--- title: "‘What the f–k are you doing on our land?’ — How ordinary Ukrainians are defying Russia" description: "Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began, story after story has appeared of everyday Ukrainian civilians standing up to the invading troops." date: "2022-02-25" modified: "2022-02-25" authors: - name: "Haley Britzky" job_title: "Former Army Reporter" link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/haley-britzky/" url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/ukraine-civilians-defying-russia/" categories: - "Around the World" - "News" - "Russia" - "Tactics" - "Tech & Tactics" - "Ukraine" - "Warfare" --- # ‘What the f–k are you doing on our land?’ — How ordinary Ukrainians are defying Russia ![]() *A man carrying a Kalashnikov AK-47 rifle walks in central Kyiv on February 25, 2022. (Photo by Daniel LEAL / AFP) (Photo by DANIEL LEAL/AFP via Getty Images)* As Russia continues its invasion of Ukraine, stories of average Ukrainian citizens standing up to the occupying troops are flooding social media. The capitol of Kyiv [braced]() for the arrival of Russian troops on Friday, with Ukrainian civilians in “trainers and jeans with rifles slung across their backs” manning checkpoints, [BBC News reported](). Some volunteers were “hidden in the trees on the side of the road,” while others were “lying on the ground behind anti-tank weapons.” The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense instructed citizens[ to make Molotov cocktails](), and even [reportedly]() handed out 10,000 assault rifles to civilians in Kyiv. The New York Times [reported on Friday]() that more volunteers were lining up “to receive their weapons” at a storage facility in Fastiv. Thousands of civilians “have joined local defense units,” [CBS News reported](), including “everyone from urban professionals to military veterans.” https://twitter.com/KatyaYushchenko/status/1496983880494198789 On Thursday, a U.S. senior defense official acknowledged that they’d seen “indications that they \[the Ukrainians\] are resisting and fighting back.” “This is their country they’re fighting for,” the official said. One story after another has appeared since [Russia’s invasion began]() on Thursday morning local time about Ukrainians defying the Russian invasion on all fronts. In one stunning show of bravery, 13 Ukrainian guards on Snake Island, a small island roughly [30 miles south]() of Ukraine in the Black Sea, stood up to an entire Russian warship. In an audio clip circulating online, which [was translated on CNN]() and verified by the Ukrainian Interior Ministry, a Russian Navy officer gave a message to the guards on Snake Island. “I am a Russian military ship,” the Russian officer said. “Proposing to put down arms immediately to avoid bloodshed and unjustified deaths. In worst case, you will be hit with a bomb strike.” In the audio, two voices are heard discussing what to say before settling on a response: “Russian warship, go fuck yourself.” https://twitter.com/CNN/status/1497068905382170635 All 13 guards were killed by the Russians. On Thursday night, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky bestowed the title of “Hero of Ukraine” on the guards, the Washington Post [reported](), which is “the highest honorific the Ukrainian leader can award.” In another exchange [translated online](), a woman approaches armed Russian troops on the street, asking them, “what the fuck are you doing here?” They tell her they’re Russian but refuse to continue the conversation. “You’re occupants, you’re fascists,” the woman says according to [the translation](). “What the fuck are you doing on our land with all these guns? Take these seeds and put them in your pockets, so at least sunflowers will grow when you all lie down here.” https://twitter.com/ukraine_world/status/1496866811110834176?s=20&t=0aW7SVnHl_IdH2ZGrWqQ1g Another video that was circulating online on Friday morning appeared to show a man running onto the road in front of Russian vehicles. Some were referring to him as the “Ukrainian tank man,” in reference to the nickname given to an unidentified man who [stood in front of Chinese tanks]() in Tiananmen Square in 1989. https://twitter.com/worldonalert/status/1497198059620605979 The resistance unfolding throughout the country is precisely what Zelensky urged [in an address on Thursday](). If Russia attacked, he said, “if they try to take our country — our freedom, our lives, the lives of our children — we will be defending ourselves.” “As you attack, it will be our faces you see,” he said. “Not our backs.” ## What’s hot on Task & Purpose - [**Photos: What Russia’s invasion of Ukraine looks like**]() **on the ground** - **Here’s what those mysterious** [**white ‘Z’ markings on Russian military equipment may mean**]() - **Generation Z has a simple message when it comes to World War III:** [**Please don’t draft me**]() - **Army 3-star general suspended amid investigation into**[ **toxic climate and racist comments**]() - **The best gear under $25** **to make life in the field suck less, according to soldiers** **Want to write for Task & Purpose?** [**Click here**]()**. Or check out the latest stories on** [**our homepage.**]() ## Author Haley Britzky was the Task & Purpose Army reporter from 2019 to 2022. She previously worked at Axios covering breaking news. She reports on important developments within the service, from new uniforms to new policies; the realities of military life facing soldiers and their families; and broader cultural issues that expand outside of the Army, touching each of the military services. ### Author social links [LinkedIn]() [Twitter]()