UKRAINE DIARY
We are the nation. We are Ukrainians.
EVGEN KULIKOV
UKRAINE DIARY: From 53rd Day to 64th day of WAR
Everyone knows that on February 24, 2022, Russia launched a massive war on us.
[ EVGEN KULIKOV, citizen of Ukraine narrates the situation of the unimaginable and unprecedented bloody situation of Ukraine from a unique angle from the 3rd day of the war started by Russia. Evgen Kulikov beautifully crafts the days of pain, horror, uncertainty, death, bombings, exodus, resistance, fighting, and many more in the UKRAINE DIARY. Evgen requests readers of www.mahabahu.com to read his pages – so that readers can feel the situation from this part of the world too. Editor, Mahabahu]
Today is the 53rd day of WAR in Ukraine.
The battle for eastern Ukraine is coming.
The fact that Ukraine won the battle for Kyiv doesn’t guarantee by default we will repeat easily the same in the east. Another weather, another landscape, shorter logistic chains for invaders, high level of concentrations of their troops on a specific direction, Russians may use another tactic. All that makes the task for Ukrainian forces more difficult.
However currently a number of factors is helping us.
The specific terrain may become a constrain for offensive actions of Russians.
Ukrainian forces have created there well equipped fortifications, it has been a war zone since 2014.
The area is crisscrossed by many small water features, making logistics of large offensive armada a hard ball.
Thanks to rainy days now (and more ahead) everything beyond asphalt roads turned into mud.
So the landscape, rain and mud are allies of Ukraine in the east.
That causes delays for Russian large offensive operation and that allows Ukrainian forces to redeploy and to attack Russian convoys as it was done in the north.
Despite concentrating large armada of vehicles, Russians are reported to have huge issue with replenishment of manpower.
To address lack of manpower invaders may declare the martial law and general mobilization in Russia, while so far only hidden mobilization has taken place.
But inside Russia general mobilization may lead to negative social consequences that are the reason so far it has been avoided.
Enjoying the small victorious “special operation” on TV and participating the war personally are two different things.
Even if it happens, it will change nothing for Ukraine.
Meanwhile Ukrainian forces still resist in Mariupol even though they are concentrated now only in the territory of metallurgical plant Azovstal and in the port of Mariupol.
Glory to defenders of Mariupol!
We see more and more evidences of partisan actions in the occupied south of Ukraine. Soldiers of Russia in fact control only towns and roads there, not the territory.
Ukrainian partisans not only act solely but also coordinate their actions with Security Service of Ukraine and Ukrainian Army.
This is our land.
May, 9, the sacred date for Russian propaganda and Putin personally is coming. They need some victory to sell it to internal zombie-audience.
We will not allow it to happen.
We are the nation. We are Ukrainians!
# # #
Today is the 54th day of WAR in Ukraine.
Famous mural in Rivne, Ukraine.
This morning started for Ukraine traditionally with air alerts.
Another missiles strikes on Lviv, Dnipro and Kyiv region.
Last weekend we had missile strikes on living districts in Kharkiv.
Shelling of towns in Luhansk and Donetsk regions simply doesn’t stop at all.
We do not have a single day without missile strikes destroying our country and killing our people.
54 days in a row, starting from 24th of February, each person in Ukraine lives with the knowledge that any moment the missiles may start falling from the sky around him.
Wherever you are. Large city or a small village. On a road or in the basement.
There is no safe place in Ukraine.
That is our life…
The violence that came on our land has become unfortunately the daily routine for us.
People around us die every day, the number of deaths of civilians is counted by thousands.
We get used to death around us. There is nothing normal in this but this is true.
We are not the same people who we were before 24th of February.
The missiles destroy our homes, economy of our country, turn into ruins schools, kinder gardens, hospitals and churches.
But the missiles can’t break our spirit.
Those missiles strikes, despite all the damage they cause, can’t stop our warriors.
Those missiles can’t stop us from speaking Ukrainian.
Those missiles can’t stop us from thinking freely.
Those missiles can’t turn us into slaves.
We will not tolerate raping of our women and children.
We will not tolerate genocide of Ukrainians.
We will not tolerate occupation.
We are not voiceless and silent victims, paralyzed by the fear.
We have the weapons in our hands.
We have the country.
We have the will.
We are the nation. We are Ukrainians!
