As the war between Ukraine and Russia continues, the very nature of war is changing in front of our eyes.

On March 5, in a Saturday address sent out on his official Telegram channel, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that the nation had "withstood the blow" of the Russian advance. He once again called for citizens to take up arms and push back against Russian forces.

Meanwhile, private citizens in the U.S. and Poland are organizing the strategic supply of combat gear and medical supplies for the Ukrainian resistance. A retired Navy Colonel, experienced in national security affairs and supply line logistics, is aiding with the real-time coordination of these supplies. He has also arranged the successful evacuation of vulnerable civilians from the region. Colonel Jim, who has asked to keep his last name anonymous for his own safety, described the evolving war effort.

“Because of things like social media and other platforms, we're able to communicate, we're able to coordinate, we're able to synchronize things that could never happen before,” Colonel Jim said. Using encrypted messaging and the fast transaction speed of cryptocurrency, the Colonel said he was able to coordinate a deal for 2,000 pieces of armor to be sent to Ukraine in less than five minutes, and he “was able to coordinate funding just as fast.”

Colonel Jim was able to send out the materials in a partnership with a supplier called Zavod. In an open letter sent on March 7, Zavod urged for the private supply of body armor, tactical helmets and medical kits to a Ukrainian civilian militia called The Teroborona, which translates to civil defense.

Zavod directly addressed its network of veterans, ex-police officers, special ops forces and enthusiasts. “Please do your part in defending democracy and liberating Ukraine from this unprecedented aggression,” they wrote in the letter.

Citizens throughout Ukraine are contributing to the war effort in search and rescue, dispersal of humanitarian supplies and in combat, AP reported. One Ukrainian, Xena Solo, provides real-time information via her live TikTok stream, a practice which Colonel Jim says is a revolutionary advancement. “Everybody becomes a potential sensor or an intelligence asset,” he said. “Getting raw, real intelligence from any person on the planet that's holding a cell phone that can record a geocached video changes the whole face of war.”

Though civilian casualties are common, and the Russian military is having some success in the southern regions of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Army and its citizens are putting forth a resistance according to AP.

“They're creating asymmetric weapons like catapults to fire Molotov cocktails. They’re being very creative and really taking the fight to the Russians,” Colonel Jim said. “And it's everyday people. From offices, from bakeries, you name it. It's just people defending the homeland.”

Colonel Jim explained the advantage of providing resources directly to the Teroborona militias. They, in turn, do not need to request supplies from the government that are otherwise intended for the Army. The civilian militias can continue to supply themselves, and be impactful, without becoming a burden to the army which is trying to fight the bigger war.

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