‘A blitzkrieg’: Ukraine’s volunteer fighters brace for more

By FRANCESCA EBEL
Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A 68-year-old retiree recalls serving alongside Russian soldiers when Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union and calling them brothers. But on Wednesday, Andrey Gonchruk wiped his face with one hand and grasped a rifle with another, ready to resist their invasion of his country. Gonchruk and his son are among tens of thousands of Ukrainians who have volunteered to fight for their homeland. Together, they patrol their village. The army has freely distributed weapons to anyone who wishes to defend Ukraine. Now, some of them are in the crossfire as Moscow attempts to take Kyiv.