The Moskva Sinks As Russia Plans To Retaliate
Days 51/52, the death toll on both sides increases as Russia makes more threats
The bodies of Russian soldiers killed in action lie on streets in Ukraine, or unidentified in morgues. Will their family in Russia come to claim them and who will pay for all of this? Ukraine is using facial recognition software to identify them in an attempt to identify them via social media and to contact their families. It seems the Russians don’t care about their dead soldiers because they are no longer of any use.
Today is Good Friday, and there is no sign of peace on the horizon. Some of my friends don’t believe it will end in a war, personally, I believe it has to at some point for there to be an outcome where Ukraine can rebuild itself.
Russia is being the bully—they have threatened Finland and Sweden if the join NATO, and now they have threatened the US if they don’t stop sending weapons to Ukraine. Each country has a right to decide how they choose to defend their territory and Russia has no say in the matter. As for threatening the US, Russia deems the supply of weapons as an act of escalation, but as more than a dozen countries have done so, why does Russia think they they can threaten another country who chooses to assist another from a humanitarian position?
As less news is shared in the media, that is usually a sign of escalation and where they do not want to ‘scare’ the public, especially as Russia has made another nuclear threat. The point is, waiting to see if they do carry out the threat will lead to loss of lives, and the idea of the alliances (UN, and NATO) is to prevent such action by way of their existence, but also by having the collective power to take preventive action. The problem is that no one seems to have the courage to do what is necessary because they are not directly affected as yet.
Day 51 (15 April)
The Moskva flagship has sunk. It is unknown how many of the 500 plus crew managed to escape.
Russia has written to the US via diplomatic channels to tell them to stop sending Ukraine weapons or there will be ‘unpredictable consequences’, which seems to me to be a threat.
Moldova has passed a law banning the public use of ‘V’ and ‘Z’ and the St George ribbon which are symbols of the Russian war. Fines will be introduced, but the bill had oppositions from pro-Russian politicians.
Weapons and jets are still needed in Ukraine, and a ‘buy me a jet’ crowdfunding campaign has been launched. Surely the billionaire who want to buy Twitter can think of other ways to spend his money (Musk)?
Roskomnadzor, the Russian media regulator has blocked Russian version of The Moscow Times, due to an article where Russia claimed it was fake news about police officers refusing to fight in Ukraine.
Kyiv is to rename streets, squares and subway stations that have an association with Russia.
Day 52 (16 April)
Mariupol is still under attack, and some Ukrainian troops have had no choice to surrender. The media carries the story of one British soldier who has been paraded in the media by the Russians.
There have been jets flying over Lviv again, perhaps as a warning to the US and NATO? It is near the Polish and Slovakian borders, and has been previously attacked by the Russians. Reports claim there have been explosions.
There is a danger of Kyiv being attacked again as the Russians have had time to regroup, and it might be a message to the US to follow up on their warning to cease supplying weapons to Ukraine.
There are reports claiming that Russians are exhuming bodies in Mariupol and using portable crematoriums to hide the evidence of the bodies.
Within 24 hours of public backlash, L’Occitane, the only major beauty company still trading in Russia released a statement that they would close the shops due to the suffering in Ukraine. However, the damage has been done, but shows that what consumers think (ethically) matters.
This morning, Boris Johnson and 12 other UK ministers have been banned from entering Russia, due to ‘hostile action’ taken against Russia and some individuals (sanctions).
Prime Minister Boris Johnson
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace
Deputy Prime Minister, Lord Chancellor, and Secretary of State for Justice Dominic Raab
Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps
Home Secretary Priti Patel
The Chancellor Rishi Sunak
Minister of Entrepreneurship, Energy and Industrial Strategy Kwasi Kwarteng
Minister of Digitalization, Culture, Media and Sport Nadine Dorries
Minister for the Armed Forces James Heappey
First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon
Attorney General for England and Wales and advocate general for Northern Ireland Suella Braverman
Conservative MP and former British Prime Minister Theresa May
"London's unbridled information and political campaign aimed at isolating Russia internationally, creating conditions for containing our country and strangling the domestic economy… the British leadership is deliberately aggravating the situation around Ukraine, pumping the Kyiv regime with lethal weapons and coordinating similar efforts on the part of Nato." The Russian statement on the decision to bar British ministers.
Easter is the greatest celebration in Christian churches because it represents a new beginning, a symbol of hope. We must remain hopeful as we think of the Ukrainian people who face the darkness and cruelty of war. I pray for them and try to remain hopeful that Russian aggression will end soon, but the power of reasoning tells me the world war I fear will happen.
A Blessed Easter to all!!!!
On this Easter morning I read this with a heavy heart. Comments below bring tears to my eyes. I know that every single word stated below is true. I will go to Mass at 10am today and reflect and pray for the good people of Ukraine but also the good people of this world. We are in frightening and turbulent times at the moment. Once again, I mention fear. It started 52 days ago and it is growing.