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Predictably, much of the Western press has focused on Ukrainian diplomatic or military resistance to Russia鈥檚 invasion, such as the arming of regular citizens to patrol and protect.聽

These forces have already proven stronger than Russian President Vladimir Putin has expected and are disrupting his plans with great courage. Take . Right after their marriage vows, they proceeded to sign up with the local Territorial Defense Center to defend their country. 

History shows that successful resistance against a militarily stronger opponent often requires a wide variety of resistance, including from those who are unarmed鈥攁 role that is often given less attention, both by the mainstream media and by maniacal power-obsessed opponents.

Yet, even as Putin鈥檚 swift invasion of Ukraine has left a lot of shock, Ukrainians are showing what unarmed people can do to resist, too.

Make It Hard for the Invaders

At this moment, the Russian military playbook appears to be focusing primarily on destroying the military and political infrastructure in Ukraine. The country鈥檚 military and newly armed civilians, as heroic as they are, are known factors for Russia. Just as the Western press ignores unarmed civilian resistance, the Russian military appears unprepared and clueless to this, too.

As people move past the shock of the past few days, it鈥檚 this unarmed part of the resistance that鈥檚 gaining momentum. Ukraine鈥檚 streets agency, Ukravtodor, called for 鈥渁ll road organizations, territorial communities, local governments to immediately begin dismantling nearby road signs.鈥� They emphasized this with a photoshopped highway sign renamed: 鈥淔uck you,鈥� 鈥淎gain fuck you,鈥� and 鈥淭o Russia fuck you.鈥� Sources tell me versions of these are happening in real life. (The New York Times has  as well.)

That same agency encouraged people to 鈥渂lock the enemy by all available methods.鈥� People are using cranes to move cement blocks in the way, and .

 showed a young man using his body to physically get in the way of a military convoy as they steamrolled through the streets. Reminiscent of Tiananmen Square鈥檚 鈥淭ank Man,鈥� the man stepped in front of speeding trucks, forcing them to veer around him and off the road. Unarmed and unprotected, his act is a symbol of bravery and risk.

This was echoed again by an individual in Bakhmach who, similarly,  and repeatedly pushed against them. However, it appeared many supporters were videotaping but not participating. This is worth noting, because鈥攚hen consciously executed鈥攖hese types of actions can be rapidly built upon. Coordinated resistance can spread and move from inspirational isolated acts to decisive acts capable of rebuffing an advancing army. 

Very recent social media reports are showing this collective noncooperation. In shared videos, unarmed communities are facing down Russian tanks with apparent success. In this , for example, community members walk slowly toward the tanks, openhanded and mostly without any words. The tank driver either does not have authorization or interest in opening fire. They choose retreat. This is being repeated in small towns across Ukraine.

These communal actions are often carried out by affinity groups鈥攖iny cells of like-minded friends. Given the likelihood of repression, affinity groups can develop methods of communication (assuming the internet and cell phone service will be shut down) and keep a level of tight planning. In long-term occupations, these cells may also emerge from existing networks鈥攕chools, churches and mosques, and other institutions.

, citing Czechoslovakia, where in 1968 people also renamed signs. In one instance, hundreds of people with linked arms blocked a major bridge for hours until Soviet tanks turned around in retreat. 

The theme was total noncooperation wherever possible. Need oil? No. Need water? No. Need directions? Here鈥檚 the wrong ones. 

Militaries assume that because they have guns they can get their way with unarmed civilians. Each act of noncooperation proves them wrong. Each resistance makes every tiny goal of the invaders a hard battle. Death by a thousand cuts.

No Stranger to Noncooperation

Just ahead of the invasion, researcher Maciej Mathias Bartkowski  with insightful data on Ukrainians鈥� commitment to noncooperation. He noted a poll 鈥渏ust after the Euromaidan revolution and the capture of Crimea and the Donbas region by Russian troops, when it could be expected that Ukrainian public opinion would be strongly in favor of defending the motherland with arms.鈥� People were asked what they would do if a foreign armed occupation took place in their town.

The plurality said they would engage in civil resistance (26%), just ahead of the percentage ready to take arms (25%). The others were a mix of people who just didn鈥檛 know (19%) or said they would leave or move to another region.

Ukrainians have made clear their readiness to resist. And that should be no surprise to people familiar with Ukraine鈥檚 proud history and tradition. Most have contemporary examples in recent memory鈥攁s recounted in Netflix鈥檚 documentary Winter on Fire about the  or the  in 2004, as recounted by the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict鈥檚 film .

