Wars.Ukrainians.Humanity

Thoughts from Kyiv — afternoon March 3, 2022

March 2022
1 minute read

Russia’s invasion started one week ago. During this week Russia has lost over 9000 men and massive amounts of equipment. Their mobile crematoria are working at full capacity, and Ukrainian railways have organized 20 special refrigerated cars to ship bodies back to Russia.

Putin’s attempted Blitzkreig can now be officially declared a Blitzfail (thank you Валерій Пекар for this term).

The ground offensive around Kyiv has effectively ground to a halt. The situation in the south of the country is very difficult, and Russian advances continue from the northeast, but the Ukrainian Army has launched successful counter-attacks in the Donbas moving forward into Horlivka near Donetsk.

Civilian mobilization is near total throughout the country. Some isolated incidents of collaboration between local village administrations and invading troops have been reported, but resistance in large urban centers is determined and well organized.

Putin’s attempted Blitzkreig can now be officially declared a Blitzfail.

The Pentagon reports that additional ground troops are not being moved by Russia into the Ukrainian theatre. Obviously, aircraft and rocket forces need not be moved forward.

The war has now shifted to a “Syria” style conflict: Russian planes and rockets will continue bombing Ukraine’s cities on a nightly basis. Images of Syria’s Aleppo are now increasingly becoming our reality. Russia’s tactical aim now seems to be to destroy infrastructure and civilian targets in Ukraine’s cities. This is now a war of attrition.

Although Ukraine has obtained massive amounts of military and economic assistance from our western friends, our key appeal for a no-fly zone over Ukraine remains unrealized. As a result, again tonight civilians will die.

The world’s Number 1 Terrorist has successfully frightened western leaders with his nuclear capability. Despite claims that the West refuses to be held hostage to terrorists, this is exactly what has happened. Putin’s threat (likely a bluff) has worked. Western leaders are reluctant to engage militarily because they are afraid. The terrorist has won. Hopefully, temporarily.

At this point the war in Ukraine has grown well beyond its regional confines. The world has mobilized economic and diplomatic sanctions, and we are grateful for that support, but Putin’s threat is not going away soon.

Russia’s isolation will cause hardship to its population, but it is unlikely to dislodge Putin from power. Putin is no democrat. The wellbeing of his citizens does not concern him. Russians who protest are jailed. Oligarchs who protest are killed.

No negotiated “off ramp” exists in war with Russia. Putin wants to control Ukraine. Ukrainians want the Russians to get out of their country. That does not leave much room for negotiation.

The only way to achieve peace (in Ukraine and beyond) is to remove Putin from power. Putin started this war without provocation. He is holding the world hostage. He is a terrorist.

That’s the message that needs to be spread to western leaders:

1) Don’t be hostage to the terrorist: #Ukrainians deserve #noflyzoneoverUkraine

2) There will be no peace in the world until Putin is removed: #regimechangeinRussia

God help us all!

* Thoughts from Kyiv is a series of flash essays by Mychailo Wynnyckyj from February 2022

Author — Mychailo Wynnyckyj, Social Scientist, Public Intellectual. Academic Development Officer, Professor at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.

Content Editor: Maryna Korchaka

Program Directors: Julia Ovcharenko and Demyan Om Dyakov Slavitsky

Demyan Om Flash essays Julia Ovcharenko Make The Strong Stronger Maryna Korchaka Mychailo Wynnyckyj Thoughts from Kyiv we recommend

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