A year ago this weekend, Kherson was freed. Chipka turned 19 as the war began. He helped liberate the city, but combat with the Russian army engulfed the final year of his teenage life.
Nov 12Liked by William Glover Weiss, Myroslava Tanska-Vikulova
Thank you for all the personal stories from Ukraine. I am both inspired and saddened by the sacrifice ordinary Ukrainians have been making over the last two years. I hate to put the U.S. back to the center of everything, but the only way we help secure a future for the liberal west is not to elect Trump or someone similar to the presidency next year.
Nov 12Liked by William Glover Weiss, Myroslava Tanska-Vikulova
Here's hoping that Chipka does rejoin the military, but in a capacity that allows him to save lives and restore Ukraine.
One of the things that strikes me as these two nations clash is that Russia is singularly focused on raw power: on destroying lives and property, on humiliating and breaking the spirit of their own conscripts and of the occupied people under their power, on kidnapping and trying to corrupt children. Their soldiers serve primarily because they are forced to or because they want money or release from prison or because they have been fed a diet of hate against the "crests."
Ukraine emphasizes life: saving people, including Russians, and animals. And while Ukrainian soldiers suffer war greatly, both physically and emotionally, I get the sense that their psychic wounds are not as deep as those of the Russians.
Recalling the admonition of St. Paul in Eph. 6:12 that our enemy is not human beings (who at any moment are free to choose to do right or to do wrong) but destruction itself, rarely have we seen a conflict in which good and evil are so plainly divided. We can be proud to support Ukraine as we hope (and perhaps pray) that Russia's eyes will be opened to the nature of its leader and the war for which he lusted and is now losing.
Nov 12Liked by William Glover Weiss, Myroslava Tanska-Vikulova
"When I was young, I read many stories about our people fighting since 2014. I was not afraid. Before April, we believed that we would soon liberate Crimea," Chipka told The Counteroffensive. . ." He's 22, now? Very telling about the effects of warfare on a human being, however, a propos that first phrase.
Thank you to the team for continuing to bring the real stories of war to light - I hope that Tim & Co are safe. When my nephews were 18yrs old, I cannot imagine them being involved in a war, and I mourn for the the loss of innocence as well as the loss of friends & comrades - plus of course the mental & physical scars that will be with survivors into the future. The evil dictators of the world cause so much suffering firstly for their own people, but seem to believe they have the right to reach their evil tentacles into the lives of citizens of other countries - it is a mental sickness of arrogance & ego that we all must fight against in our own ways - local elections supporting empathetic ethical representatives with courage, pressuring our govts to support Ukraine & sanction Russia, push back against Hungary et al in whatever forums our leaders attend. I both admire & mourn for your young man & others like him ... hugs to all.
The most “experience near” reporting comes from this site. I also subscribe to the Kiev Independent.i hope the US Congress votes to give Ukraine the financial support Biden's admin wants to provide to support democracy there. Slava Ukraine!🇨🇦
The liberation of Kherson, and what it cost one teenager
Thank you for all the personal stories from Ukraine. I am both inspired and saddened by the sacrifice ordinary Ukrainians have been making over the last two years. I hate to put the U.S. back to the center of everything, but the only way we help secure a future for the liberal west is not to elect Trump or someone similar to the presidency next year.
Russian cruelty is the point. Slava Ukraine 🇺🇦! "See you
after the victory!"
Here's hoping that Chipka does rejoin the military, but in a capacity that allows him to save lives and restore Ukraine.
One of the things that strikes me as these two nations clash is that Russia is singularly focused on raw power: on destroying lives and property, on humiliating and breaking the spirit of their own conscripts and of the occupied people under their power, on kidnapping and trying to corrupt children. Their soldiers serve primarily because they are forced to or because they want money or release from prison or because they have been fed a diet of hate against the "crests."
Ukraine emphasizes life: saving people, including Russians, and animals. And while Ukrainian soldiers suffer war greatly, both physically and emotionally, I get the sense that their psychic wounds are not as deep as those of the Russians.
Recalling the admonition of St. Paul in Eph. 6:12 that our enemy is not human beings (who at any moment are free to choose to do right or to do wrong) but destruction itself, rarely have we seen a conflict in which good and evil are so plainly divided. We can be proud to support Ukraine as we hope (and perhaps pray) that Russia's eyes will be opened to the nature of its leader and the war for which he lusted and is now losing.
"When I was young, I read many stories about our people fighting since 2014. I was not afraid. Before April, we believed that we would soon liberate Crimea," Chipka told The Counteroffensive. . ." He's 22, now? Very telling about the effects of warfare on a human being, however, a propos that first phrase.
Thank you for sharing these stories and wrapping it up with a cat!
What a wonderful young man, best wishes to him.
The cars and the train are heartbreaking and those images and stories need to be shared with those of us who aren’t there.
The less I say about Orban the better, I suppose.
Still, developmentally, a child.
Thank you to the team for continuing to bring the real stories of war to light - I hope that Tim & Co are safe. When my nephews were 18yrs old, I cannot imagine them being involved in a war, and I mourn for the the loss of innocence as well as the loss of friends & comrades - plus of course the mental & physical scars that will be with survivors into the future. The evil dictators of the world cause so much suffering firstly for their own people, but seem to believe they have the right to reach their evil tentacles into the lives of citizens of other countries - it is a mental sickness of arrogance & ego that we all must fight against in our own ways - local elections supporting empathetic ethical representatives with courage, pressuring our govts to support Ukraine & sanction Russia, push back against Hungary et al in whatever forums our leaders attend. I both admire & mourn for your young man & others like him ... hugs to all.
Be careful, Tim! I think about you and Ukrainians often, with both fear and love in my heart.
The most “experience near” reporting comes from this site. I also subscribe to the Kiev Independent.i hope the US Congress votes to give Ukraine the financial support Biden's admin wants to provide to support democracy there. Slava Ukraine!🇨🇦