Hey guys!
Now, in my past few posts about the Ukraine War, I’m sure you noticed that not many of them area about the war itself. And that’s because, on a day to day basis, not too much has been happening. There’s back and fourth and advances, but nothing like what you see in movies; it’s a bit slower and more boring.
Until now, that is.
Ukraine has, ever since the beginning of this war, proven itself to be a surprisingly capable warrior. They have held a much stronger military at bay, way more effectively than anyone first expected. Now, they’re proving themselves again, in a way akin to the lightning offensives of old.
As Ukraine has faced success on the battlefield, holding back Russia, said opponents are facing the opposite side of luck. Russia has been frustrated with its clear failures on the battlefield. For example, look at this map.
That’s what Russia gained in the past five months. 2,000 miles may sound like way too much, perhaps a sign of the good guys’ losing of the war. Yeah, no. This next map shows what Ukraine got back in a single week.
Wow.
1,400 more miles, in an absolute fraction of the time. This is huge, and for Russia, it’s another thing to add to Russia’s long list of failures. The media has been blowing up over this - apparently, the Russians essentially retreated from this whole area, ceding it back to the Ukrainians. Ukraine claims that in a single day, they captured over 20 towns alone. This retreat could be betraying deeper problems within the Russian order, argues the New York Times. While Russia claims they’re planning to “regroup,” the war (which they still claim isn’t a war. Geez, face reality) is facing widespread criticism even among pro-war factions. What these objections will come of - whether a new bout of government purging or an end to the war - remains to be see. While we wait, I’m hoping for the latter.