On the night of February 24, the Russians – as in many other Ukrainian cities – attempted to take over the capital of the same name oblast take Sumy. However, the same evening the Ukrainian soldiers were ordered to leave for another region. And so the so-called Sumy self-defense forces were left alone.
Standing
With pistols, Molotov cocktails and some anti-tank weapons, Sumy’s new defense force – several thousand strong – lacked, as resident Ihor describes to The Guardian. “The troops were made up of residents who got weapons from a military depot,” he says. “There was also little strategy behind it, they were mostly reactive groups.”
Despite a complete encirclement by the Russian Army, the Self-Defense Forces managed to keep the city out of Russian hands for six weeks. In the end, they even managed to drive the Russian troops out of the city.
Responsive character
But it was precisely the reactive nature of the defense force that made Sumy a nightmare for the Russians. “There was no coordination or direction from Kiev, we did everything ourselves,” he says. “People called from one district and said there was fighting and people had to get there, and then your grandmother sent a picture of another place where she spotted Russians. This allowed us to anticipate and establish defensive positions before the Russian military columns entered the city.’
Due to the rapid wait, the Russians still assumed that Sumy was full of professional soldiers. “Whereas there were only the Self-Defense Forces,” he continues. “Victory was the most important thing for every resident. My friends have brought crates of Molotov cocktails to the university to distribute there. Because of that fighting spirit, the city repelled the invasion.”
Reputation
But even in the absence of heavy artillery or other heavy equipment, Russian troops shuddered at the mention of Sumy. They no longer dared to enter the city, as can be heard in a wiretapped telephone conversation published by the Ukrainian secret service. On April 6, Russian troops withdrew from the Sumy region and have suffered military defeat after defeat ever since.
Now that the war is nearly a year old, Sumy Oblast is under the supervision of Major General Oleksandr Nesterenko, who is also a native of the city. Previously he fought in the battles for Kiev and Kharkiv. “The Russians can try again, but I have no doubt they will fail,” he said of a possible new attack. “What you have to understand is that anyone who was an accountant or a businessman nine months ago has now had nine months of training. We have more manpower, more firepower and more motivation. February will not repeat itself.’
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