The Ukraine War: The Latest Carnage

The offer made to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky from the White House to be evacuated from his Kiev bunker maybe construed as a back-handed complement from supposed friends.

 
Zelensky has long been courted by the Americans and the West only to be left high and dry once the Russian military invasion started after last Thursday when nearly all of his allies in western countries turned their back and said they won't rally for his support in the face of the Russian onslaught of tanks, armored missiles and and mass troops that were long stationed at the Belarus border. 

For Zelensky, a man who decided to stay in Kiev in the face of bombardment having sent family to the relative safety of the countryside , and in spite of the fact he is a wanted man on Moscow's list is a great disappointment because of the western help that is clearly not coming. 

Nevertheless, he continues to make appeals to US president Joe Biden and other European leaders that are to say the least short pf the required military help needed to push the Russians back. The only calls that have been initially answered are from Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia, former members of the Russian-dominate Warsaw Pact countries and now NATO members which is an irony in itself but will it be sufficient?

The intensity of the force of invasion - which came from all geographical sides and through different armour was a great surprise. On day one, it was thought that Kiev would fall within the first few hours. Russian troops were striding forward but they stopped on the outskirts of the city where they were apparently met with stiff resistance and were fighting is continuing. 

However, it is continuing to face major damages to civilian buildings although Russian troops are saying that they are attacking military infrastructure. However the Ukraine Health Minister Viktor Liashko said two days after the attack that 198 Ukrainians, including three children, have been killed during the Russian invasion with 1,115 people injured. 

As the bombs and tanks descended on the country people started quickly moving. Very soon all roads and public places were empty with very few movements. Ukraine has a population of 44 million yet the agitation soon set in. 

In the first two day up to 100,000 people were making their way to the western borders of Ukraine to such places as Poland, Romania, Hungry and Moldova  trying to exit the country. The United Nations estimates that at the end of the conflict - whenever that maybe - up to four million are expected to be displaced. Reports suggest also the figure is going up all the time with more than 330,000 leaving the country. In Poland the number is spiking too with 178,000 refugees entering Poland.

In addition, the great majority of the people of Kiev went "under", some hiding in their homes many in the underground system that become a supposedly place of refuge. But it is estimated as well that 50,000 people in the capital already left the city, although news about is confusing with some outlets reporting the figure for the whole country.

All this happening while the Russian troops have not yet entered the city proper and one wonders what will happen once they do. Aside from the politics for a moment, it is argued the internet has been cut off in the greater part of the country with Kiev included though checkered and unreliable.

People are in fear and anxious because of this since the net is a source of communication, a way to pass news around through the net.

The situation is changing very quickly with news suggesting pro-Russian groups are fighting in the capital. In the fourth day nothing is clear yet with more dead and injured. The Ukraine authorities say around 3,500 Russian soldiers are already killed and/or injured although this is not being confirmed who are refusing to talk about figures. Fighting is continuing in many parts of the country with losses on both sides. Russia has lost 146 tanks, 27 aircrafts and 26 helicopters. Could this be a minor figure? Television networks suggest around 100 Russian tanks have been destroyed so far. 

As the war gets under way, NATO countries are now moving to provide military hardware to Ukraine. Germany, Netherlands are Belgium are sending military hardware to Ukraine to defend themselves, including anti-tank weapons, stinger missiles, rifles and machine guns. Maybe the heavy duty weapons are still to come.

 Russia is also being hit by soft-power measures starting from its financial system being denied SWIFT banking transaction operations through to being banned from different games and with many countries, especially from the European side refusing Russian civilian planes to fly over their space. The USA is already applying sanctions on Putin and his Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. 

On the political side, the UN passed a resolution condemning Russian intervention in Ukraine and which the Russian representative vetoed. As well, Russia at least answered Zelensky's appeal to sit at the negotiating table. This is still in the pipeline, especially the meeting is to take place in Belarus and there are safety about the Ukraine delegation. But posturing aside, many think this maybe a good time to get to the negotiating table and talk.