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Transcript/ScriptRIGHTS and RESTRICTIONS: Broadcasters: NONE Digital: NONE. For Reuters customers only.
ORIGINAL TEXT PROVIDER: Reuters
ALTERNATE TEXT PROVIDER INFO: Reuters, APR 12
ORIGINAL VIDEO PROVIDER: Reuters
ORIGINAL VIDEO SOURCE: REUTERS
BY: REUTERS, APR 12
ORIGINAL VIDEO DESCRIPTION: NATURAL WITH UKRAINIAN SPEECH
INTRO TEXT:
ADDITIONAL INFO:
=====SCRIPT BODY TEXT=====
VIDEO SHOWS: ENLISTED PERSONNEL STAGING MILITARY DRILLS/ COMMENTS BY ENLISTED SOLDIERS
RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT TO FOLLOW
SHOWS:
KYIV REGION, UKRAINE (APRIL 10, 2021) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)
1. VARIOUS OF RESERVISTS PRACTISING CLEARING DRILLS, ADVANCING WITH RIFLES, TAKING AIMS
2. (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) UKRAINIAN RESERVIST, NO NAME GIVEN, SAYING:
"There are five tasks for territorial defense units. They are defending important and strategic facilities, ensuring legal order during martial law and fighting against sabotage and reconnaissance units. It was prescribed by the law. But if armed forces of the Russian Federation invade Ukraine, it is possible that territorial defense units will be involved in military actions."
3. COMMANDER SHOWING HOW TO CONDUCT VEHICLE SEARCH OPERATION
4. RESERVISTS NEXT TO VEHICLE
5. COMMANDER TALKING TO RESERVISTS
6. FEMALE RESERVISTS PRACTISING VEHICLE CHECK, CHECKING DRIVER'S DOCUMENTS DURING DRILL
7. DRIVER TAKING DOCUMENTS
8. RESERVISTS NEXT TO VEHICLE
9. DRIVER OPENING TRUNK DURING DRILL
10. VARIOUS OF RESERVIST FRISKING DRIVER AS PART OF DRILL
11. (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) UKRAINIAN RESERVIST, YAROSLAV BRYZYTSKY, SAYING:
"During the past two years, I train here every Saturday, no matter what the weather is and what the political situation is."
12. VARIOUS OF RESERVISTS STANDING IN LINE, LISTENING TO COMMANDER
13. SHADOWS OF RESERVISTS ON GROUND
14. VARIOUS OF RESERVISTS WALKING THROUGH URBAN TERRAIN
STORY: Reservists from one of Kyiv's territorial defence units practised urban warfare drills on Saturday (April 10) as tensions with neighbouring Russia showed no sign of de-escalation.
Dozens of men and women brushed up their skills during an area clearing operation held in urban terrain outside Ukraine's capital. The scenario also included a vehicle search at an improvised checkpoint.
On April 6, Ukraine's armed forces announced large-scale military drills for reservists in southern regions bordering the Crimean peninsula annexed from Ukraine by Russia in 2014.
The announcement came as Kyiv and Moscow traded blame over the worsening situation in the eastern Donbass region, where Ukrainian troops have battled Russian-backed forces in a conflict Kyiv says has killed 14,000 people since 2014.
Each Ukrainian region has a reservist's brigade to be called up to defend strategic facilities and ensure legal order during martial law, if the country were to be attacked.
Iuliia Mendel, spokeswoman for Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, told Reuters on Monday (April 12) the Ukrainian leader had so far tried and failed to speak to Putin about the matter.
Mendel said Russia had massed more than 40,000 troops on Ukraine's eastern border and more than 40,000 troops in Crimea.
Those figures are higher than those previously disclosed by the head of Ukraine's armed forces to parliament in March.
Zelenskiy is due to head to Paris for talks on Russia's troop build-up and the escalating conflict in Donbass, Mendel added.
(Production: Valentyn Ogirenko, Margaryta Chornokondratenko)
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
RightsBroadcasters: NONE Digital: NONE. For Reuters customers only.
NetworkVOA
Location (dateline)KYIV REGION, UKRAINE
Expiration DateApril 14, 2021 09:26 EDT
Embargo DateApril 12, 2021 11:19 EDT
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English