Territorial defence is, above all, a people's movement for the security of their city or region, according to Oleksiy Lapin, instructor and division manager at Ukrainian Legion NGO, member of the working group on territorial defence at the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine.
He was speaking at a roundtable entitled "Development of Ukraine's territorial defence: ways and opportunities for boosting potential" co-organised by Gorshenin Institute and the Ukrainian Security Studies Institute.
"The main driver of territorial defence is a citizen, a member of the public. These are patriotic public organizations that are the force that can change the population's perception of their commitments to the state and their family," he said.
"The system of territorial defence cannot be created by an order from above. There will be no territorial defence without grassroots initiative and desire to train during one's leisure time and to take responsibility," Lapin added.