# # #
Today is the 55th day of WAR in Ukraine.
This night eastern and southern Ukraine shuddered from missile and artillery strikes of Russians, who keep preparing and on some directions have already started massive offensive operations. Objective of invaders is to capture entirely Donetsk and Luhansk regions in the east and to keep in their hands Kherson in the south.
Positions of Ukrainian defenders in Azovstal plant in Mariupol are attacked non-stop with the heaviest weapons in hands of Russians, including Tu-22M3 strategic bombers. In comments to previous posts somebody raised the question what exactly Ukrainian forces defend there.
Explaining in details why Ukrainian troops are fighting for Azovstal:
– Russians want to establish full control over the territory of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, that is one of the goals. They failed to capture Kyiv and establish control over most of territory of Ukraine, now they are trying to gain local success
– Mariupol is the key obstacle on the way to arrange safe land corridor from Russia to Crimea, they do not need the city itself, they do not need it’s metallurgical plants, they do not care about number of victims among civilians
– until the moment Mariupol, even if limited to Azovstal plant only, remains a Ukrainian stronghold, Russians can’t feel themselves safe in the whole Azov Sea region and can’t use port of Mariupol for their military purposes
– the city has been encircled and seized for many weeks, it has been destroyed by Russian artillery and air strikes street by street, house by house to limit capacity of Ukrainian troops to maneuver
– the defenders of the city were forced to concentrate in the most protected areas of the city. Azovstal is exactly that kind of place, it is large industrial territory. The plant was almost fully destroyed during WWII and rebuilt after it. Imagine wall thickness and the scale of structures there…
– Russians hurry up since they want to make the parade in Mariupol on May, 9 to sell some victorious narrative to own TV-audience, but all the attempts of Russians to attack Azovstal by troops failed, so now it is heavy bombing
– Ukrainian troops there are encircled, but do not want to surrender, nobody has any illusions of what expects them in hands of Russians… or after Bucha you still believe Russians heard anything about Geneva Conventions?
– Ukrainain warriors, who turned Azovstal plant into fortress, protect their lives and the lives of those civilians who hide there from Russian bombs, missiles and butchers. They desperately need military help, since their human and military resources are not endless.
If you ask, is there any way to help them, please follow the link and donate.
https://lnkd.in/eywG4QZV
If you worry, that you can’t help much, just remember that many Ukrainians lost their jobs but keep giving their last money to help Ukrainian soldiers.
We are the Nation. We are Ukrainians! We are Mariupol!
# # #
Today is the 56th day of WAR in Ukraine.
A kid on a photo from Chernihiv is playing in the street.
One photo to explain what have happened to us.
Our kids have become several years older during these 55 days.
For millions of them childhood is over.
For thousands of them their fathers will remain only on the photos, in memories and in the stories about this war.
For all of them this nightmare still continues.
Their games will never be the same again.
They are children of war.
The war continues.
Negotiations are de-facto dead after Massacre in Bucha, we realized the same was happening in all occupied territories.
There is no diplomatic way out at this stage.
The configuration of future peace will be decided on the battlefield.
Now it is the war of coordination, logistics capabilities and command-and-control.
It can’t be won only by heroism and self-sacrifice of Ukrainian warriors, even though we have been evidencing them every day.
New phase of war requires different weapons.
And we see this materializing.
Another packages of military supplies coming to Ukraine are different from what we saw during first days of the war.
Ukrainian soldiers proved they will not run from the battlefield leaving weapons to russians, so now we can rely on supplies of heavier weapons.
US, UK and Canada announced supplies of long range artillery. Good.
Tanks, armored vehicles, anti-aircraft missiles systems. Good.
Spare parts for fighter jets. Could be better but also good.
New sanctions (which are also the weapon) against Russian economy. Good. Go for it.
Cruise missiles launched by Russians every day on Ukrainian military, civil and railroad infrastructure can slow down this flow but can’t stop it.
Courage wins battles, logistics win wars.
We will win.
With old and new weapons supplied by allies.
With courage in hearts of our warriors.
With wooden rifles in hands of our kids.
We are the nation. We are Ukrainians!
# # #
Today is the 57th day of WAR in Ukraine.
I’m Ukrainian. I was born here. I have been living in Ukraine all my life. My family is here. My parents are here. My kids are here.
I’m not a distant observer sitting relaxed in a safe country.
