From: Maia Mikhaluk in Kyiv (712th day):
@Wesley Jordan: The train station in Kyiv displays an ‘honor’ schedule listing destinations under ruzzian occupation. ‘Peremoha’ listed at the top means Victory, arriving 20:24 – year 2024.
Kherson, in white, has been liberated, though it continues to be under constant terrorist attacks by ruzzians.
26% of Ukraine’s territory remains occupied. But today we are one day closer to the Victory.Wes
Voice of Ukraine 
3 responses to “2/6/2024 – Destinations under ruzzian occupation”
From: Ira Kapitonova in Kyiv (Day 712):
Praise the Lord!
Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
who greatly delights in his commandments!
Psalm 112:1
I often think that in this whole war aspect of our reality, I don’t want us to lose the various sides to the beauty of our Ukraine. I want people to appreciate its history, culture, and natural sights because the enemy tries to destroy them and erase them from our memory.
That’s why today’s post is a simple picture of the White Elephant observatory in the Carpathians. The Chornohora (Black Mountain) range is one of the most picturesque places in the Ukrainian Carpathians.
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A year ago-
From Ira Kapitonova in Kyiv (Day 350):
The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!”
Psalm 50:23
As a child, I never understood why my grandma thought it was important to remember the date when the Soviet Union was invaded by Nazi Germany and many of its Axis allies. It was one of the dates from a history book to me. I understand her much better now. As we approach the 1-year mark, every day, I ask myself, “What was I doing on this day a year ago? Did I know what was about to happen?” I know that these memories will haunt us for years, and the month of February will always trigger anxiety until Russia is a threat no more.
Around this time last year, we felt the approach of doom. We had our emergency backpacks ready, downloaded maps on our phones (in case there’s no internet), and made sure the gas tank in our car was at least 3/4 full at all times. We worked out an action plan and knew what to do if the invasion started when we were away from home, or if there was no cell phone reception. I remember hushed conversations during coffee breaks when everyone was thinking about the same questions, but few dared to speak them out loud. On Fridays, I volunteered at my son’s school, and I wished I could be there every day to make sure I was with him if anything happened.
Around this time last year, we came to visit my grandma. It was unbearable to stay home and keep checking the news, so we went for a walk. There is a 600-year-old oak in this village. It is one of the tourist landmarks, located on one of the oldest streets by an old cemetery. We spent the whole day walking around..
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A year ago-
From Snezhana Kadian in Odesa: We invited a mother with two sons, T and D, for dinner. I have known the boys since childhood. T was a part of the teenagers ministry in our church. Now T is 19, and D is 22 years old. Both are in the army, although they are too young to be there – men at such age are usually not drafted – they got there from the beginning of the full-scale war.
During our conversation, someone called them heroes. The older brother said with doubt: “What heroes are we?” Their mother answered: “Yes, you are! To carry your duty when it is cold, hot, or wet. When you are frightened, but you continue doing your job, it means to be a hero.”
Nowadays, many of us rethink the idea of heroism. Maybe there was the conception of a fearless warrior inspired by modern culture. Big, handsome, has superpowers, and never gives up. The reality turned out differently. For D, it meant staying in a basement for two months under constant shelling without a possibility of going outside for basic needs (using the bathroom). At some point, a spider bit him. D realized that only when he felt back pain. Later, he discovered a spider nest under his pillow. He stayed at his position without medical assistance until the end of his shift, when the poison spread, and he needed surgery.
I can only imagine how much endurance and courage he had to have to keep doing his job under such circumstances: to keep the generator on and maintain communication between units.
The last job of younger brother T is guarding the telecommunications tower and maintaining the operation of the generator that powers the tower. Seems simple… Until you realize that the enemy is one kilometer away from you, which is closer than Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Once he went to repair the phone in position. He was so amazed by nature that he decided to make a video of that beautiful view to send to his mom. Later when he got back to the unit he was told that the enemy was a kilometer away and they didn’t want him to panic.
Just think how much heroism these men have to have to protect our country and many others from evil: when it is terribly cold or hot, when they are scared or exhausted, uncomfortable or in pain when their friends die, and there are no weapons. They stand there for all of us. And they do not call themselves heroes.
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