One of Bartkowski鈥檚 key conclusions: 鈥淧utin鈥檚 belief that Ukrainians would rather go home and do nothing in the face of military aggression may be his biggest and politically most costly miscalculation.鈥�

Weaken the Resolve of the Russian Military

Casually, people talk about the 鈥淩ussian military鈥� as if it鈥檚 a single-minded hive. But, in fact, all militaries are made up of individuals with their own stories, concerns, dreams, and hopes. U.S. government intelligence, which has been surprisingly accurate in this moment, has asserted that Putin has not achieved his goals during this first phase of attack. 

This suggests that the Russian military morale may be a little bit shaken by the resistance they鈥檝e already seen. It鈥檚 not the expected quick win. In explaining the ability of Ukraine to hold its airspace, for example, The New York Times suggested a range of factors: a more seasoned army, more mobile air defense systems, and , which appeared to hit old, unused targets. 

But if the Ukrainian armed forces begin to falter, then what?

Morale could swing back toward Russian invaders. Or they could instead find themselves met with even more resistance. 

The field of nonviolent resistance is heavy with examples of how the morale of soldiers gets reduced in the face of prolonged resistance, especially when civilians view the military as made up of human beings who can be interacted with.

Take inspiration from  in Henichesk, Kherson, region. With arms outstretched, she approaches soldiers, telling them they are not wanted here. She reaches into her pocket and takes out sunflower seeds and tries to put them in the soldier鈥檚 pocket, saying the flowers would grow when the soldiers die on this land.

She鈥檚 involved in a human moral confrontation. The soldier is uncomfortable, edgy, and reluctant to engage with her. But she stays pushy, confrontational, and no-nonsense. 

While we don鈥檛 know the outcome of this situation, scholars have noted how these types of repeated interactions shape the behavior of the opposing forces. The individuals in the military themselves are movable creatures and can have their resolve weakened. 

In other countries, this strategic insight has proven capable of causing mass mutinies. The young Serbians in Otpor regularly said to their military opponents, 鈥淵ou鈥檒l have a chance to join us.鈥� They would use a mix of humor, berating, and shame to target. In the Philippines, civilians surrounded the army and showered them with prayers, pleas, and iconic flowers in their guns. In each case, the commitment paid off, as large chunks of the armed forces refused to shoot.

In his highly relevant text , Gene Sharp explained the power of mutinies鈥攁nd civilians鈥� ability to cause them. 鈥淢utinies and the unreliability of troops in repressing the predominantly nonviolent Russian revolutions of 1905 and February 1917 were highly significant factors in the weakening and final downfall of the tsar鈥檚 regime.鈥� 

Mutinies increase as the resistance targets them, attempting to undermine their sense of legitimacy, appealing to their humanity, digging in with prolonged, committed resistance, and creating a compelling narrative that the invading force simply does not belong here.

Tiny cracks are already showing. On Saturday, in Perevalne, Crimea,  reported that 鈥渉alf of Russian conscripts ran away and did not want to fight.鈥� The lack of complete cohesion is an exploitable weakness鈥攐ne increased when civilians refuse to dehumanize them and make attempts to doggedly win them over.

Internal Resistance Is Just a Part

Of course, the civilian resistance is one piece of a very large geopolitical unfolding. 

What happens in Russia matters a great deal. Perhaps as many as  while protesting across Russia. Their courage and risk may tip a balance that reduces Putin鈥檚 hand. At the very least, it creates more space for humanizing their Ukrainian neighbors.

Protests around the world have added pressure on governments for further sanctions. These have likely contributed to the recent decision by the , the worldwide network of 11,000 banking institutions to exchange money. 

A dizzying number of corporate boycotts on Russian products have been called by a variety of sources, and some of these may yet gain speed. Already, some of the corporate pressure is paying off with Facebook and YouTube .

However this unfolds, the mainstream press cannot be relied upon to lift up stories of civilian resistance. Those tactics and strategies may have to be shared across social media and other channels.

We will honor the bravery of the people in Ukraine, as we honor those resisting imperialism in its many forms across the globe today. Because for now, while Putin appears to be counting them out鈥攖o his own peril鈥擴kraine鈥檚 secret weapon of unarmed civilian resistance is only just starting to prove its bravery and strategic brilliance.