"Feeling the Need to Do Something"
Highlighting Teachers Who Left Classrooms to Volunteer as Soldiers
On the 24th, it will mark one year since Russia invaded Ukraine. Amid the prolonged war, Ukrainians are working in their livelihoods while simultaneously voluntarily defending their country.
Oleksandr Shemshur (41), who works as a hairdresser by day and a drone hunter by night. [Photo by Reuters Yonhap News]
On the 19th (local time), Reuters reported that "tens of thousands of citizens have voluntarily taken on defense support missions to protect Ukraine's airspace from Russian attacks." The media shared the story of Oleksandr Shemshur (41), a member of the civilian defense force. He works as a hairdresser in Kyiv during the day but acts as a drone hunter at night.
He explained his motivation, saying, "After Russia invaded Ukraine last year and pressured Kyiv and major cities, I felt I had to do something." Currently, he responds to air raid alerts by climbing onto rooftops with his colleagues, monitoring the sky with thermal cameras, and shooting down Iranian-made suicide drones like the Shahed-136 using machine guns that were used during World War II.
Shemshur showed a badge on his military uniform that reads "Drone Hunters" and expressed pride in becoming increasingly skilled at shooting down missiles and drones fired by Russia. He added, "I am a happy person because I am defending my country."
Among these volunteer defense organizations are people such as lawyers and businesspeople who perform their duties alongside their livelihoods. The American daily newspaper The New York Times (NYT) reported on the 18th the story of a middle school female teacher who left her classroom to volunteer as a soldier. Yuliia Bondarenko (30) had never held a gun before but registered as a reservist on February 23 last year. She was then issued a rifle, underwent training, and worked shifts at a city checkpoint.
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