The Attack At Kremenchuk

Russians launch missiles aimed at a shopping mall

Yesterday, while the G7 summit was taking place, the Russians launched two missiles on Kremenchuk in the afternoon. The target was a civilian shopping mall with a large toy stores. There are at least 18 deaths reported and more that are injured when the missiles attacked around 15.27 p.m. on 27 June 2022.

Kremenchuk has been attacked before as it has an oil refinery, but the shopping mall is not nearby and is civilian.

The international reaction is that this is a war crime, but when will the countries that enable Russia listen? There were no military buildings nearby, and it appeared that the shopping mall was targeted. The UN and other countries have condemned the attack, but we all know that this was an atrocious act, but what will those words do to stop the invasion?

The G7 summit in Germany may have been the trigger for the attack. The leaders are:

• Justin Trudeau – Canada

• Boris Johnson – UK

• Joe Biden – USA

• Italy – Mario Draghi

• France – Emmanuel Macron

• Germany – Olaf Scholz

• Japan - Fumio Kishida

• EU – Charles Michel and Ursula von der Leyen

  

The UK and France have agreed to hold an Anglo-French summit to improve their ties. Macron and Johnson agree that a Russian defeat is the best outcome, but as expected, Macron has said that if that fails then the G7 need to help Ukraine to be in a position to make a deal. This to me, is Macron having to toe the line because no one else agrees (Italy has stayed silent since everyone has ignored their proposed peace plan, and Germany’s School can’t risk the Germans turning on him) and then throwing in what he truly believes, which is that a deal is the best way with him as a mediator.

You cannot reason with, or deal with the devil and Macron is persistent but also knows that his domestic popularity has sunk as he no longer has a majority in the National Assembly. It is clear that Russia cannot be reasoned with, and they are not looking for a peace deal or negotiations unless Ukraine agrees to all their demands. That is not a deal—that is called surrender.

Russia has stated again, that they will end the ‘special military operation’ if Kyiv lays down its arms—basically, that means a surrender. By now, Macron must accept that there is no deal Russia wants unless it involves getting all of Ukraine.

With the NATO summit about o begin, those within NATO will say that the alliance was too slow to act. We call said that within the first couple of weeks, when NATO made no official statement until 6 weeks later. Russia is using the grain blockade as a hostage to force the West to stop supporting Ukraine. This is where the UN needs to show why they exist and to find a way to counter this issue. Even if the grain corridor is unblocked, how will it stop the Russians stealing the Ukrainian grain while they occupy regions? These international alliances need to be doing more than having Zoom meetings, because Ukraine is crumbling and there are fears of a food shortage by the end of the year.

Day 124 (27 June)

• The main news is the missile attack on a shopping mall in Kremenchuk. The damage is devastating, and there were children there as it was late afternoon and the shopping mall had a number of large toy stores. It is estimated that 1000 people were in the mall at the time. The attack has been condemned around the world as a terrorist attack, or a war crime. Either way, trying to define it doesn’t help those who lost their lives or who are injured.

  

• The G7 message is that all the countries are united in supporting Ukraine until the end and as long as it takes, be it whether Russia is defeated, or to support them if a peace deal is made. More aid has been pledged, and Germany have been answering their critics by supplying heavy weapons and for helping Ukraine to purchase other weapons (they give them the money to buy them). France is still a little iffy, as Macron says what the world wishes to hear, but you don’t switch policies or your beliefs from one day to the next.

• The G7 have also acknowledged the grain blockade and have called on Russia to allow the exports, and seek the UN to secure safe passage of Ukrainian cargo vessels. The Russians do not care as this has been called for over the weeks. Instead, the Russians have been stealing grain and selling it to the Middle East and Africa. The silos have GPS tracker systems and have been traced, but the Russians have come under some problems when buyers have asked for the provenance of the grain. This has resulted in the Russians mixing the grain with some Russian stock to make the shipment legitimate, and deceptive techniques have been employed with cargo ships switching off their trackers entering the Black Sea and then switching them back on later after leaving the Black Sea. The ships show a lower depth, indicating that they have taken on cargo.

  Crimea is being used as a port to export the stolen shipments and where the grain is mixed with Russian shipments before they are shipped elsewhere, usually Syria or Turkey. Turkey claims to be investigating the claims of stolen grain, but I wouldn’t hold my breath there. As Turkey is a member of NATO, they will have to toe the line with the NATO stance now.

