500 days of war.
Zelensky goes to Snake Island to memorialize an early important victory.
Knowing what’s happening in Ukraine is a combination of balancing all the news ones hears from Russia and from typical news sources along with all one knows about human nature. Put it in an old fashioned Good Seasons bottle and shake. Russia has its agenda, people in the US who, for some reason or another, support Russia’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine have theirs. In today’s new, can be typified by RFK Jr.s support by tearing at Biden’s decision to send Zelensky cluster bombs as was requested.
Today in a moving ceremony done by a few but filmed so the world could join in, Volodymyr Zelensky climbed into a small motorized boat and went the 20 miles into the Black Sea to Snake Island. The island was taken by Russia in the first days of the war 500 days ago and taken back June 30 of 2022.
Snake Island is strategically important for Ukraine. As it’s said sometimes, small but mighty.
Snake Island sits about 30 miles (48 kilometers) off the southern tip of the Ukrainian mainland in the northwestern Black Sea. It's about 185 miles (300 kilometers) west of Crimea, the Ukrainian territory that Russia annexed in 2014.
Though it is only about 46 acres (18 hectares) in size, a report last year from the non-partisan Atlantic Council think tank called it "key to Ukraine's maritime territorial claims" in the Black Sea.
Nice work Russia, if you can keep it, which they couldn’t.
Day one of the war efforts in February of 2022, went to capturing the island, a clear signal that Russia thought it was a strategic target for their few day war that would turn Ukraine into well, into Russia.
The attack was widely publicized when an audio clip of Russian cruiser Moskva hailing the island's garrison over the radio demanding their surrender and being told "Russian warship, go fuck yourself" (Russian: 'Русский военный корабль, иди на хуй', tr. Russky voyenny korabl, idi na khuy) in response.
Due to lack of ammo, the island was surrendered, soldiers were taken and the island was turned to rubble. Soldiers that were taken, were returned in a swap later. The incident was memorialized in a stamp shown here.
The Moskva above, sunk on April 22, 2022. Ukraine says they did it. Russia says it strangely became engulfed in flames. The US sides with the Ukrainian story.
A memorable start to a war! The Ukrainian joie de vivre in spite of the onslaught. The very very human response of people who have no consideration of becoming under Putin’s thumb and the ultimate sinking of the Moskva, Putin’s warship.
As the war grinds on, it’s clear to most that Ukraine will win the war. Russia currently in the throws of a possible reorganization at the top? Only two weekends ago, Prigozhin took his Wagner troops out of Ukraine and into Russia. Announcing a march to Moscow, he stood down with about 200 miles to go. News was Putin sent him to Belarus. Nothing seemed accurate or confirmed. Where he is, where his troops are now, is guessed at but unknown. What’s Putin up to? What about all his other possible health problems? More guessing games.
Biden approved cluster bombs to be sent to Ukraine. Out of ammo and needing more, we too are stretched and need to gap the ammo with the clusters. The same bomb types that Russia has been lobbing into Ukraine. Yes, they are bad. When deployed the bomb explodes into a pattern of smaller bombs. Not all the bombs can explode and may lay dormant until disturbed potentially exploding then. It’s assumed that children, ever unattended and curious will harm themselves by shaking them or hitting them with rocks thereby exploding them.
Zelensky has requested them. I feel certain he knows what he’s doing. This isn’t based on a whim but on his performance as the leader of the Ukrainian army. I’m sure he will tell Ukrainian children about them and how to avoid them as well.
Robert Fitzgerald Kennedy Junior is stumping for Russia in every way these days. Embraced by the GOP, currently a democratic presidential candidate. Coming out against sending these bombs to Ukraine, and generally against vaccinations as well. RFK Jr.’s family is not in support of his run. A deeper dive on him another time, but offered is a clip from Sandi Bachom, a videographer who is worth her weight in follows. Miles of video from Jan 6 and here is her video of RFK Jr.
Elon doesn’t allow for lifitn video from twitter so please, click to see it. The image is from the video. He’s booed like crazy and yes, his voice is crackly. He’s got an unusual disorder Spasmodic dysphonia which affects the vocal folds in the throat. That will take some getting used to.
https://twitter.com/sandibachom/status/1677491143775334400?s=20
For knowing what’s happening in Ukraine, I recommend one particular insider, Phil Ittner. He has his own vlog tagged here and also teams with Hal Sparks Wednesday and Saturday with serious news in a fun format Sparks is known for. Hal also speaks on China and their economy and other news concerning their role in the shifting of world powers.
I ran across this contemporary choreography of a Czárdás, typically known to be a Hungarian dance, but so many folk dances were assimilated into the ballet when Czars ruled Russia and Italy ruled the ballet. Somewhat contemporary, but doesn’t lack in it’s original temperament and movements. Offered as a bit of a celebration. Ukraine is still holding their own and are poised to prevail. Slava Ukraine.
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