The question “Can it get any worse?” has kept popping into my head lately. All the time it seems as if it can’t, but Russia proves that it can. And when it seems as if there could be no more hatred in me for these b**tards, Russia proves that there can.
Taken together, it seems that the worst things happening in the world all seem to be connected with Russia.
Last week was psychologically very difficult. I always thought that after Bucha, Mariupol and a number of other cities raped by Russia, nothing could knock me down again. I was wrong.
Today, like most Ukrainians, my day begins with reading the news. The stories are usually negative, as every night Russia fires its missiles at the civilian population. And the more weapons we get, the more missiles come to attack us.
On the night of July 30-31, Mykolaiv experienced its largest shelling since the start of the full-scale invasion. In Kharkiv, the explosions do not stop. There were rocket attacks last week in the Kyiv region as well.
Bad news came to me on Thursday evening, when the police posted a video showing the abuse of a captured Ukrainian soldier. In the video, a man’s genitals are cut off. A new video appeared the next day. The Russians mocked the same Ukrainian, dragged him tied up along the ground, then shot him in the head.
Even now I can’t hold back the tears. If I had been told that this sort of thing could happen, I would never have believed it. I could not have believed in such cruelty in the 21st century. When I saw the last video on Friday, I was speechless. I just silently cried.
Later, Olenivka was added to this list of terrible torments – a settlement in Donetsk where Russians shelled a warehouse. In that warehouse, the occupiers had kept Ukrainian prisoners taken from Azovstal. They claim that it was the Ukrainians who fired at their own, but, thank God, only the Russians believe this.
All of these events have shaken me to the core, as it has too among my acquaintances. My psychologist explained that this is exactly what the enemy is counting on now – to bring us to our knees and to break our spirit.
Today, as more weapons are passed into the hands of the Ukrainian military, we can counterattack, not just defend. Russia senses its own weakness, so it counts on terrorism and outrage. However, what Russia fails to understand is that the more pressure it puts on Ukraine, the stronger Ukrainians will become.
Indeed, despite my weakened and fragile morale, last week I was reminded of the price of our struggle.
And with such actions, Russia is digging its own grave. After every terrorist act, there is an opportunity to accelerate the delivery of new weapons to Ukraine. And these videos of Russian atrocities remind the world about my people and the support we need.
I don’t know when the victory will come, but it will definitely come. It has to – for the sake of all those tortured and killed by the Russian army. People who just want to be free and independent.
Stay with Ukraine. And don’t forget about us.
The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily of Kyiv Post.