  Another method of trying to legitimise the stolen grain is to force the farmers to sell the grain at a low price under coercion. Therefore, it makes the shipment legal under duress and threats.

• NATO is responding to the Russian threat by increasing their troops from 30,000 to 400,000. Stoltenberg acknowledged that this move is a direct response to the Russian threat, and the increased NATO presence serves as a deterrent. This will be a combination of land, sea, and air deployments and all member states are required to follow NATO procedures. Additional deployments will be in the vulnerable states and Baltic states—Latvia, Poland, Lithuania, Estonia, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary.

  

• The Moldovan President, Maia Sandy visited Ukraine, and saw the destruction of Bucha, Irpin, and Borodianka. The visit was to show solidarity and also because the country knows that they are highly vulnerable to a similar invasion by Russia.

• After the fall of Severodonetsk, the remaining people in Lysychansk (last city in Luhansk under Ukrainian control) are being told to leave as Russian troops close in.

• Russia has declared that all foreign fighters will be considered mercenaries and are not protected under the Geneva Convention. This does not bode well for the captured American fighters who will face the death penalty of life imprisonment.

• Zelenskyy has addressed the G7 summit and stated that Ukraine will negotiate with Russia when they are in a position to do so, and only when they have ‘re-established a position of strength’. He has called for more pressure to be put in Russia, further sanctions, and more ant-aircraft defence systems.

• Shelling in other part of Ukraine continue, especially in Kharkiv where the attacks are in residential areas, killing at least four and leaving around 30 injured.

Day 125 (28 June)

• The NATO summit will begin today (28 June) and all member states will be required to abide and follow the official NATO position against Russia since their founding act has been voided and Russia is not longer a strategic partner. That may mean that Hungary must allow heavy weapons to be transported through their country and that they must enforce a border patrol against the Russians on the Ukrainian border.

  

• The EU is providing Ukraine with equipment that will help protect them in the event of a nuclear/chemical attack. The cost of the equipment including suits and decontamination liquids is €12 million, and from this we should assume that such an attack is highly probable.

• Calls for strong language to be used as a deterrent against China have been called for. This is due to concerns over China considering an invasion of Taiwan, and their recent laws to allow military action outside of war. In other words, a law has been passed to allow ‘special military operations’ with the army.

• At least 80 vessels are trapped in Ukrainian ports since the start of the invasion. The sailors on board cannot leave as the vessels have cargo.

  

• Putin visits Tajikistan today, and it is the first time he has left Russia since the invasion. This appears to be a visit to strengthen ties with former USSR states, and perhaps to recruit more expendable troops.

  

• Macron has stated that the attack on the shopping mall in Kremenchuk was a war crime. Perhaps the man is finally seeing the light?

• Russia calls NATO an ‘aggressive bloc’ in response to the news that NATO will increase its troops to 400,000.

  

• Zelesnkky has spoken to Stoltenberg of NATO, requesting missile defence systems to prevent attacks as seen on Monday in Kremenchuk.

• Russia admits to the missile attack in Kremenchuk, but claims the explosion and fire was caused by ammunition stored in the shopping mall!

• General Sir Patrick Sanders, the chief of the general staff, has been speaking at the Royal United Services Institute, where he warns that NATO and the UK must be prepared not for war, be prepared to prevent war. Back in 1937, or IMHO I would say 1935, there were signs that war was on the horizon, and no matter how many talks went on, dictators can only get what they want through warfare. That is where we are now with Russia.

  Let me be clear: the British Army is not mobilising to provoke war, it is mobilising to prevent war.

  We’re living through a period of history as profound as the one our forebears did 80 years ago. And now, as then, our choices will have a disproportionate effect on the future. This is our 1937 moment.

  If we fail to deter, there are no good choices given the cost of a potential counterattack and the associated nuclear threat. We must therefore meet strength with strength from the outset and be unequivocally prepared to fight for Nato territory.

  This is the war that we are mobilising to prevent by preparing to win... And in doing so, it’s my hope that we never have to fight it.

• The United Nations Security Council will meet to discuss the Russian attacks against civilians on the Kremenchuk shopping centre on 27 June 2022. Russia is still a permanent member of the Security Council and cannot prevent discussion but still has a veto. This again is why the UN fails, when the aggressor has a voting seat at the table to prevent action against them.