By: Dennis Melnichuk From Awakened Generation
Truth is important. Since the start of the invasion when I saw the confusion taking place, I thought I would post about the war as much as possible to reveal what was taking place in Ukraine. The response has been unexpected. It is evident now there are very strong opinions surrounding this war. I realize I cannot effectively change someone’s opinion through online dialogue, yet I can help make information as accessible as possible. This way those who are trying to come to honest conclusions about what’s happening may have more sources to draw from. There is a massive information war going on, and to my surprise, it is having a more far-reaching effect than I thought could even be possible.
My latest post about the missile that hit the train station in Kramatorsk has been controversial because of the verb tense being used in the writing on the missile. Debates have circled around whether the words on the missile spelled out intentions of either vengeance or terrorism. When I saw the picture of the rocket at first I was shocked and posted the picture with a direct translation: FOR THE CHILDREN. I want to bring clarity as much as I can to this.
It is very likely that the writing on the missile had intended to actually convey something along the meaning: TO AVENGE/ or TO PROTECT THE CHILDREN. It is crucial to make sense of this to understand what this war is about.
As stated by another source, even as this conflict between Russia and Ukraine has its share of complexities, and neither government is an example of virtue, the bottom line is that Putin’s regime is overwhelmingly in the wrong*. Even if the claims Russia is making about Ukraine as reasons for its invasion were in any form true, there is absolutely no justification to the tactics being deployed to accomplish their objectives.
They have launched attacks that have killed thousands of civilians. This is not a holy war. Evidence continues to emerge in cities that had been under siege by Russian troops of deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure, mass killing of civilians, some being killed execution-style. There are now reports of chemical weapons used in Mariupol. The assertions Russia is making are turning around on its head, showing how these claims of justification are overwhelmingly absurd. Russia’s own actions and following outright denial of them before the international stage is exposing itself to the world the true intentions underlining its attack on Ukraine.
Let’s examine the narratives being told.
First, we need to ask if the claims Russia is making are true. Essentially, only time will tell the whole truth, yet already we have key moments to be aware of. When people lie their story will often change and carry “slight” variations that adapt to fit the developing situation. Here is a list of claims Russia has made leading up to and following the invasion with some commentary:
Russia denied it was planning an invasion. Their troops were supposedly by the borders for military training. This was obviously a lie.
Russia claimed that the threat of attack was due to Ukraine’s attempts to join NATO. (Ukraine at that time would have not been able to join NATO anytime soon).
The claim was made that Ukraine is run by Fascists and Nazis and that the country needed to be de-Nazified. (I will write a separate article about this).
Putin sent Russian soldiers into the eastern separatist regions of Ukraine (LNR/DNR) for what was called a “peacekeeping mission”, claiming it was to protect Russian-speaking civilians from genocide by the Ukraine government. (Ukraine has been in a ceasefire with these regions since 2014).
Before the invasion of Feb 23, 2022 Putin’s live broadcast included a botched overview of the history of Ukraine and Russia that attempted to show the overarching unity of these two countries. (There was no reference made to the distinction Ukraine has historically had for over a thousand years, albeit being occupied by other nations and empires throughout the duration of its history. There was also no reference to the atrocities committed on Ukrainians during the Soviet regime, such as the cruel government-made famine called Holodomor where many millions of Ukrainians were starved to death in 1932-33 by government confiscation of all household food and cut-off from outside aid. Death tolls compare to the Holocaust).
It is clear that Putin’s monologue on Ukraine’s history during live television immediately prior to launching this invasion was a political move to further blur the lines of Ukraine’s sovereignty.
The Kremlin claims its attacks are now targeting bio-weapon labs in Ukraine developing weapons intended upon attacking Russia with bio-warfare. (Ukraine was not in a position to have the capability to launch an attack on Russia).
And now, a missile hits a rail station in Kramatorsk, Ukraine with a message inscribed on it making a claim that CHILDREN are somehow being avenged or even rescued by this invasion. (Some claim that Russia is helping set Ukraine free from some sort of human lab experiment program or from child sex-slave trafficking. Yet, Russia is rampant with the same problem it is accusing Ukraine of).
Ukraine’s storyline has remained the same for the most part: Ukraine is being unjustly invaded and the sovereignty of their nation is being violated. They want to join the EU and pull away from Russia’s influence.
I have lived here for a few years. I will tell you from first-hand experience that a high percentage of people actually want to join the EU. Throughout the years prior to the war the amount of Ukrainians who do not want ties with Russia has only increased.
I have lived and ministered in Eastern Ukraine for a number of years. Most people that I meet in those same eastern areas that Russia claims are regions with a majority of ethnic Russian and actually want to be “brother nations” with them are appalled at what Russia is doing. During my conversations with refugees from the east, many express their deep resent for Russia. If there was a lingering desire for closer ties to them before, those desires are mostly eradicated now. I have not met ONE SINGLE UKRAINIAN WHO IS CURRENTLY LIVING IN UKRAINE and is first-hand experiencing this war who believes the Ukraine army is bombing and killing its own people. Not one.
I have spoken with a lot of them, including with soldiers and military personnel.
Russia has a long history of barbaric warfare. It must be noted that WWII, the Syrian war, the Chechen war, and the war in Afghanistan, all are bloodied with horrific stories of unnecessary mass killings of civilians by Russian troops and other war crimes.
Consider these details when analyzing the ongoing war in Ukraine. It must be noted that the farther Ukraine has moved from its former Soviet counterpart and leaned further toward democracy, the corruption in the country has notably lessened. Russia is a country where political opponents have been jailed or killed, where leaders hold their office as long as they please, where money is laundered and corruption is practically unchallenged, Russian civilians are jailed for protesting their government, there is no freedom of speech, and the word “war” is BANNED from being used when referencing Ukraine.
Nevertheless, since the start of the war, we still see the bravery of many Russians who have gone out on the streets and gathered in squares to protest this unjust war at the risk of being arrested, beaten, fined, or jailed. It is clear that the actions of the war in Ukraine does not reflect the soul of all Russian people.
Sadly, the manifestation of the evils of lasting post-Soviet Union Marxism, imperialism, nationalism, and deeply rooted corruption in Russia, prevails in the brute treatment and control of its own people with the state’s frequent violations of human rights. This is now extending to Ukraine and resulting in the death of innocent lives for Russia’s own political gain. Russia cannot effectively “set free” any nation as it is claiming to, if it itself is not free from those very same evils it is accusing Ukraine of.
The reasons behind Russia’s invasions must consider the richness of Ukraine’s natural resources, ideal geopolitical location for trade, and major strategic military points that would benefit Russia in setting itself up again as a world superpower.
It has been said, “Russia is a country. Russia with Ukraine is an empire”.
About: Dennis Melnichuk From Awaken Generation
We are carried by the passions instilled by the Spirit of God to make His name glorious in the earth. Our heartbeat is to know God and our pursuit is to love Jesus with every moment and breath. This is our longing: to see His Kingdom come. We live and declare His Good News that it may reach out into all the world. At our core we desire that many would become sons and daughters of God and display the power that awakens others to love Jesus Christ with real, authentic devotion. This is our anthem. That we may be an awakened generation.
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