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The time has come to dispel a myth. Rumor has it that Ukraine has received ‘unprecedented'
help throughout the war. Let's revisit this idea and shine light on the truth
about both the nature and magnitude of help. Fact: all this help is not in
Ukraine yet - not by a long shot. Time and time again the headlines crow about
numbers – a billion here, a half a billion there, yet another billion. Before deciding
whether this is a lot, enough, or too much, let's get down to basics, to the
very heart of our fight for freedom - the infantry men who lay down their lives
for us. Yes, us, no matter who you are or where you are from, the Ukrainian
United Forces are fighting for you, for liberty, for democracy. Let us calculate exactly how much it costs to
decently equip a soldier. Yes, just one soldier. Here's a pic of a warrior and a soldier (I love ya, bro, even if you are not reading this). (Photo above) Equipped with: 1. Rifle Arch 2. Optics Vortex Razor HD gen 3 3. Aimpoint H1 4 MOA - Red Dot Reflex
Sight with Standard Mount for Weaver 4. Lazer Block PEQ-15 5. FAST SF Helmet 6. TNV DTNVS - dual tube night vision system
(I'll even leave a link to this item so a reader can price check
https://tnvc.com/shop/tnv-dtnvs-dual-tube-night-vision-system/ . The rest can
be googled if needed,) 7. Plate Carriers with plates FCPC V5 For purposes of this article, we will exclude
the cost of boots, thermal wear and other necessary items. All money paid to this warrior by the
government for his service to the country went directly towards equipping
himself as best as possible. How did he live, you ask? Like all Ukrainians, he is
a small business owner. This particular individual ran a small wood refining
production facility between his tours to the front line, but no longer. He is
busy with more important things. The bottom line: even with deep discounts, the
equipment you see on this soldier cost anywhere from $12,000 - $15,000. Consider these numbers: Ukraine boasts more than 200,000 active
military men, not including policemen and Territorial Defense. Multiply 200,000 soldiers (lower estimate) by
$12,000 (lower indicated price) and we get a magical number of $2.4 billion. This is a strong reminder that a billion here
and a billion there buys equipment to dress our soldiers, but no tanks, no
ammunition, no rockets or rocket launchers, no trucks etc. If anybody out there thinks that US support
of $1.3 billion is enough, please think again. If you can do more, please do.
This fight is for you too. Your generation in the western part of this world hasn't
yet seen ferocious Russian predators at your door… yet. And yes, we here in
Ukraine also thought it was an impossible scenario.
Be well, and have a boring night, as we say here. Serge A is of Ukrainian descent, grew up in Brooklyn and is volunteering in Ukraine as a legally armed member of a Territorial Defense Group. He was a columnist for the newspaper at Pace University which he attended as an undergrad.
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