Above: Ukrainians celebrate national holidays like Independence Day, shown here in Kyiv in 2020, with great pride and public participation. Photo via Kyiv Post
Below: On the other hand, celebrations in moscow have highly-controlled participation by staged spectators. Photo via EU Political Report
Above: Kyiv city officials have created an interactive public experience along Khreschatyk with a display of recently abandoned and destroyed enemy war equipment. Photo via Ukrinform
- Foremost on the minds of Ukrainians this week leading up to Ukraine’s Independence Day is the threat of a tiny bitter kremlin dictator and his overwhelming hatred of Ukraine. This week alone Ukrainians have been warned to prepare for nuclear disaster, a winter without heat and indiscriminate revenge shelling for Independence day.
- “All of Ukraine’s partners have been informed about what the terrorist state can prepare for this week,” warned Mr Zelenskiy in his nightly video address.
- Kyiv’s mayor Vitalii Klitchko banned public celebrations this week and instigated a curfew out of an abundance of caution from the increased risk of symbolic shelling on civilian targets. Other cities like Kharkiv and Mykolaiv are planning to use various means including curfews and work-from-home to keep civilians off the streets during this week of perceived heightened danger.
- Enemy invaders continue to use the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant as a military base from which they fire rockets into nearby cities and towns including Nikopol located about 15 kilometers from the ZNPP in Enerhodar.
Above: Over thirty times, Ukraine has targeted the enemy-held Chornobayivka airfield north of Kherson, and did so again on Sunday. Drone images show the smoke rising from the ashes of an enemy ammo depot. Photo via Steven Thomas
- Unconfirmed reports say that the Antonivsky Bridge near Kherson city has collapsed after new Ukrainian missile strikes. Bloggers are reporting that Ukrainian missiles struck ammo transportation trucks on or near the bridge that dealt a fatal blow and may have killed road repair crew members.
- Local residents filmed a fleet of enemy helicopters flying away from Dzhankoy Monday morning.
- Evidence is growing that strikes deep in Crimea may be accomplished by Ukrainian-made missile systems.
- Press office of the Ukrainian Southern Command reported that the enemy has increased the number of warships and deployable missiles in the Black Sea. The enemy fired heavily from the Black Sea on Odesa over the weekend.
Above: Work continues on the “Mariupol cages”, staging for occupier POW propaganda show trials. The kremlin tyrant would rather break international laws than tell his followers the truth. Photo via Belsat in English
- Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boychenko commented that preparations for the Mariupol show trials are still underway and wouldn’t be surprised if the orcs began the trials on Ukraine’s Independence Day to stir a frenzy among kremlin propaganda consumers and divert attention from the enemy’s lack of progress.
- In addition to POWs taken during the battle for Mariupol, Mr Boychenko estimated that at least 10,000 Ukrainians are being held in Mariupol prisons.