From Ira Kapitonova in Kyiv (Day 584):
May the Lord bless you from Zion, he who made heaven and earth!
Psalm 134:3
When checking the news to write today’s post, I came across the information on Russia’s losses. I used to monitor them closely in the first months of the full-scale invasion, hoping that a moment would come when they realize the severity of their losses and stop the aggression. I stopped checking this information once I saw that it made no difference.
As of today, Russia has lost 278,130 soldiers (approximate assessment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine). The estimated number of the wounded is over 800,000. These numbers are shocking. In February 2022, Russia had about 200,000 soldiers “allotted” for the invasion, and now they have lost much more! Do they have any regard for the human life?
I might have scrolled past these statistics, but it drew my attention because it came right after an article on the special operation of Ukraine’s intelligence team. They recruited a Russian officer and offered him to find Russian soldiers ready to surrender. He helped 11 Russian soldiers to get to safety on the Ukrainian land, using the “I want to live,” a lifeline organized by the Ukrainian side for the Russian soldiers. Once his commanders got suspicious of him, he was safely brought to Ukraine by our special services.
In August, there was another case when a Russian pilot decided to cooperate with Ukraine and came over in a helicopter loaded with spare parts for fighter jets. His family had been safely and secretly transported to Ukraine by the Ukrainian special services.
These stories seem to be a great reminder of a choice that we all have — to choose life and obedience to God or to choose death. And while our poor choices might not necessarily lead to immediate death, let us not be deceived by this fleeting security. Our choices always have consequences, so may we choose wisely.
Voice of Ukraine 