"Grassroots volunteer initiatives, such as the Volunteer Formations of Territorial Communities (DFTG), must become the foundation of every community's safety, thereby strengthening Ukraine’s resilience," — emphasised Oleksandra Azarkhina, Head of Defence Industries Initiatives at the ESCU, during the conference "NATO and Ukraine: Lessons on Strategy, Deterrence, and Shaping", organised by NATO Allied Command Transformation (ACT) in partnership with Wilton Park (an executive agency of the UK FCDO) and the Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI).
She explained that the DFTG serves as a localised, auxiliary component of the National Resistance system. A distinct feature of these formations is the participation of civilians who sign a "Volunteer Contract" rather than being mobilised into the army, focusing specifically on the security of their communities. Developing such a civil defence system in the rear will allow the Armed Forces to fully concentrate on the frontline.
