Two Ukrainian mothers of young children told how they will kill and be killed to protect their beloved city of Odessa from Russian invaders.
Before the war, Elena Lolesnik and Kamila Suleymanova worked at ordinary jobs, and spent their free time with their sons on the numerous beaches and parks of this picturesque resort town, known as the “Pearl of the Black Sea”.
But after Russian warships threatened to attack the ancient port from the sea, these fierce female defenders took up arms to defend Ukraine.
Now, 30-year-old Elena and 33-year-old Kamila are part of the 3014th Ukrainian army unit, which is the last line of defense of Odessa – a long-standing reward of the Kremlin.
Mothers Elena Lolesnik, 30 (left) and Kamila Suleymanova, 33, took up arms to defend Ukraine
The couple attended a military ceremony honoring the National Guard of Ukraine in Odessa, in southern Ukraine.
“I’m willing to kill to protect my city, my family, my country,” blonde Elena told MailOnline after she received a bravery award from the city’s mayor.
“I try not to think about whether I might die, but I’m willing to give my life to protect everything I love.”
Camila added, “My mom doesn’t know that I joined the army.
But we must protect our land. This is for our children.
The couple spoke after attending a military ceremony in honor of Ukraine’s National Guard.
Dressed in khaki uniforms, flak jackets, tin caps and Kalashnikovs, they stood shoulder to shoulder with their male comrades as a military band played “The Last Post.”
The parade was held next to the famous statue of the Russian Empress Catherine the Great, who founded the city in 1794.
But now this symbol of the Russian Empire is sandbagged and surrounded by Ukrainian military hardware to protect it from Kremlin warships that threaten to reduce the historic port to rubble.
Tank traps, barbed wire, and machine gun mounts now dot the tree-lined boulevards and walkways throughout downtown.
Formally the fourth most important city in the Russian Empire and of great strategic importance as the main seaport of Ukraine, Odessa is the main target of the Kremlin.
Last week, Russian warships bombarded the city with artillery shells, destroying buildings.
A Ukrainian soldier guards the National Academic Opera and Ballet Theater and one of the symbols of the city behind a heavy barricade in Odessa, Ukraine, on March 26.
A woman asks permission to cross the barricades while a Ukrainian soldier guards the building of the Odessa National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre.
And the Ukrainian army is on high alert for coordinated Norman-style landings and parachute drops that could encircle the city from three sides.
So ordinary citizens – like two mothers – took up arms in droves to protect their homes.
Back at the parade, Elena said she didn’t know who would look after her nine-year-old son David if she was killed.
Her mother died and she separated from her father a long time ago.
But the 30-year-old, who usually works for a union, says she had no choice but to help defend the city.
She said, “This is my duty.
“At the moment I work in army shops.
“But my unit is based here in Odessa, so if the Russians invade, I will shoot at them from the barricades.
Camila, who used to serve on the city council, said she had no choice but to join the army.
She said: “My son Daniel is 12 years old. I have to protect Odessa for him, for his future.
“I used to work in an office, but now I’m on patrol and on duty with my unit.”