“That’s us, we’re attacking Russian positions near Hostomel,” says a Ukrainian soldier as the shots rang out in unison.
In this particular case, the missiles used by the Ukrainian military to target Moscow’s invading forces are actually Russian.
“Last night we sent 24 Uragan missiles to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which were on their way here to fly over our cities,” said Yuri Golodov, deputy commander of one of Ukraine’s Territorial Forces and a retired seaman in the Ukrainian Navy.
“We captured them intact, handed them over to the Armed Forces of Ukraine at night, and now the Ukrainian army launched rockets at them,” says Golodov.
Golodov plays a key role in reusing military equipment left behind or captured by the Russian army.
He leads a team working at a military junkyard at an undisclosed location in Kyiv, repairing and repainting Russian military equipment for use by Ukrainian forces.
“Everything we take away from the Russian army, we transfer to the armed forces of Ukraine,” he says.
A second life for damaged weapons
When CNN visited the junkyard, Ukrainian forces were uncovering an artillery support vehicle used for target location.
The Ukrainian flag had been painted over Russian military symbols, and Golodov’s unit removed communications equipment before sending them back to the front lines.
“We will use it to transport the wounded,” he says, adding it will make an “important” contribution to Ukraine’s war effort.
“It’s a very decent SUV. It can handle any swamp and snow.”
Much of the equipment used by the Russian military is similar or the same as that used by Ukrainian soldiers, so they are familiar with how it works.
“It comes from the Soviet Union,” says Golodov. “It’s pretty reliable.”
“Everything is working fine. It looks like an ancient weapon, but if used properly, it will serve us for a long time,” he adds.
Golodov says his battalion is also responsible for capturing some of the equipment in the yard.
“We’re a special forces deep reconnaissance battalion that works behind enemy lines,” he explains. “Our task is to destroy the supplies of the Russian army – ammunition, fuel, food.”
Weapons confiscated from troops under fire
Around the corner, a former Russian army tanker is ready for action, and under a camouflage blanket, a captured infantry fighting vehicle is waiting for its next mission.
They’re old, rusty, and heavy Soviet-era machines that break up the pavement while members of the Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces move them, but soldiers here say they’ll put them to good use.
According to Golodov, the vehicle was captured by his unit when they attacked a Russian column.
“We fired on the first vehicle and when it exploded, the column stopped,” he says. “(Russian soldiers) ran away and we took their military gear.”
According to Golodov and his men, this is a common occurrence on the battlefield.
“Russian soldiers are scared, demoralized. They’re afraid to separate because they’re being shot at from every bush,” he says.
Some seem to be very young and inexperienced, he says: “Most of them don’t know or understand why they are here.”
The Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces are also green. Most had no military training prior to the Russian invasion, but the men say they are ready for battle.
In another part of the facility, soldiers armed with AK-47s are training for a possible encounter with Russian troops. They move in organized groups and seem unperturbed when their commander fires blanks in their direction.
Glodov watches proudly. Before retiring from the Navy, he spent time with the Soviet Union’s Northern Fleet in Mursmansk, northwestern Russia, and says he knows what Russian forces are capable of.
He tells us he’s not surprised at how well Ukraine has fared in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.
“The strength of the Russian army is nothing more than a myth,” he says, confident of a Ukrainian victory. “How can anyone else think?”