(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Random Comments on Ukraine + Giving Thanks – Part 1: Dnipro Crossing; Trucks from Britain [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2023-12-01 Like the previous time, I want to thank the Daily Kos staff and community for the excellent daily coverage of the Russian war against Ukraine. As a Ukrainian, I consume tons of information about this war on all levels. Even though I am a civilian living relatively far from the front line, I still feel a direct relation to the fighting. Yesterday, I heard a Russian explosive Shahed drone flying past my window, and an ensemble of air defense systems trying to stop it. The next day, I am using my birthday to raise money for some ammunition for a friend whose unit is dispatched to Klishchiivka. I have friends who serve, who fight, and friends who were killed. Every Ukrainian is connected to the war by dozens of strings and relations and stories and experiences. Relatively short, concise daily updates by Daily Kos, written by someone looking at the situation from a healthy distance often helps in keeping the general picture of the day (or a week) in one’s mind. From what I can judge, Daily Kos authors cover the frontline events and context very well, so I am not going to comment much on that. However, once again, I wish to remind you that the war is not limited just to things happening at the frontline. So, I will try to shed some light on things happening in Ukraine beyond the fighting, as well as adding some context to the topics discussed in the earlier Daily Kos’ diaries. And, on the occasion of Thanksgiving, I am going to thank some of the people, projects, and organizations, who have risen to help Ukraine from abroad. And yes, I hope that their example will inspire more people to help Ukraine in what appears to become an increasingly difficult situation for us. As Daily Kos algorithms tend to bury any post under the newer material, I will be posting my comments in daily dispatches, as opposed to my earlier “cover-all” approach. The comments will go in no particular order and may be weak in style and grammar – this time, I tried to minimize the time spent on the material. And yes, I will often reuse (and often extend) my comments under the Daily Kos’ diaries which I made since my last diary on this website. I hope this will both entertain you and will provide some additional angles of looking — and understanding — of this war. 1. Thank you, USA I wish to thank with all my heart the people of the USA for their immense support since the beginning of the whole-scale invasion. Your support has saved the lives and homes of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians, and the dignity and freedom of millions. Including myself. 2. Kherson/Left Bank offensive: a surprise that has been expected It has been little discussed, but there is a strong suggestion that the left bank offensive in the Kherson region had been the original main direction for Ukraine’s summer counteroffensive. The frontal attack on the Surovikin Line in the Zaporizhzhia region was at least secondary, if not just a supportive/diversion direction. This was quite obvious from the very moment the Ukrainian forces reached Kherson. You could receive hints from Ukraine’s constant harassing of the Russian forces on the islands and the left bank immediately after the liberation of Kherson city, as well as from several Ukrainian attempts to liberate Enerhodar by crossing the river. Just like their Cossack ancestors, Ukrainian soldiers felt much more at home on the river than the Russians. Also, at least one of the Ukrainian military commentators (Evgen Dykyj) has been saying this since August. Russians knew it, and they did the only thing they could to stop Ukraine’s offensive – they blew up the Kakhovka Dam, creating an enormous artificial flood, killing hundreds of people, damaging tens of thousands of homes and businesses, thousands of hectares of fields and gardens, and destroying whole aquatic and land ecosystems of the region in a matter of hours. This was something unthinkable for any decent person in the 21st century – except for the Russian generals and political leadership, of course. I believe this knowledge may help asses the whole summer counteroffensive from a different perspective. 2. Thank you: British farmers deliver 100th 4x4 vehicle for Ukrainian front line You might have noticed that one of the main Ukrainian frontline and near rear vehicles remains not a Humvee or some other military-grade armored vehicle, but a simple civilian 4X4 truck. As you know by now, the key to victory is logistics. Without adequate protection from the air, Ukrainian forces have to be dispersed in small tactical units, and all of that requires tens of thousands of vehicles for the movement of troops, supplies, and evacuation of casualties. There is both fun and sad difference between what people outside Ukraine think about 4X4s used in Ukraine and what happens in reality: back in spring 2022, some Turkish weapons seller was offering me Toyota Hilux-based armored and hardened vehicles for about US$ 150,000 apiece. In reality, most of Ukrainian troops ride plain 10-year-old pickups bought at about US$ 5,000 per car. And the demand for those has been so high, that there is a persistent rumor that Ukrainians have already bought all used 4X4 trucks in the whole Europe. In this situation, many international friends of Ukraine came to help, including these great people from the United Kingdom: British farmers deliver 100th 4x4 vehicle for Ukrainian front line “A group of intrepid British farmers looking to provide more support to their Ukrainian counterparts have delivered their 100th vehicle to the country's Eastern front. The mainly 4x4 vehicles, including two ambulances and a campervan, have now been successfully delivered across four convoys, driven to Ukraine by 160 volunteers from all around the UK. Pick-ups for Peace have now set their sights on the next 100 vehicles, and are scaling up their operations as they commit to the long haul”. This video from another truck-delivery initiative, the Estonian 69th NAFO Sniffing Brigade, shows the transfer of the trucks to Ukrainian soldiers: Thank you. These trucks are saving lives now. *** If you haven’t read my previous comments, please look here and here (including those posts’ comments sections). 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