The war in Ukraine is not going well for Russia. Russia and President Putin believed that Ukraine would collapse, as would the Western NATO alliance and its support for Ukraine. Putin believed that the Russian military would take Kyiv in a few days and the entire country in a few weeks.
None of that has happened. Russia hasn’t achieved one of the main objectives that it set out four and a half years ago. The Russian Army has suffered horrendous casualties and lost an incredible amount of tanks, aircraft, artillery, and equipment.
T-72 Tank. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
UN Secretary-General: “The Death Spiral Must Stop”
So, Putin has resorted to attacking Ukrainian civilians and civilian infrastructure in an attempt to break the will of Ukraine to resist.
“The Russian Federation’s renewed campaign against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure is severely disrupting the essential services that civilians rely on,” Danielle Bell, Head of HRMMU. “Millions of families now endure prolonged periods without electricity, heating, and water, hardship that deepens as the days grow shorter and temperatures drop.”
In the past several months, Ukraine has responded with attacks, not on civilians but on Russia’s gas and oil infrastructure, hitting the already stretched, paper-thin Russian economy even tighter.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres, speaking to the UN’s Security Council late last month, said, “the death spiral must stop.” In Moscow, it’s fallen on deaf ears.
Massive Attacks Against Civilian Targets
During the final few days in May, Russia launched around 90 long-range missiles and 600 drones during the overnight attacks, killing at least five people and injuring more than 100 across Ukraine, with the heaviest damage reported in the capital Kyiv.
Diplomatic premises and compound housing UN agencies were also affected by falling debris, although no UN personnel were injured.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov officially warned foreign governments and diplomats to evacuate Kyiv, citing plans for “systematic strikes” on Ukrainian military-industrial facilities and decision-making centers.
Tim Murry, a foreign threats compound contractor, drives a T-72 battle tank into position to serve as adversary targets for a joint service exercise, Emerald Flag, at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Nov. 30. Emerald Flag is a multi-service exercise aimed to unify information sharing across joint domain platforms. (U.S. Air Force photo/1st Lt Karissa Rodriguez)
The warning followed one of the heaviest aerial assaults on the capital, which involved hundreds of drones and hypersonic missiles.
Despite the threat, Western allies and international organizations rejected the warning and refused to evacuate. The EU condemned the threats as an “unacceptable escalation” intended to cause fear and panic.
EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarína Mathernová and officials from all 27 member states confirmed they would remain in Kyiv.
European nations explicitly rejected the evacuation requests, with Poland warning that any direct attacks on its embassy would be treated as hostile acts.
“The War Is Not Sustainable”
Guterres was adamant that the war must end.
“The direction of the war – the escalation and the intensification that we are witnessing – risks getting out of control. The risk of miscalculation. The risk of escalation with unknown and unintended consequences,” Guterres said to the Security Council.
“And so, let’s speak plainly. The current course is not sustainable. This trajectory must change. The death spiral must stop.
“What is needed now is de-escalation – immediate and sustained. What is needed now is a full and unconditional ceasefire. What is needed now is more diplomacy,” he added.
Shoygu Says The Blame Is On Ukraine
Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoygu said Ukraine, which has been under attack for more than four years, and whose civilians are targeted by the Russian Federation, is to blame.
Russian T-72 Tank Ukraine War. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
“The main obstacle to its implementation remains the complete absence of political will for peace on the part of the Kyiv regime and its constant desire for escalation,” he said at the International Security Forum in the Moscow region.
The event brought together over 140 delegations and focused on security challenges and a multipolar world order. Notably, Shoygu oversaw the signing of a defense pact with the Taliban’s Defense Minister, whose country is also rife with human rights violations.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022, more than 15,000 civilians – including nearly 800 children – have been killed in Ukraine, according to verified UN figures. And that number is probably much higher.
About the Author: Steve Balestrieri
Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
