Bombs and censorship

Devastation, cruelty, despair. These are the initial characteristics of our new reality. The geopolitical landscape has permanently been shifted.

Over 1 000 civilian casualties have been confirmed since the beginning of the conflict, while the true number is most likely considerably higher than that. More than 1.5 million people have fled Ukraine in less than two weeks, and the number is likely going to keep rising for the foreseeable future. In two weeks, more Ukrainian refugees have fled to the EU, than the number of Syrian refugees who requested asylum in Europe during the whole Syrian refugee crisis.

Credit: Czarek Sokolowski

The humanitarian situation inside Ukraine is dire. In some cities, Russia has cut access to water and electricity. Most internet service providers have been completely shut down. One of the only ways people can access the internet in Ukraine is through Elon Musk’s Starlink.

The city of Mariupol’ has been under siege for over a week. Access to water and electricity has been almost nonexistent, food is getting more and more scarce. Repeated shelling over civilian targets has had devastating effects on the city, and there are reports of hundreds of killed civilians.

Russia recently agreed to allow a short period of cease-fire around the city and to permit the establishment of humanitarian corridors, set in place to evacuate more than 400 000 people. Humanitarian corridors were set up twice, and both times Russia bombed them, inflicting intentional civilian casualties.

The port city of Kherson fell into Russian hand on the 2nd of March. Strict curfews and heavy restrictions have been imposed upon the 300 000 inhabitants of the city, and there are reports that anyone who tries to leave is shot at.

Russia is intentionally trying to cause a nuclear crisis by shelling the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which is the largest NPP in Europe. This caused a fire, which, however, was successfully extinguished. If this nuclear power plant is blown up, the disaster will be at least 10 times bigger than Chernobyl, which would be absolutely devastating for the whole of Europe.

Credit: Getty Images

Russia is the first nation in history to attack a nuclear power plant during a war.

Since the war commenced, nearly 13 000 people have been arrested throughout Russia, due to protesting against the cruel and unjust imperialist war of aggression.

Russia has also been bombing civilian evacuation points near Kyiv, where the latest victims were a family with two children.

Our new reality is dark, cruel and depressing. Despite this, there is no time to feel bad or depressed. We need to fight! Fight for a stronger, United Europe, which can withstand threats from Russia and China. An independent, self-sufficient, and self-reliant Europe, which doesn’t rely on the USA.

What we can do right now is help Ukrainian refugees. We need to offer them accommodation and jobs, as well as transportation, food, and clothes. For Europe to survive we need to be united, and we need to help those who need help the most.