As I wrote the October Challenge post, Putin’s disastrous invasion escalated. So, I ended up writing more background information. So, this is Post II, in which I refer in places to the Challenge post:

https://rolandclarke.com/2022/10/19/wep-iwsg-october-challenge-thriller/

Ukraine’s successful counter-offensive revealed likely war crimes from a torture incident to mass graves in a forest. Russian troops and separatist forces ran en masse, abandoning valuable equipment and supplies.

This was swiftly followed by Russia’s sham elections and illegal annexation of four regions of Eastern Ukraine.

Echoes of Hitler’s annexation of Sudetenland before WWII.

Internationally, almost everyone condemned the annexations, especially given the evidence of coercion by Russian forces, and the ludicrously inflated results. And Ukraine already controlled a percentage of the regions, then liberated more of the occupied territory after the pronouncement.

https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/10/1129492

As his invasion failed, Putin announced partial mobilization which resulted in thousands of eligible Russians fleeing the country. Meanwhile, those conscripted seemed poorly equipped, barely trained, and sometimes dispatched overhastily to the front-line. There, hundreds are surrendering, rather than fight.

Putin and some in his clique have threatened the use of nuclear weapons. For now, the West has promised a punishing conventional response.

When someone, probably Ukraine, bombed the strategic Kerch Bridge linking Russia to Crimea, annexed illegally in 2014, Putin’s birthday was ruined, and he ‘lost his rag’.

The bloody reprisals were as expected from Putin’s newly appointed commander for the retreating invasion, SERGEI SUROVIKIN. Raining missiles down on Ukraine’s civilians is a typical war crime ordered by General Armageddon – hence that playground attack.

Amidst the ongoing brutality, this had to be my closing scene of my October Challenge post.

Putin was hoping he could frighten Ukrainian civilians into capitulation. But they are more determined to prevail, as the British were during the Blitz in WWII. The bombing of German cities had a similar reverse effect.

https://edition.cnn.com/2022/10/11/opinions/ukraine-russia-war-playground-parenting-children-stefanova

Looking ahead, my flash for December flash is provisionally titled ‘Swords into Ploughshares’ as that is where my green conscience needs to go.

War fever has engulfed so many of us. Yet, when even Germany’s Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock, is a Green and strong supporter of Ukraine, I feel my response is somewhat vindicated. But there must be a humanitarian solution, not one that strengthens the military-industrial complex I so vehemently opposed when active in green politics.

I must end with this video of Ukrainian women soldiers singing the protest song Bella Ciao in Ukrainian.

This is the flower of the partisan,

oh bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao

this is the flower of the partisan

who died for freedom

Slava Ukrayini