The Ukrainian military has begun a successful counterattack against President Vladimir Putin’s war effort. Russians have been following a medieval playbook. The soldiers surround a city, isolate it from its sources of food, and starve the people into submission. In the meantime, they bomb locations specifically where Ukrainians congregate into rubble.
But President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s strategy included taking back the southern Ukrainian port city of Mykolaiv. His military launched its counteroffensive, and the city has begun a hesitant return to life as they knew it before the Russians attacked.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) indicated that the Russians were halted on Thursday as President Zelenskyy’s military caused “heavy casualties” on them, The El Pais reported.
The Ukrainian counteroffensive was on the East side of the port city of Mykolaiv:
‘A Russian D-30 122MM towed artillery battery was reportedly overrun and captured.’
‘The faint-hearted should not read this. Yesterday, at our own risk, we left Mariupol under gunfire. We stayed overnight in a field in a gray zone. It was freezing outside, thank God we are alive. We are alive to scream that everyone who stayed in Mariupol needs help!’Â
Then, Roman added the Ukrainian counteroffensive comes as Russia brought soldiers out of Mykolaiv to defend its “supply lines:”
‘This is severely limiting Russia’s offensive potential. Incessant Ukrainian counterattacks are forcing Russia to divert a large number of troops to defend their own supply lines.’
‘There is no connection in the city, no water, no gas, no ambulances. People with torn limbs bleed in their yards and no one can help them. These are peaceful people – our acquaintances and relatives. The dead are simply being covered by soil where they lay.’
‘If we don’t take the ruined cities like Volnovakha back, it will be the end of their history. Russia is not going to rebuild anything. They will be forgotten as uninhabited, lifeless heaps of ruins. Just like those ancient remains. For an indefinitely long period of time.’
The Ukrainian defense journalist reported:
‘In recent days, Ukrainian officials regained access to previously Russian-controlled villages such as Luch, Shevchenkove and Ukrainka southeast of Mykolaiv, delivering food and evacuating civilians.’
Roman continued his recount of events:
‘Yes, we collected snow, warmed it on a campfire, and cooked macaroni. My family was in the bomb shelter of High School No 2. Three days ago a shell flew there and shattered some of the windows. A woman was wounded in her hip.’
The economist added that the woman asked for poison to end the pain:
‘She laid all night on the first floor of the high school asking for someone to give her poison so that she would not feel the pain. There was no one to take her to the hospital. Every day and every night there are fire shots, whistles, shaking walls and horror: Where will it hit.’
Svitlana Herashchenko has owned a grocery on the southern edge of Mykolaiv, right on the previous front line. Then, the Ukrainians pushed the Russians back. She was immensely grateful for one night absent air-raid sirens and shelling.
Three White Lions is Gloria Christie’s new serialized book available in episodes on Amazon. Go to Kindle Vella and insert her name. She also writes for the liberal online newspaper The Bipartisan Report. Gloria Christie Report her newsletter for people on the go. Written in her own unique style with a twist of humor in a briefer version of Bipartisan Report. Christie’s Mueller Report Adventures In Bite-Sizes a real-life compelling spy mystery. Find her here on Facebook.
