Ukraine trains 40,000 storm brigade troops for counter-offensive

More than a year into Russia's full-scale invasion, Aleks, a translator with no prior military experience, was advancing through forest with rifle raised, training to ambush enemy forces in one of Ukraine's newest military units. Border of Steel is one of eight new storm brigades totalling 40,000 soldiers that Ukraine wants to use during a counter-offensive against Russian occupiers in coming weeks or months. 'I want the war to be over as soon as possible and I hope the strike brigade will make it happen a lot faster,' Aleks told Reuters at a training facility in a secret location in Ukraine. The units have benefited from an aggressive recruiting campaign on social media and billboards with the aim of attracting highly motivated volunteers. Its forces have been weathering a Russian onslaught for months in towns like Bakhmut in the east, where thousands of soldiers have died. Kyiv does not disclose its military losses. The brigades have catchy names: Hurricane, Spartan, Chervona Kalyna, Frontier, Rage, Azov and Kara Dag, a mountain in Crimea. A great deal is riding on the counter-offensive for Kyiv. Ukraine beat back Russian forces from Kyiv last year before liberating swathes of the northeast and of the southern Kherson region. But Russian forces still occupy tracts of the east, the strategically important south and the Crimean peninsula. 'For them, the objective is to liberate Ukraine,' Klymenko said of the recruits during an interview in Kyiv. 'We are writing the great history of our state for many future decades.' 'I WANT REVENGE' Klymenko said it would take up to four months to train civilians without experience, but that ex-police officers or soldiers could be trained in two. A shooting instructor, call sign Hassid, said the recruits were absorbing the training quickly and were highly motivated. He gave no clues as to when or where Ukraine would launch its counter-offensive. 'We will keep training, will train all the time while the brigade is being formed and while we are waiting for battle orders.' Klymenko said 2.5% of the brigades were made up of female fighters: 'Our women are patriotic enough, strong and they hate the enemy no less than men, they want to serve.' Dmytro, another fighter who worked in a currency exchange office in civilian life, said he had enlisted in the brigade because of desire for revenge and frontline fighting.