In Ukraine, trend lines point to escalation, not an endgame
NPR Online NewsDec 23, 2022
The Facts
Russian attacks again pounded energy infrastructure across Ukraine on Tuesday, striking facilities in Kyiv, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Zhytomyr. Preliminary information suggested that at least two people were killed and five were injured in Kyiv, while two people were injured in Zhytomyr.
On Twitter, Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the strikes as "another kind" of Russian terror attack. He also stated that 30% of Ukraine's power stations have been destroyed since Oct. 10 and added that, as a result, there was, "no space left for negotiations with Putin's regime."
The Spin
Anti-Russia narrative
Ukrainians that have so far survived Putin's brutal bombings will soon have to endure another humiliating challenge thanks to Russia's illegal invasion: surviving the sub-zero temperatures of winter with no heat or electricity. Ukraine must focus on repairing the energy infrastructure targeted by Russian strikes if civilians are to be protected from the deprivation that may lie ahead.
Pro-Russia narrative
Russia's response to Ukraine's actions has so far been restrained, but the nation has warned countless times that its patience is not infinite. Moscow's tough response to ongoing terrorist attacks – including the strike on the Crimean Bridge – has been long coming, and the only people to blame for the suffering of Ukraine's civilians are the political and military leaders complicit in terror attacks on Russia.
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