Day 827 of the Russo-Ukrainian War
The pain of losses. Yet hope remains.
Today is one of those days when it's simply difficult to cope with reality. It's a day that bursts into an inability to accomplish much, except to unload everything that's accumulated over the past days by writing it here.
The first news I saw today was the death of Iryna Iryna Tsybukh, a paramedic in the Hospitaliers, who joined the defence forces at the beginning of the invasion.
It hurt so much! Any loss of precious human life burns the heart. But when this person was a progressive and proactive member of Ukrainian society, such a loss devastates morally and physically even more.
Here is a glimpse of the light that she was radiating to all of us (the video has English subtitles)
«I went to the war because my country was being taken away from me»
«What the best thing I could do now, on February 24, is to save the lives of soldiers»
«Before the war, I often went to the Donetsk and Lunask regions to tell children about the Revolution of Dignity»
«We organised children and spoke a lot about democracy and equality»
«Ukraine is close to you»
«If the war had not happened, I would have studied children's education».
All that is gone. As was said in one of Maksym "Dali" Kryvtsov verses «Here was a human one day». Many of such admirable people were killed by Russian Fascism. And it’s not only a human tragedy as any war is, it is a civilisation tragedy as exactly the people who were on the first lines defending Ukraine are the people who were the agents of progress, democratic changes and humanity. It’s a human capital that requires unique conditions to be raised. And when it’s being wiped out then it turns into a tremendous loss for the entire Europe not only Ukraine.
Yet the war continues.
The end of the Ukrainian counter-offensive, the seizure of the initiative by Russia, the transition of the Russian military industry to wartime production, and the simultaneous delay in the approval of military aid to Ukraine by the US Congress are factors that have led to a new paradigm of war. In the foreseeable future, there is no longer a direct path to victory through successful large-scale counter-offensive operations, as was the case in the autumn of 2022. Ukraine is once again fighting for survival. If a failure in the offensive can lead to the loss of an opportunity to liberate territories, then a failure in the defence will result in the occupation of new territories, the destruction of cities and villages that were previously at a relatively safe distance from the front, and, in the realisation of Russia's maximalist goals, the loss of an independent Ukraine. 1
The window of opportunity for Russian forces in this offensive will start to narrow closer to the end of summer when newly mobilized and trained Ukrainian troops begin to arrive in units. 2
Many Western technological supplies for cruise missiles continue their way into Russia from companies such as Fagima Jazz R (Italy), Automator (Italy), Hottinger GmbH (Germany).3 And the US officially agrees that more action is needed to make the sanctions effective both economically and militarily.
Meanwhile, despite heated debates in Ukraine about the new mobilisation law, it has turned out to be more of a media image that does not have much in common with reality. The reality is that approximately 1.3m people have registered in Reserv+, the system developed by the Ministry of Defence to assist in more effective and swift mobilisation. This signals the willingness of the people to resist and cooperate with the government to help defend the state.
Among the news that came firsthand from people I know, my old friends, there are a few stories worth telling. In one city near the Azov Sea, Russians are forcing people out of their homes with plans to place either military personnel or people from Russia there. The premise for them to do this might be the fact that the property owners have left the city and it’s their relatives who live there. That is more than enough for them to claim the property.
Another thing I heard from my very close friend who lives in Poltava is that many people are leaving Kharkiv and heading west. It’s very tough there. Russians have been terrorising the city for at least the last month, heavily shelling civil infrastructure multiple times per day.
Meanwhile recently launched Russian offensive on the north-east of Kharkiv is destroying one more Ukrainian town Vovchansk.
Ukraine needs more air defence systems to shield the city from Russian aviation that launches gliding bombs. Additionally, Ukraine requires a green light from the US to use the provided weaponry on Russian territory.
The war continues. The wounds are bleeding. Yet the hope remains.
https://texty.org.ua/fragments/112587/fortyfikaciyi-ne-lyshe-sprava-vijskovyh-prahnennya-kopatysya-maye-staty-chastynoyu-novoyi-nacionalnoyi-ideyi-poglyad/
My heart goes out to you. My heart goes out to all who have lost loved ones, colleagues, friends, and heroes. My heart is with everyone in Ukraine.
I leave in a few days to volunteer there. This will be my second trip, and I will be providing trauma support for civilians. My first trip cracked my heart open, leaving much more room for caring. My upcoming trip will be another short visit and I wish it could be much longer.
I believe that prayers and thoughts need to be accompanied by action (whatever that action may look like for each person). I am grateful that my action can be--with the help of many--putting my skills to use in Ukraine. I share what I saw there in February with everyone I can, so they can hear how horrific Russia's brutality is, and so they can make a personal connection to what is happening in Ukraine.
Again, I feel blessed.