One day after Ukraine’s special forces re-entered the southern port city of Kherson, they’ve started the tall task of securing the city while continuing to fight Russian forces on the outskirts of town. Many of the Ukrainian soldiers were treated to a heroes welcome, as residents showered them in hugs and cheers, but the situation in Kherson is dire and its residents need more than a moral victory right now.
Kherson before the war was an urban hub with a population in the hundreds of thousands. Today it is mostly without heat, water, electricity, medicines or cellphone service. In short, it’s a humanitarian disaster just waiting to unfold. Sadly, Ukrainian military officials said the city was not yet safe for a large-scale humanitarian relief effort. With Russian forces and artillery stationed just outside of town, the fight continues and the dying goes on with it.
Some military strategists and generals are expecting both sides to take an operational pause because of the difficulty of the muddy, wet and cold conditions, and because the fighting in Kherson had been extremely debilitating. Having never participated in a war, I’m a little skeptical of troops taking “operational pauses” for months at a time, but what do I know.
Side Items
Keep An Eye Out: RumpleTrumpskin is expected to announce his 2024 presidential campaign later this week. I’ve stopped pretending to understand what motivates people to relate to or vote for this bozo, but it’s always helpful to remember there are ALOT of idiots in this country, and ALOT of them vote
Disaster in Dallas: Two World War II-era planes collided in midair at an air show in Dallas yesterday, turning the commemorative Veterans Day celebration into a scene of horror. Six people were killed, in further proof that if we’re gonna make Veteran’s Day a holiday, it should be a day of mourning rather than celebration
Liverpool Turns A Corner?: At long last, Liverpool delivered a victory yesterday against an overmatched opponent, winning 3-1 against a Southhampton squad in the midst of a battle against relegation. This is the final Liverpool match until late December, as the Premier League will take a break in preparation for…
World Cup Preview
Switzerland: Grouped with Serbia, Brazil and Cameroon, many assume the Brazilians will stroll through the group, leaving one spot for the remaining three teams to compete for. Historically, the Swiss are known for their neutrality and their chocolates, we’ll see which of these technically advanced strategies are employed to try and win over the competition
Tunisia: If ever a North African team has the opportunity to humiliate the French, it must be seized with gusto. Most of the players from Tunisia’s 2018 World Cup squad are still in the rotation, so hopefully some chemistry can be capitalized on. To advance out of the group, Tunisia would need to beat out Australia and Denmark, no easy feat, but also not impossible
Iran: Grouped with the United States and half of Great Britain, it’ll be interesting to see how this Iranian team fares. They’re considered the weakest team in the group, as every other squad boasts at least a few household names, but one small slip-up from any of the other teams could spell surprising success for Iran. My bet is they’ll somehow earn a draw against the US and potentially England, depending on how badly the tea-drinkers choke