Ukraine

Military grandfathers: 60-year-old soldiers formed a separate volunteer unit

The first days of the full-scale war were remembered by Ukrainians as long lines of volunteers near the premises of the military commissars. At present, there is no such excitement – most of those willing were able to join the ranks of the Armed Forces or volunteer formations. However, there are still enthusiasts who want to defend the country even in spite of their undrafted age. For example, there is a whole unit in the Zaporozhye region, which mainly consists of volunteers over 60 years old.

The mobile artillery unit “Steppe Wolves” is not part of the Armed Forces, that is, it is a volunteer formation. The fighters do not receive a salary from the state and find equipment and ammunition mainly thanks to their own efforts and the efforts of volunteers, writes Reuters. Also, the unit independently repairs equipment and uses trophy weapons and ammunition.

Many of the “Steppe Wolves” are already officially retired.

“We… live off the pension fund,” jokingly says unit commander Oleksandr Taran with the call sign “Grandfather”. The head of the formation is 68 years old. He has been protecting the country since 2014.

“Wolves” operate behind the front line with rocket launchers mounted on trucks. They carry out orders from field commanders and cooperate with other troops. Thus, the unit makes a noticeable contribution to the course of hostilities, despite the lack of official support from the military.

“The commanders who give us targets are satisfied. They give us more targets and help with ammunition as much as they can,” says the 63-year-old fighter with the nickname “Zorro”.

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Oleksandr Taran said that they tried to officially join the Armed Forces, but due to the age of the volunteers and other factors, they failed to do so.

 

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