A group of tough and determined men are ready to commit their lives to defending Ukraine. They will be trained under the guidance of experienced instructors from the personnel training battalion of First Corps Azov of the National Guard of Ukraine.
Over the course of the program, recruits will drill combat survival skills until they become second nature, and learn to operate weapons and military equipment. But before beginning the Basic Combat Training Course, they must first pass an initial test and prove their character.
The photos show First Corps Azov recruits on Zero Day — the traditional opening of the BCTC. Their objective today is to find the limits of their own capabilities and condition both body and mind for weeks of intensive training under sustained stress — both physical and psychological.