
See here for
essential background: http://hpanwo-tv.blogspot.com/2022/02/ukraine-crisis.html.
I came home from work today and gasped when I saw what has
happened. I never thought I would write the words in the title of this post.
The mainstream media warned that it was coming, but I assumed President Putin
was playing a different and more subtle game. Instead, his strategy is actually
far simpler. As dawn broke, explosions were heard in
Kiev
and shortly afterwards the Ukrainian foreign minister Tweeted:
"Putin has just launched a full-scale
invasion of Ukraine. Peaceful Ukrainian cities are under strikes. This is a war of
aggression. Ukraine will defend itself and will win. The world can and must stop Putin.
The time to act is now." Reports then emerged of explosions at several
military bases, not just in the
Donbas, but all over the
country. It was then revealed that the explosions were caused by land-attack cruise
missiles. The targets included the Ukrainian military's headquarters in
Kiev
and their missile command centre, presumably to stop them launching retaliatory
strikes against
Russia.
There are now Russian land forces moving northwards from
Odessa,
a coastal town near
Crimea, and southwards from
Belarus,
a Russian ally. There are also Russian aircraft flying in Ukrainian airspace.
The Ukrainian air force claims to have shot down six of them. Air raid sirens
have been heard in
Kiev,
Kramatorsk,
Dnipro, Mariupol and Kharkiv; and people have been staying indoors and even
sheltering in underground railway stations, like Londoners did during World War
II. Airports have also been attacked. By
midday
there were Russian ground forces on station and skirmishes began with the
Ukrainian army. A block of flats in Chugev was destroyed. Lots of people have
been killed, both soldiers and bystanders. People are fleeing the cities and
the nation, as well as neighbouring
Moldova,
are preparing to cater for thousands of refugees. Source:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-60503037.
My heart goes out to the innocent Ukrainian and Russian people in this terrible
situation.
Is this World War III? This is not a false flag. Putin has
announced the military operation which he says is to protect the welfare of
Russian citizens in
Ukraine
and to demilitarize the regime causing their suffering. His plan may well by to
oust President Zelensky and install a pro-Russian leader, possibly Viktor
Yanukovych, who was forced to step down in 2014 and has been exiled in
Russia.
The response from the world political community has been universal
condemnation.
France,
the
USA, the EU
and
Great Britain
have all announced massive increases to their existing sanctions. As I say in
the background links above and below, I believe Putin is not the bad guy here. I
think his cause is just. He is being set up as a typical popular media
bogeyman. In fact
The Sun's headline
yesterday was a classic example of its acidic wit: "MAD VLAD". Last
night the Brandenberg Gate in
Berlin
was lit up in the colours of the Ukrainian flag. The people of earth are being
frothed up into a lynch mob. However, Putin has raised the stakes so high with
this devastating escalation that I wonder what he hopes to achieve. How does he
think this is going to end well for his country and people?
See here for the accompanying
HPANWO TV livestream: http://hpanwo-tv.blogspot.com/2022/02/ukraine-invasion-livestream.html.
See here for more background:
http://hpanwo-radio.blogspot.com/2022/02/programme-453-podcast-bowlerhatman.html.
And: https://hpanwo-tv.blogspot.com/2018/03/russophobia-livestream.html.
And: https://hpanwo-radio.blogspot.com/2021/03/programme-410-podcast-nick-kollerstrom.html.