We are immeasurably grateful for everyone, for every country and every single person who stands with us. Thank you for not turning away. Thank you for being proudly anti-fascist.
My column today is filled with memories, with text and images from that horror-filled morning when, it appeared, our lives ended. They have enough horror, despair, hurt and sadness for a million lifetimes.
We were all paralysed, reading deplorable posts of Russian terrorists. They were celebrating taking Kyiv, Odesa, Kharkiv... laughing and screeching like rabid hyenas (no disrespect to hyenas) about finally openly having a “go ahead” from their terrorist leader to kill, to rape, to torture, to destroy. We were scared. We were hopeless. The fascist planes were in our skies, dropping bombs on our cities. Killing, killing, killing.
And then … and then our military, our heroes, our everything, stood up and gave us hope. We were all just mesmerised by their bravery, their selflessness. It was as if their voices poured into one clear message: “We will prevail. There is no other choice”. And that is why we are here today. We are all still standing behind them, but with them.
So today, still standing behind our soldiers with gratitude and love, I want to do what I can today here in this blog. I want to take this opportunity not to talk to you about the ongoing attack on your minds by neverending Russian misinformation.
This comprises bits and pieces of information, but, overall, these are facts that are easy to confirm with credible sources. We all must be vigilant and conscious of what we consume because this sort of misinformation can twist our perceptions of reality and affect the very foundations of our societies.
As we inch closer to new forms of conflict, including the terrifying potential of global war, we must recognise that misinformation isn’t just an inconvenience — it’s a tool of oppression and control. The very future of democracy and human rights hinges on our ability to discern truth from fiction.
That being said: let us learn some facts.
- Who started the war in Ukraine?
Russia. In 2014.
- Russia “has the right to demand that other countries stop arming Ukraine, because Russia is self-sufficient, while Ukraine can’t survive without help”.
All Russian weapons are made from up to 78% of foreign parts. There are almost no Russian parts in the Russian missiles and weapons used in this war. Many countries, openly and behind the scenes, arm Russia. Iran has worked for the Russian war machine for years, as did North Korea. There are now North Korean soldiers dying by the thousands on the battlefield. If other countries stopped arming Russia this war would have been over a long time ago.
- Russia “wants peace”.
Yesterday, Russia launched up to 300 Shahed drones at Ukrainian civilians. None of those drones were used in the combat zone – all were aimed at civilians. Russia kills and injures civilians every single day. Russia constantly executes POWs and posts videos online. Just a short while ago, they launched an experimental type of intermediate-range ballistic missile. The attack marked the first time such a weapon was used in a war. So, in 2023, for example, Russians launched 300 Shahed drones at civilians in three months and now that is the number for a single night. How delusional does one have to be to state that Russia is looking for peace?
- Russia “only wanted to help the people of Donbas”.
No. This isn’t international relations for morons. There isn’t a way for countries to “help”. This is called a military invasion and occupation. That is it. The full-scale military invasion in 2022 was a continuation of the crime of armed aggression that the Russian Federation had been committing against Ukraine since February 2014, when it attempted to annex and temporarily occupy the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, the city of Sevastopol, and temporarily occupied certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine.
- Russia “is a military superpower that can’t be defeated”.
Yes, Russia buys enough parts to make missiles and has ramped up the production of drones. North Korean shipments are endlessly coming in, but let’s not pretend. Headlines such as: “A Russian official explained appearance of ‘donkey forces’ on frontline” does not point to exceptional greatness. The use of donkeys by the “second-best army in the world” doesn’t indicate anything like this, I’m sure.
- Russia “doesn’t attack civilians”.
Let’s just take one city as an example. Let’s look at Kyiv – far from the frontlines and the most protected as the capital of Ukraine.
- Air alarms sounded 1,539 times;
- 1,239 residential buildings damaged. Additionally, 194 educational institutions, 41 healthcare facilities and 17 social service institutions were affected;
- The Kyiv Rescue Service made 220 trips to eliminate the aftermath of missile strikes in the capital;
- Ambulance crews made 2,729 trips to missile and drone attack sites. They assisted 1,324 victims, including 101 children;
- Today, nearly 422,700 internally displaced persons are registered in Kyiv, among them about 68,000 children;
- During air raids, the metro served as a shelter, accommodating around 70,000 Kyiv residents at a time;
- Children in Kyiv know the sound of almost every missile Russia has in its arsenal. Does any of that sound like Russia isn’t attacking civilians to you?
I have already written extensively about attacks on civilians throughout Ukraine. Not energy infrastructure to freeze people in the winter, but missiles and drone attacks specifically aimed to hit residential buildings.
Russians programmed missiles to hit the biggest children’s hospital in Kyiv. They hunt for civilians with small drones carrying explosives in Kherson. I showed you the videos. It is truly deplorable to still say Russia isn’t targeting civilians.
But, to end on a positive note, I want to share today’s message from our air defence forces. This is their gift to the world. The more we disarm the Russian terrorist army, the safer the world will be. Glory to our heroes!
Three years of great war, 11 years of Russian aggression, hundreds of years of struggle for the Ukrainian state.
Every day we record hundreds of air targets with which the occupying state terrorises our country. We repel attacks, strike back. We defend our homeland and people from Russian tyranny.
In three years, the Air Force has gone through a difficult journey. They bravely faced the first massive enemy attacks, preserved the combat potential of the Air Force, endured, and forced the Russians to leave Ukrainian skies!
Day by day, the air defence missile and radio-technical troops, communications personnel, UAV operators, EW [electronic warfare] units, and logistics of the Air Force constantly adapt to new challenges and threats, improving, gaining unique combat experience.
Ukrainian pilots are increasingly hitting the occupiers from the air using all available means — from old Soviet aircraft to mastered F-16s and Mirage-2000s.
During three years of war, in cooperation with the Ukrainian Defense Forces, the Air Force has carried out many brilliant operations to destroy enemy targets, logistics, equipment, and manpower.
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the personnel of the Air Force have been fighting alongside their comrades from other branches and types of the Armed Forces as part of the Ground Forces’ defensive component, including in the Air Force’s separate units and the Combined Infantry Brigade of the Air Force. Today, our service members are heroically fighting on the front lines with the Marine Corps, paratroopers, and in the Ground Forces brigades across various fronts.
Since February 24, 2022, in cooperation with the Ukrainian Defense Forces, 26,525 enemy air assault systems have been destroyed, including:
370 aircraft;
331 helicopters;
40 air-launched ballistic missiles Kh-47M2 “Kinzhal”;
95 ballistic missiles “Iskander-M”/KN-23;
550 cruise missiles “Kalibr”;
95 cruise missiles “Iskander-K”;
1,801 cruise missiles Kh-101/Kh-55SM/Kh-555;
460 guided aviation missiles Kh-59/Kh-69;
25 missiles of other types;
14,286 Shahed strike UAVs;
6,900 reconnaissance UAVs.
During three years, the Air Force’s tactical aviation made over 20,000 sorties: nearly 10,000 for fire strikes on the enemy and more than 12,000 for fighter aviation cover!
Glory to Ukraine!
Glory to our people! DM