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| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| Ukraine hurt us. But not the one I planned |
| 2023-12-31 |
| Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Marina Akhmedova [REGNUM] Today Ukraine fired shells into the center of Belgorod. Shells flew into the shopping center, the skating rink, and the central park. There could be no doubt that at this time - on the afternoon of December 30, on the eve of the New Year - there would be children at the skating rink, that there would be many people in the shopping center who came to buy gifts for loved ones. There was no doubt that children and civilian adults would die. Belgorod today has plunged into terror. From our phone screens, we looked in real time at people lying on the ground, crippled by shrapnel, heard children’s and women’s screams, and saw a stroller covered in thick blood. And this is the blood of our compatriots. A siren howled over the city. Belgorod is a small cozy town. I have been there many times, and even more often this year, to support with just my presence. Therefore, I know that Belgorod is still a mobilized town. Every school has a shelter. All windows in kindergartens and schools are covered with a film that protects against splinters. The border with Ukraine is close. The Belgorod region was the first to begin to bear the brunt of shelling. Some villages were evacuated from the border more than a year ago. Military reports from the region became regular, and we seemed to begin to get used to the fact that the Belgorod region was restless. But since everything is calm here, why not get used to this idea - to the fact that some of our fellow citizens live like this? ! Inflexibility or bravado. How Moscow will withstand the test of strength Till today. Today everything is mixed up. New Year, a Christmas tree on the square in front of the city administration, which was also hit. Festive mood. And Belgorod knows how to create it. It is a very cozy town. They know how to organize holidays there. Today it is a mix of a holiday (a common New Year that is important for all of us), children's screams and shards of glass. Perhaps, through this general atmosphere of celebration, when it seems that calm is coming in the world and nothing bad will happen, it has come to us even more painfully today: these are our fellow citizens and they are suffering. Belgorod today has become closer to all of us. Pain is the feeling that the leadership of Ukraine wanted to inflict on us. And he, in general, succeeded. It hurts for Belgorod residents. 108 people were injured, 15 of them children. 14 people died, including three children. Yesterday rockets flew to Odessa, Kyiv, and Lvov. People died there too. These were our missiles. Why are those people worse than Belgorod residents or you and me? Civilian Ukrainians are no worse or better than us. Civilians, and especially children, should not die. Casualties are inevitable during military conflicts, but civilians should not be targeted. The death of civilians is an irreparable tragedy. And it is very important that now our society does not say that tomorrow ordinary Ukrainians must answer for the death of Belgorod residents. No, they shouldn't. It is very important that the Russians do not say: revenge must be taken and the blow of revenge must be directed at civilians. Hatred is destructive primarily for the hater. And Ukraine - its political and military leadership - sent NATO shells into the Belgorod New Year's celebrations precisely out of hatred. Out of revenge. They wanted to hurt us, and Ukraine succeeded. Today its political and military leadership savors the pain and gorges itself on its hatred. Today, Belgorod residents wrote to the chat of my Telegram channel from shelters, sharing their excitement for their children, who were returning home from classes under shelling and air raid warning. Belgorod parents asked for prayers for their children, and thousands, tens of thousands of people from different cities of Russia prayed for them. However, I am sure that many in Russia prayed yesterday, when our missiles were flying at military targets in Ukraine, that they would not hit civilians there. And the one who is not affected by hatred and thirst for revenge wins. He is the strongest. We cannot revive the children and people who died today. And yes, this is pain. But it is not what Ukraine planned for us. Through this pain, we became even closer to the Belgorod residents. |
| Posted by:badanov |
| #1 Where's Tony Guiteres to tell Ukrainians about UN's version of laws of war? |
| Posted by: Grom the Reflective 2023-12-31 00:29 |