‘We teach fighters to win – this is our primary goal. The second is to ensure they stay alive,’ says a military instructor with the call sign 'Babay.’
Before the war, these volunteers had various different professions. Now, they are all at the BARS-16 Cossack Special Purpose Unit training centre, preparing to defend their country in the Special Military Operation. Here, recruits undergo combat training under the guidance of experienced instructors.
Their trainers are experienced veterans who have fought in Syria and Africa. These mentors prepare not just shooters, but soldiers who can save their comrades and carry wounded soldiers from the frontline under fire.
How is a recruit turned into a true warrior in just a few weeks? And how does faith help fighters at the front?
