The situation in Ukraine is terrible and is about to get worse. The highlights include:
Over 3000 Ukrainian soldiers have died and more than 4600 Ukrainian civilians. More than 200 are dead children. All these numbers are considered undercounts.
Russia is still trying to overtake the two eastern areas closest to Russia that have been fighting since 2014 but contrary to many reports, they’re still trying to take the seaport city of Mariupol and the capital Kiev. Last night they struck two industrial plants in Kiev that make and repair weapons, so it sounds like more tactical strikes are now occurring. Mariupol is on the verge of falling to the Russian troops, though there really isn’t much left to the city.
A gas line to the city of Severodonetsk has been severed. That’s a city of 120,000 that also has its water supply cut off. Another 4.6 million Ukrainians are at risk of losing water supplies too.
After more than 7 weeks of war, more than 54,000 mines have been defused or exploded. Ukraine is now asserting that Russia is mining the Black Sea around Turkey, disrupting shipping there.
As Russia and Ukraine provide a quarter of the world’s wheat supply, the UN has warned that global starvation could result. Which also means another flood of refugees roaming about seeking food.
It appears the Russians will increase their bombings shortly after Easter. At least 8 of their generals have been killed, another 20 have been imprisoned by an angry Putin and this fresh round of strikes will likely be directed by his chief commander of their war against Syrian rebels in Syria.
The war crimes continue. Though as I’ve stated before, every war is a crime against humanity. With Putin looking weak in this fight, that ego hit gives him incentive to threaten worse. Corrupt narcissists never accept defeat well, as we’ve seen here.
Does anyone still wonder why birds of a feather flock together?
Late breaking, Saturday: “At least 21,000 people have been killed in Mariupol, Ukraine, amid the Russian siege of the city, Mayor Vadym Boychenko said.”
So the civilian death toll is escalating rapidly and Putin is in favor of that.
Longtime hate group author David Neiwert has the goods on the neofascists in the Russian military and he’s always a good read.
The pandemic undercount is being corrected in several big countries, like India, Indonesia, Russia and more. Trust in government isn’t high in the US but most of the data is reliable because it’s checked and rechecked by a free press. For now.
Passover began and now comes Easter. Despite the darkness of despots, the crappiness of the coup coup for Q crowd, the terrible tallies of the pandemic and more, I’ll say it often: do not give up hope. Ever. The better answers are ahead.
Surrendering hope is the worst option always.
May this hopeful daft be our saving raft in this turgid draft.