Severodonetsk Falls
Belarus begins to attack Ukraine as fresh attacks on Kyiv begin during the G7 summit
On 25 June 2022, Severodonetsk fell to the Russians just as Mariupol did.
This was sadly expected, and it was not because the Ukrainians didn’t fight hard enough, but because they didn’t have the weapons to fight the Russians off. The request for weapons made to the allies came from Zelenskyy back in February, and the heavy weapons are only just arriving after several months of stalling. The Russians had been planning this attack for years, and the Ukrainians simply did not have the weapons to repel them. When you read history books, this is when the allies step in and help. The question is why did it take so long, and why did some of the major countries hesitate?
The answer is that most had hoped it would have been over after a few weeks and they would not have to supply any weapons, and just send in humanitarian aid from NGOs. When the Ukrainians put up a fight, and Zelenskyy publicly used social media and technology to plead with countries to support and help Ukraine, they had no choice but to respond. The world leaders in democratic states are answerable to the electorate, and they in turn have demanded their governments to send aid.
Russia, as expected has responded to the EU granting Ukraine and Moldova candidate status, and that was with another missile attack on Kyiv. This time, Belarus are stepping up their involvement as missiles appear to have been launched from Belarus into Ukraine early on Sunday morning, just as the G7 summit is about to begin. Putin and Lukashenko openly discussed how Belarus was going to assist Russia, and it is now for NATO to act. Russia has already reneged on the "Founding Act on Mutual Relations, Cooperation and Security between NATO and the Russian Federation," so NATO must now choose to respond to a party who has voided an official agreement.
As the war progresses, those who have escaped Ukraine are telling their stories whether it was their journey out of Ukraine, or how they survived being tortured by the Russians. None of their stories make for pleasant reading, and their stories need to be told, but who wants to listen to them? Even some Ukrainians thought it would be like Crimea, over in a month and that they could adapt to life. But once the bombing was killing people, and the Russians began to torture people, most realised the only way to survive was to leave Ukraine—some had left it too late.
Day 122 ( 25 June)
France will provide legal assistance to Ukraine’s prosecutors who are investigating the alleged war crimes carried out by the Russians.
Severodonetsk fell to the Russians despite all attempts to hold the region. Unfortunately this was predicted, just as the fall of Mariupol was when it became apparent the UN and other alliances did not come to help.
Ukrainians who are pro-Ukrainian are being detained in filtration camps. This is another example of genocide where the Russians are trying to wipe out anyone who supports Ukraine.
Belarus are launching missiles into northern Ukraine, especially near the border of Chernigv. It is a well-known fact that Belarus have been aiding Russia, but now they are openly being active in attacking Ukraine. Now what will NATO do as Belarus are attacking Ukraine without provocation.
Putin and Lukashenko appeared on Russian television discussing how they would proceed with the special military operation in Ukraine. Putin has stated that Belarus will be given the Iskander M-tactical missile system to use, which have already been used in Kaliningrad.
Day 123 (26 June)
Fresh attacks on the capital Kyiv were made this morning in a residential area (Shevchenkivskyi) where two people are known to have been killed already and others wounded.
The G7 summit will begin today (26-28 June 2022) in Schloss Elmau in Germany, with countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, and the US) that all support Ukraine. Putin sees them as the enemy, and security has been stepped up but no doubt there have been attempted to infiltrate the meetings with double agents. This is a dangerous time as we now know there were multiple proxy traitors in Ukraine over the years which aided the Russian invasion.
The NATO summit in Madrid will be held 28-30 June 2022, where Ukraine and protecting the Baltic region will be key issues of discussion. No one needs Turkey stamping their feet at Sweden and Finland wanting to join NATO. Once Turkey stops occupying Cyprus, then they may have some justification in having concerns. Much can happen in 2 days, and so what is on the agenda may rapidly change.
The UK, Canada, Japan and the US (the G7) will ban Russian gold exports to stop oligarchs using it to avoid sanctions. This is a common way to retain assets without attracting attention from the authorities, and is often used by criminals and in terrorism. The ban will only apply to newly mined or refined gold, but not gold exported from Russia so far.
At present, there are more attacks on Kyiv and other key cities might be targeted throughout the day.
Investigating and prosecuting war crimes is important, but at the moment it’s more important to stop the war! Ditto with pledges to help rebuild Ukraine, important-yes, but not as urgent as to provide weapons. And what if Russia “wins?” Will France et. al. help rebuild Ukraine then? Will it be possible to investigate war crimes then? But the longer this goes on, the less anyone wins.
I wait with interest to see how the G7 participants will twist themselves into pretzels trying to reiterate their support for Ukraine without actually stating that this is a crossroad for Europe and if it lets Putin succeed it is signing its own inability to live up to its "values". TC