Putin’s Doomsday Scenario
AtlanticMAR 10 2023
Ukrainian authorities in Kherson have introduced a new curfew and announced that river transport into and out of the city will be banned between November 13-19, amid continuing concerns that Russian forces may resume shelling on the area.
The news came as local officials urged residents not to return to their homes until Kyiv's forces have secured Kherson. Over the weekend, 10 groups of bomb disposal experts — who have so far removed 2K explosives from the city — were working in Kherson. Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy also commented that Ukraine's forces had control of 60 towns in the Kherson region, after Russian forces announced their evacuation earlier this week.
Speaking to The Washington Post, an official said over the weekend that the regional capital is "on the brink of a humanitarian crisis," after Russian sabotage of Kherson's critical infrastructure during their evacuation left residents without enough food or water. City official Roman Holovina also said: "There is currently not enough medicine" and that "there is no electricity."
This invasion is an egregious violation of international law. Putin's ultimate aim is to restore the Soviet empire, even if it takes massive bloodshed and false pretexts such as calling the 2014 Ukrainian revolution after an election a "coup". This unprovoked attack is the latest chapter in Putin's Orwellian attempt to rewrite history.
NATO and the US have ignored Russia's security concerns by breaking its promise not to expand eastward in return for German reunification. These concerns are legitimate and taking them seriously would have avoided the Ukraine tragedy.