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Ukraine: The new partisans

May 7, 2014

The interim government in Kiev is calling for volunteers to come to the country's defense. The would-be fighters are being trained in special centers and provided with arms.

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The Ukrainian army had been downsizing for several years. When the interim government took power in Kiev the country's armed forces were less than combat-ready. Now the National Guard has been revived and volunteer forces are supposed to help bolster the country's defenses. Russia is critical of the development. Moscow says the government in Kiev is using it as an excuse to arm and legitimize militant extremists.