Canada: Organizing Territorial Defence Now vs Later

I try to compare two situations: one where territorial defence is organized and trained preemptively, and one where it is created reactively, in response to the invasion.

While we haven’t been called the 51st state for a couple of weeks now, the markers of a possible invasion are present, and there are signals that the Canadian Forces are preparing for potential defence.

In one of my previous posts, I proposed the idea that a well-developed territorial defence force in Canada — in addition to the CAF and Army Reserves — could make a potential invader reconsider their plans. Some of the reasons included:

• It is extremely difficult to sustain an occupation of an area where the population is not loyal and is protected by mobile, unpredictable, asymmetric defence forces.

• While an invader might catch us off guard with a surprise attack and occupy some territory without suffering heavy casualties, it is much less likely they would want to engage in direct, prolonged confrontation. That’s a different kind of action — one likely to be opposed by their own population.

Reducing the risk of invasion is the primary reason I promote the idea of territorial defence. To protect Canada’s vast territory, we need both quality and quantity: one professional soldier supported by nine defenders with basic training can make a real difference.

However, in this post, I’d like to model a different scenario — one where the invasion does happen. I want to compare two situations: one where territorial defence is organized and trained preemptively, and one where it is created reactively, in response to the invasion.

Probably every single Ukrainian will remember February and March 2022 for the rest of their lives. After the full-scale invasion began, lines of volunteer fighters started forming at Territorial Defence centres.

The 129th Battalion of Territorial Defence, from Obolon — a residential area of Kyiv (about the size of Markham, ON, and smaller than Laval, QC) — reached 1,800 fighters within days. And that’s not even the only battalion from Obolon. I lived in Obolon for about a year when I was a student; it’s known for one of Ukraine’s largest breweries and the football club FC Obolon.

New volunteer fighters were trained in a rushed format, received their munitions, and began fulfilling their defence duties within days.

Keep in mind that some of these volunteers had prior combat experience, having defended Ukraine since 2014, though many had returned to civilian life a few years later. Some even showed up in battle-ready groups. In Canada, we don’t have the benefit of a large number of combat-experienced civilians.

The 129th Battalion took part in the Battle of Moshchun and the Battle of Bucha, both located northwest of Kyiv. The Battle of Moshchun was one of the fiercest during the defence of Kyiv. It lasted from March 5 to 21, 2022, and was fought for control of the village of Moshchun — a strategic gateway to Kyiv, had it been occupied.

After fast advance of russians from the North towards Kyiv, during last week of February and first week of March, on March 8, Ukrainians blew up the Kozarovychi dam to release water from the Kyiv Reservoir into the Irpin River.

The water level in the Irpin rose by 1.5 to 2 meters, making it extremely difficult to cross. As a result, russian forces focused their efforts on crossing the river at Moshchun (see the map).

After the initial russian attack, the Ukrainians adapted their tactics, rotating forces no longer than every three days. This demonstrated the importance of defensive depth and the quantity of available forces.

They also introduced an additional battalion into the battle. After a series of counterattacks, Ukrainian forces recaptured the lost positions. Starting from March 19, Ukrainian defence forces began gradually pushing the russian occupiers out of Moshchun.

Within a few days, Ukrainian units blocked Moshchun from both sides and began shelling the crossing points and concentrations of russian troops with heavy artillery. The Ukrainian army pushed the russian forces back to the Irpin River.

On March 21, the Ukrainian Armed Forces completely liberated the village of Moshchun from the russian invaders. 2000 out of 2800 houses of the village were destroyed. Bucha was liberated a few days later.

The following part is not easy to process emotionally. Please be cautious — I don’t know if you’ll be able to sleep well after imagining what happened. I personally couldn’t sleep when I found out.

Ukrainians and the world witnessed that ethnic cleansing of the Ukrainian people took place in Bucha. There were kidnappings, torture, rape (including of children), and mass executions of civilians. In total, 637 people were found murdered.

This is the theory, but earlier pre-emptive preparation for territorial defence — just a few months earlier — could have strengthened defence lines north of Kyiv, as well as in other regions of Ukraine. It could have slowed down russian advances, and possibly even saved civilian lives and the lives of fighters during those chaotic early weeks.