I am in Ukraine.
Putin started this war in 2014 with annexation of Crimea and by bringing the war to the eastern part of Ukraine.
Pseudo-referendums on occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts of Ukraine were followed by announcing there pseudo-republics and establishing puppet government under control of Russia.
Since 2014 that has been a “frozen conflict” with periods of fragile ceasefire.
The war was initiated back in 2014 and then during all these 8 years it has been sponsored and fueled by Russia.
57 days ago Putin tried to copy paste Crimea annexation, but this time at larger scale, this time targeting most of Ukraine and aiming to have puppet government in Kyiv.
But he failed.
Back in 2014 we were disorganized, weak and alone.
Since 2014 our army has become much stronger, and you see the results on the battlefields.
Since 2014 our society has become much more consolidated.
Since 2014 we have become less naïve.
And right now, during last 57 days the speed of all these processes have increased ten times. No more rose-tinted glasses.
Currently Russia is preparing pseudo-referendums in occupied southern regions of Ukraine and have concentrated most of its army in the east of Ukraine for the decisive battle.
They will fail.
We will not allow another pseudo-republics and another frozen conflicts to happen on our land.
We were building roads, cultivating crops, producing metals and developing IT industry.
One may say we should have better prepared ourselves for the war instead of building roads and that is the sad truth I agree.
We resist to a powerful war machine driven by a man who declares that Ukraine as a free country never existed and its territory must become a part of his empire.
We will prove he is wrong and his time is over.
We will keep on fighting for our land, our homes, our children and our future.
And this time we are not alone.
We are the nation. We are Ukrainians!
# # #
Today is the 58th day of WAR in Ukraine.
Morgue in Bucha.
The bodies of Ukrainians murdered by Russian soldiers are delivered here after all expertise and exhumation. Some of them unfortunately are impossible to recognize and identify. The concentration of the grief and despair at this place is at such level that you can literally feel it in the air.
More than 1000 bodies of civilians were already found in Kyiv oblast after pushing russian invaders out of it. Many bodies are still to be extracted from under destroyed buildings.
Seized Mariupol will appear 20 times larger tragedy, its scale is not fully visible now only because there is no free access of independent media there. But satellite images of mass graves near town Mangush, 20 km from Mariupol promise nothing but new level of horror which will be soon revealed.
Invaders are now trying to hide the traces of their war crimes, but since it is about mass killing of such scale, the truth will be revealed after liberation of Mariupol.
Russian forces declared victory in the battle for Mariupol and will attempt to starve out defenders of the city who keep on defending the stronghold, Azovstal Metallurgical plant.
It is not the first time Russians gladly report Mariupol is over but the fact is that Mariupol is still Ukraine, even if limited to Azovstal territory only.
Heroism of defenders of Mariupol has already become a legend.
And it doesn’t allow Russians to withdraw their forces from Mariupol and to redeploy them to the battle for Donbas. The battle, which is gaining momentum now…
Several strikes by cruise missiles on cities Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia targeted railroad bridges over the Dnipo river. The strikes aimed to cut ability of Ukrainian forces to make large scale supplies to the eastern part of Ukraine.
Shelling of hospital in town Liman, located at the front line in the eastern Ukraine, doesn’t require additional explanations. Hospitals, schools, churches, railroad stations full of children and women, passenger cars with civilians trying to evacuate have been the targets for russian invaders since the beginning.
A word about sanctions and how they are related to Ukrainians killed in the cars, trying to escape from war.
Armoured vehicles of Russia captured nearby Kyiv, namely BMD 4, were equipped with modern fire control systems based on technology and components sold by French company Thales.
Watch this 5 min investigation.
https://lnkd.in/eHErSSbv
We are the nation. We are Ukrainians!
# # #
Today is the 59th day of WAR in Ukraine.
Shelter under Azovstal, Mariupol.
It is a long video, 10 minutes; I will guide you through it.
Ukrainian soldiers go to one of the shelters.
They pass by the several writing “ДЕТИ” (Children) on the walls while going several levels underground.
Shelter is full of children and women, most of them are wearing work clothes branded “Metinvest”, since Azovstal Metallurgical Plant is part of Metinvest holding.
Soldiers brought them some food and drinks and the one with camera is filming small interviews.
People tell their stories, explaining how long they have been hiding here.
