrow.โ
If the Russians came, Futalo said he wouldnโt hesitate to protect his loved ones, but hoped the war would soon end.
โIt is better to hunt ducks,โ he said.
REUTERS
