Fears and fighting spirit of a nation in Kremlin crosshairs: IAN BIRRELL reports from inside Ukraine as experts warn Russian invasion is imminent
Oksana Lanskaya, a mother and successful
Ukrainian food entrepreneur, admits being scared now that Russian military
forces have encircled her nation and the threat of war grows stronger.
As at least 100,000 Russian troops mass on the border,
the frozen food business the pregnant 35-year-old runs with her husband has
just opened two new outlets.
'The situation is deeply worrying and we can't even
imagine how bad it could get,' said Oksana, who is expecting her second child. 'As
a business owner, I need to plan ahead – I have a production line, stores,
supplies, deliveries. But what if Russia invades Ukraine tomorrow?' Like many families in Kiev, Oksana
has friends who lost everything when they fled their homes in 2014 as Vladimir
Putin annexed Crimea and stirred up separatist insurgency in eastern Ukraine.
'Should I just close my business now and sell everything
while it's still not too late?' she asked.No-one outside the Kremlin can answer
that question. But this fretful woman shows how the mood in Kiev is growing
worried with a majority of Ukraine's 44million population believing an attack
seems likely and citizen militias preparing for guerrilla warfare against
invading forces.
Oksana is a realist and frightened that history is set to
repeat itself. 'Ukraine has little chance against Russia. Our soldiers will
fight but they will be outnumbered. Also, the West will not go at war with
Russia over Ukraine.
FULL ARTICLE AT: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10416207/IAN-BIRRELL-reports-inside-Ukraine-experts-warn-Russian-invasion-imminent.html
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