Some of them speak Ukrainian, some of them speak Russian.
People on the video say it is April 21, that was 2 days ago.
All the stories are quite similar like “…we hide here from bombs, almost 2 months already, we have less and less food, we lack water, all this time we have not seen the sky, we need safe humanitarian corridor to leave the city…”
Some of adults are workers of the plant. Some of people are wives or kids of workers of Azovstal, some of them just went to this place because their houses were destroyed by russian bombs, .
They are desperate, but they have not lost their hope.
Next time you hear Kremlin propaganda about Nazi hiding in Azovstal watch this video.
https://lnkd.in/dr9b6aja
We need all possible military supplies, all political efforts, all sanctions pressure to stop Putin, throw out Russian invaders from Ukraine and help these children see the sky again.
We are the children of Mariupol!
We are the nation. We are Ukrainians!
# # #
Today is the 60th day of WAR in Ukraine.
Easter in Ukraine. Instead of holiday we have the holy war.
Yesterday several Russian cruise missiles stroke on Odesa. One of those missiles hit an apartment building. 8 people were killed and at least 18 injured. Among those who died were 3 month old girl, her mother and grandmother.
Initially Russians denied the strike on the apartment building, declaring they hit only military targets, but numerous photos and videos from the place of this tragedy leave no doubt.
Later Russians started to say that the missile hit the building because it was shot by air defense. That is another lie of Russian propaganda.
Watch 20 seconds video.
https://lnkd.in/dneBwJCF
Meanwhile some Russian generals voice their dreams of capturing the whole south of Ukraine, including Mykolaiv and Odesa, in order to arrange land corridor to Moldova.
They have no chance to see those dreams come true.
Ukraine receives more and more military supplies from democratic countries.
Not only portable weapons but also heavy weapons.
Not only old soviet tanks, but also modern weapons like 155mm artillery.
They are vital for the current phase of war.
Such supplies will allow Ukraine to replenish own machinery that was destroyed during this war.
But what is more important the supplies of modern weapons are facilitating the modernization of Ukrainian Armed Forces making them each day closer to NATO standards.
It is not about the 155mm artillery only.
It is about logistics, command and control, intelligence, standards of military training and so on. All those aspects which make Ukrainian forces stronger and more effective.
We are evolving very fast.
We are not post-soviet country.
We are not the part of ex-USSR perimeter.
We are not the “zone of interests” of Russia.
Forget all those stupid clichés.
We are independent democratic country which fights for own freedom on its own land against brutal invasion of totalitarian state.
We have the power, the will and the weapons to win this war .
We are the nation. We are Ukrainians!
# # #
Today is the 62nd day of WAR in Ukraine.
Cruise missiles strikes on our cities are part of our daily reality.
Those missiles are launched by Russians from own territory, from strategic bombers, from the ships in Black Sea and since recently even from submarines.
Several last days Ukraine suffered from very intensive strikes.
One may say it was an attempt to demonstrate Russia’s ability to disrupt western aid shipments after Lloyd Austin and Antony Blinken’s visit to Kyiv over the weekend.
But first of all, putting symbolism aside, they seek to disrupt Ukrainian reinforcements and logistics.
Ukraine manages to shot down part of those missiles, but still most of them reach their targets causing damages and killing our people.
Ukraine is working on improvement of the air defense system.
It is not about just receiving a thousand of Stingers or obtaining one division of S-300 or receiving some brand new radar systems from allies.
It is about complex measures.
Troops need to be saturated with portable systems but also with mobile air defense systems.
We need to increase effectiveness of early warning and selection of targets.
We need strengthening of radar detection field.
Different techniques must be connected into a single system with high level of automation. Personnel must be properly trained to operate new types of systems.
Closing the sky is a complex exercise, very costly and it requires a lot of time, especially when you need to cover large territory, many strategic objects and very long front line.
A lot of work ahead. It is not as simple as helmets and body armor.
No magic pill and no easy way.
We will keep on living in reality when Russian cruise missiles can kill you any moment, regardless if you are a soldier in Mykolaiv, truck driver in Lviv, firefighter in Vinnitsa or a 3-month-old baby girl in Odesa.
Meanwhile the battle for Donbass is gaining momentum. Tough days ahead.
There is no sign Russians will drop their idea of capturing Ukraine.
There is no sign the invasion can be stopped by diplomacy.
