Euromaidan (you are a Bereutv member)

Status: Zone of special national importance. Defense of administrative buildings is a direct order from command. Retreat is considered a failure of the defense.
Conditions: Days on foot without proper sleep, hot meals served in snatches behind the lines, a cold February wind, tire smoke soaking into uniforms and clinging to skin and lungs. A feeling of isolation from the rest of the world, where everyday life goes on.

Street: Narrow streets of the government quarter (Institutskaya, approaches to the Verkhovna Rada and the Cabinet of Ministers), blocked by protesters' barricades made of bags of snow, tires and construction debris.
Protesters' weapons: Paving stones torn from the street; Molotov cocktails (bottles filled with a Molotov cocktail that leave a burning sticky mixture on shields and uniforms); powerful fireworks and firecrackers filled with nuts; homemade shields and sticks.
Crowd psychology: Incessant roar, metal barrel fighting, shouting, use of laser pointers blinding fighters through their visors.

Helmet: "Maska-1Shch" or similar military helmet with a rigid steel visor, protecting against flying rocks and impacts from rebar. The face is often covered in soot.
Protection: A set of hard impact-resistant "Zona-M" or "Bogomol" pads (knee pads, elbow pads, torso protection) worn under warm clothing. In winter, this makes you a bit clumsy, but it protects you from injury.
Shield: A heavy metal or polycarbonate frame shield (Vitazh-T). It makes your hand go numb after just half an hour of standing in the cold.
Weapons: Special restraining devices (PUS-7 rubber truncheons), tear gas. Firearms are issued strictly upon command in the event of an immediate threat to life.