600,000 people have already left Kyiv. Today we got a message from a friend - cold, realism and resilience. "Our foes will stop at nothing to inflict more suffering on Ukrainians - while they can."
Powerful testimoney from Oleksiy. The detail about camping in tents inside flats to stay warm realy cuts through all the abstract war coverage we usually get. His two conditions for leaving (no water, imminent occupation) frame resilience not as stubborn heroism but as calculated survival math. Been following energy infrastructure targeting for awhile now and its clear this is textbook asymetric warfare.
The 600K probably didn't go very far, maybe just out to where you can get a wood stove going.
And Claire is quite right: this will not nudge Ukrainians towards surrender. They don't like it, of course, but these people don't interpret such hardships as, well, hardships. They never have.
Please note, however, that Russians are exactly the same way. If someone were to shut off all power and water to Moscow for three months in the middle of winter, say, it would not change anyone's attitude to anything. This may sound impossible to us, but it's absolutely how it is.
Actually, far worse injuries that this would be ignored by both sides. In my somewhat informed opinion, I can't conceive of ANY circumstances in which either side could be induced to surrender. Not nukes, not total military annihilation, not American boots on the ground (joining either side) -- literally nothing. Makes me wonder how this will end...
Claire, thanks for posting the link to the IRC. I just sent them $500. Been thinking about it for a while. The Ukrainians have been doing the free world’s work for them. And we owe them a debt.
I hope you know I'm serious. I send money to help the people fighting the war b/c I thought that was the best way to help everyone. I just want them all to be able to live.
Thank you for sharing your experience with us. For other readers of this post, I've collated a series of reports from Ukrainians talking about how they are coping with the freeze: https://annabowles.substack.com/p/how-not-to-freeze-to-death-part-1
Powerful testimoney from Oleksiy. The detail about camping in tents inside flats to stay warm realy cuts through all the abstract war coverage we usually get. His two conditions for leaving (no water, imminent occupation) frame resilience not as stubborn heroism but as calculated survival math. Been following energy infrastructure targeting for awhile now and its clear this is textbook asymetric warfare.
Agree with you 100%
(Michael)
The 600K probably didn't go very far, maybe just out to where you can get a wood stove going.
And Claire is quite right: this will not nudge Ukrainians towards surrender. They don't like it, of course, but these people don't interpret such hardships as, well, hardships. They never have.
Please note, however, that Russians are exactly the same way. If someone were to shut off all power and water to Moscow for three months in the middle of winter, say, it would not change anyone's attitude to anything. This may sound impossible to us, but it's absolutely how it is.
Actually, far worse injuries that this would be ignored by both sides. In my somewhat informed opinion, I can't conceive of ANY circumstances in which either side could be induced to surrender. Not nukes, not total military annihilation, not American boots on the ground (joining either side) -- literally nothing. Makes me wonder how this will end...
Claire, thanks for posting the link to the IRC. I just sent them $500. Been thinking about it for a while. The Ukrainians have been doing the free world’s work for them. And we owe them a debt.
I hope you know I'm serious. I send money to help the people fighting the war b/c I thought that was the best way to help everyone. I just want them all to be able to live.
I don't have much but I keep sending donations to Ukraine's war effort. Is there a better way to help????
Suggestions, anyone?