There is no sign the war will end up soon.
We have no other choice to save our freedom but to win this war on the battlefield.
We must have the strong shield and the sharp sword.
We will have it and we will win.
We are the nation. We are Ukrainians!
# # #
Today is the 63rd day of WAR in Ukraine.
Ukraine has been resisting Russian invasion 60 days longer than it was forecasted.
In the eastern Ukraine, despite having concentrated there huge number of troops and armor, russian invaders are making only little progress on some directions. With all their massive artillery shelling and air advantage Russians are not able to reach their strategic goals while sacred for their propaganda May, 9 is already very close.
The only thing which allows Russians to have some advances on Ukrainian territory is that Ukrainian forces seriously lack artillery shells.
That is a well-known issue and the work in this direction is going full speed.
Ongoing and announced by allies supplies of 155m artillery will help to close this gap and even to receive advantage thanks to longer range.
Yesterday’s unprecedented meeting in Rammstein confirms major shift in military supplies from episodic to synchronized and coordinated.
Participants confirmed their readiness to sustain aid to Ukraine throughout this phase of war and beyond.
No doubt Ukraine will win this war, the only question is when and at which price.
Ukraine needs long-range air defense systems, fighter jets, tanks and multiple-launch rocket systems to win faster.
Ambitious? Yes!
Possible? Yes!
What sounded like a dream 2 months ago is turning into reality now.
Delivery of all needed weapons to Ukraine is a matter of weeks, not days, but we already passed the point of no return.
The brook is turning into full-flowing river.
Putin may dream of parade of Russian forces in Ukrainian cities on May, 9.
His generals may plan capturing all the southern Ukraine and opening of 2nd front in Transnistria, non-recognised pseudo-republic on the territory of Moldova.
His occupational forces may arrange pseudo-referendums in occupied Ukrainian territories declaring new artificial republics.
All those Russian dreams and plans will not change the fact that Ukraine has already gained strategic advantage in this war and during coming days and weeks it will be more and more obvious.
We have a long way ahead of us to win this war.
We feel support of the democratic world.
We are strong, angry and united.
We are the nation. We are Ukrainians!
# # #
Today is the 64th day of WAR in Ukraine.
Ukraine keeps on fighting against Russian invasion and Russian propaganda.
I will share with you what is happening on occupied by Russia Ukrainian territories, using the example of Kherson, the city in the south of Ukraine.
Pro-Ukrainian demonstrations that gathered hundreds of people in the main square of Kherson during first days of occupation now reduced to several dozens of people only.
Occupation forces are stepping up “filtration measures”, targeting men of military age, former military and law enforcement personnel, and pro-Ukrainian activists.
Citizens are kidnapped for interrogation, tortures and executions.
Peaceful pro-Ukrainian demonstrations are attacked with stun grenades and gas.
Ukrainian TV broadcasting and Ukrainian mobile operators are disconnected and instead Russian TV is turned on.
People trying to leave the city and escape to Ukrainian territory are not allowed to do so.
For own TV-zombie audience Russians make staged videos and tell how people of Kherson are happy that Russian forces came and liberated them from being Ukrainians.
Occupation forces launched Russian currency as a payment instrument.
They plan to conduct “referendum” to announce “pseudo-republic” and/or annexation of this occupied territory by Russia.
How can we fight against it? How can we make Ukrainian flag flutter again over Kherson?
Maybe we need to come with flowers in our hands and Russian soldiers will stop killing Ukrainians? No.
Maybe we need to rely on diplomacy? No.
Wait, maybe we need to rely on the United Nations?
Well, this war proved UN is absolutely useless, so next time you are depressed because there is little how you can help Ukraine, just recall UN.
Ukraine can liberate own territories and own people from Russians only by defeating invaders on the battlefield and making them escape from Ukraine.
That requires accumulation of forces and replenishment of armored vehicles, aircrafts, air defense systems and artillery that requires supplies, supplies and supplies.
That requires time.
But the countdown has already started.
The time of Ukrainian offensive operations to liberate own occupied territories is coming.
We will see Ukrainian flag fluttering not only in Kherson but in all Ukrainian cities.
We will end up the era of Russian propaganda.
We are the nation. We are Ukrainians!
Read Ukraine Diary: Today is the 52nd Day of War in Ukraine
08-06-2022
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