General Winter and General Mud may not be on Russia’s side this time, as both armies prepare for cold weather that will complicate logistics and affect morale. “Land warfare is generally very difficult. Winter warfare is doubly so." W/ @StephenFidler1wsj.com/articles/winte…
“We can’t fight the way we used to," a Ukrainian soldier said. On snow, the tracks of vehicles will be visible to Russian drones. If soldiers light a fire to warm themselves, they will be more visible and a lack of leaves on trees will expose them further wsj.com/articles/winte…
The toughest conditions will be in November—part of a period Russians call “rasputitsa,” when roads dissolve—after which the mud will turn into hard ground and it will be easier to move around. “Whoever prepares better and uses this situation to his advantage will move forward."
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Two brothers, both priests. One lives in Russia, the other in Ukraine.
For Vasyl, the war is a crime propped up by lies. For Iosif, it’s a just mission to retake Russian lands.
This is the story of how the war split their family - and so many others too wsj.com/articles/war-d…
The Ivanchuk brothers both served in the Soviet army, both lived in Kharkiv in Ukraine as students, and both became priests at a time of spiritual revival as the atheist Soviet Union crumbled.
But in February, both came to opposing conclusions about the war - why?
I spent hours talking to Father Iosif in Russia. His siblings describe him as a kind father of six who helps his flock - but he watches Russian TV, backs Putin's war, and says he'd be proud if his sons went to fight. “The chaos happening in Ukraine is God’s retribution,” he says.
Horrific images emerging from the blast right in the heart of Kyiv, which drives home that no place in Ukraine is yet safe. Looks like there are fatalities.
The aftermath of one strike on Kyiv this morning
This is *right* in the centre of Kyiv, beside a busy park at exactly the time when people were rushing to work. No confirmation yet on number of fatalities.
Russians awoke today to videos of the Crimea bridge on fire, the symbol of Russia’s resurgence under Putin and a key target for Ukraine since February. A huge blow that won’t go without a response from Putin, who already warned of a major escalation if Russian territory is hit.
The road section of the bridge is destroyed, and the rail section is still ablaze. An incredibly successful strike that seems to have been caused at least in part by a truck exploding. Russia announced all traffic along the bridge has ceased.
Another view of the massive explosion on the Crimea bridge, which links the peninsula to Russia and to occupied Kherson region and was a major supply route for Russian forces.
Protests against mobilisation are taking place in several Russian cities today, mostly small-scale actions leading to a smattering of arrests. The woman’s sign reads “No to Mobilisation”
A video from Novosibirsk shared on Telegram, showing police heading to disperse the local protest
Tomsk today. Sign reads “Give me a hug if you’re also afraid.”
Needless to say punishment for protesting the war in Russia can be severe.