#russianaggression

“Today, as Russia continues its aggression, the willingness of people to step forward and defend their country remains one of the foundations of Ukraine’s resilience.” ~ @mfa_ukraine 🇺🇦👏💙💛🙏🇺🇦

#Repost @mfa_ukraine with @use.repost_ . . . On this Ukrainian Military Volunteer Day, we thank everyone who, in the most difficult moments of Ukraine’s history, chose to stand up and defend Ukraine.

It was volunteers who were the first to respond to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. In March 2014, volunteers from the Maidan Self-Defence units formed the first volunteer battalion and began defending Ukraine from Russian aggression.

The volunteer movement became a decisive force in resisting Russia’s full-scale invasion. Today, as Russia continues its aggression, the willingness of people to step forward and defend their country remains one of the foundations of Ukraine’s resilience. Ukraine is, above all, its people – united by a shared sense of responsibility and purpose.

Foreign volunteers have also joined Ukraine’s defence. They come from different nations and speak different languages, yet they made the same choice: to stand with Ukraine in the defence of freedom.

Today we thank every man and every woman who stepped forward to defend the future. Glory to Ukraine! 🇺🇦

The latest book by retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman is called The Folly of Realism: How the West Deceived Itself About Russia and Betrayed Ukraine. 🇺🇦💙💛🇺🇦

#Repost @kyivindependent_official with @use.repost_ . . . Russia’s war against Ukraine is a continuation of Moscow’s centuries-long goal to obliterate Ukrainian culture and statehood. Over the past three decades, however, the United States has, through missteps and inaction, emboldened Russia’s aggression by failing to confront the looming threat — a failure which, under the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, could lead to a disastrous aftermath for Ukraine.

This argument lies at the core of retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman’s latest book, “The Folly of Realism: How the West Deceived Itself About Russia and Betrayed Ukraine.” Vindman served as the director of European affairs for the U.S. National Security Council during Trump’s first presidency. In his new book, he critically examines the flaws of a foreign policy that prioritizes short-term strategic interests over global cooperation and a moral foundation in politics, contending that the West’s reliance on transactional geopolitics has undermined its credibility and emboldened authoritarian regimes.

In an interview with the Kyiv Independent, Vindman shared his thoughts on the stalled progress of a U.S.-brokered peace deal between Ukraine and Russia, why the U.S. continues to view Ukraine through a Russian lens, how Russian President Vladimir Putin manipulates Trump, and why Vindman thinks a neo-idealist approach can triumph over realist geopolitics in our lifetime.

Read the full interview at the link in bio.

Photo: Andre Chung / The Washington Post via Getty Images

“The world is capable of stopping the war from unfolding.... Next week will be the time of our very intense work with partners ... to implement our strategy of forcing Russia to end the war.” ~ Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky 🇺🇦💙💛🇺🇦

#Repost @ukraine.ua with @use.repost_ . . . At the 3rd Parliamentary Summit of the International Crimea Platform, Theodoros Roussopoulos talked about the long-lasting impact of Russia’s aggression.

We must stop Russia now and bring it to responsibility for all its crimes so that future generations won’t have to face any part of those ‘darkest pages of history’ again.

The staggering increasing cost to Russia so far of the foolish mistaken miscalculation that “Kyiv will fall in 3 days.” 🇺🇦💙💛🇺🇦

#Repost @kyivindependent_official with @use.repost . . . These are the indicative estimates of Russia’s combat losses as of Oct. 12, according to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

“We are constantly working to make the Ukrainian air shield more effective. We are strengthening our Air Force, mobile fire groups, and all air defense units.” ~ Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky 🇺🇦👏💙💛🙏🇺🇦

#Repost @ukraine.ua with @use.repost . . . In the first half of September alone, Russians used more than 640 Shahed attack drones against Ukrainian cities and villages. Just last night, the Russian army launched 56 drones, of which 53 were shot down.

We are grateful to our defenders of the sky for their effective work across many regions 🙏

“Ukraine needs the necessary forces and means to destroy the carriers of these bombs.” ~ Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky 🇺🇦💔💙💛😢🇺🇦

#Repost @kyivindependent_official with @use.repost . . . Russia has used more than 800 guided aerial bombs against Ukraine this week alone, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on June 30.

Guided aerial bombs are precision-guided munitions that have a shorter range than missiles, but are far cheaper to produce. The weapons are launched from aircraft within Russian territory, outside the range of Ukrainian air defense.

Civilian casualties from guided aerial bomb attacks are often reported in areas close to the Russian border, such as Kharkiv, Donetsk, and Sumy oblasts.

“Ukraine needs the necessary forces and means to destroy the carriers of these bombs, in particular, Russian combat aircraft where they are,” Zelensky said.

“Long-range strikes and modern air defense are the basis for stopping the daily Russian terror,” he said, thanking “all partners who understand this.”

Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said on May 25 that Russia has dropped nearly 10,000 guided bombs on Ukraine since the start of 2024.

Photo: Vlada Liberova/Libkos/Getty Images

“Our cities and communities . . . are suffering from this deliberate and vile terror every day and night.” ~ Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky 🇺🇦💔💙💛😢🇺🇦

#Repost @kyivindependent_official with @use.repost . . . Russia attacked Ukraine with over 3,200 guided aerial bombs, nearly 300 Shahed-type drones, and over 300 missiles in April alone, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on May 2.

In recent months, Moscow has intensified its attacks against Ukraine’s infrastructure and population centers, inflicting severe damage and civilian casualties. In March, Russia attacked Ukraine with over 400 missiles of various types, 600 Shahed drones, and 3,000 guided aerial bombs.

Ukrainian officials have warned that Russian aerial bombs represent an increasingly serious danger both for Ukrainian front-line troops and cities.

“Our cities and communities from Sumy region to Odesa region, Dnipropetrovsk region, Kharkiv region, Donetsk region, Mykolaiv, and Kherson are suffering from this deliberate and vile terror every day and night,” the president said on social media.

“Thousands of our people’s lives have been saved thanks to the help of leaders and countries that have already supported our air shield and that are already effectively exerting sanctions pressure against Russia’s war machine.

“However, unfortunately, many lives have been taken by these attacks. And it is only through strength that can we stop this terror.”

Kyiv has appealed to its partners to provide additional air defenses to help the country repel Russian attacks. Germany has taken the lead, pledging to deliver its third Patriot air defense system and launching an allied air defense initiative for Ukraine.

After the U.S. Congress finally approved additional assistance to Ukraine, the Pentagon also announced the delivery of new Patriot missiles.

Photo: State Emergency Service/Telegram