Ukraine forms assault brigades to liberate Crimea, Donbas from Russian occupation

Ukraine's Ministry of Internal Affairs has started forming assault brigades called the "Offensive Guard," which are open to volunteers. These units are aimed at strengthening the Defense Forces and liberating the occupied territories of Ukraine, acting Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko announced. "Ukraine is preparing for an assault all the way to the Crimea and the Black Sea in order to drive the occupiers out of our territory. The Ministry of Internal Affairs is starting to form assault brigades of the National Guard, the National Police, and the State Border Guard Service called the Offensive Guard. These are brigades of volunteers, motivated people who will take part in the liberation of Luhansk, Donetsk, and Crimea... Eight brigades versus one enemy. It's time to take back what's ours," he said. The volunteers are invited to join six brigades of the National Guard, one of the Border Service, and one of the National Police either online at storm.mvs.gov.ua or at designated administrative service centers. "No rear-guard tasks. Only high-quality training, constant drills and participation in contact-line operations. The formation of units is already underway. The new brigades are made up of military and police personnel who have significant combat experience and have performed heroically on the contact lines. These are our real heroes. We are manning the brigades exclusively with volunteers and highly motivated patriots of Ukraine," Klymenko said. Klymenko also noted that the newly created brigades will have high-quality commanders with combat experience and recruits will be able to learn a profession at the Interior Ministry institutions. Training will last for several months: first, individually, and then, as part of a unit. Our readers asked us why these brigades were not being formed as part of the Ukrainian Army, but rather Interior Ministry divisions. We asked Illia Zheved, a serviceman of the National Guard's 3018th rapid response brigade from Hostomel, to clarify. According to private Zheved, the Ukrainian Army, which has a separate administration from the National Guard, already has assault brigades, such as brigades #3, 5, 10, and 128, and the airborne assault troops. The National Guard is currently undergoing reform and is creating assault brigades similar to those in the Army. The national Guard will be classified into five subdivisions, according to combat readiness. However, currently, several National Guard brigades already perform assault functions: these are Illia Zheved's 3018th rapid response brigade, as well as the Azov Regiment, the 1st President's Brigade, Jaguar, and another brigade from Kharkiv. They will now be expanded and become assault brigades. "They saw how we fought well, sometimes better than the airborne troops, and decided to expand our staff. That's all," private Zheved told Euromaidan Press.