The German publication Der Spiegel writes about the deportation of Ukrainians from the occupied territories to the Russian Federation. The main character of the material, Vladyslav Krasnikov, is an actor of the Mariupol Theater who was forcibly taken to a Russian village and who eventually managed to escape to Estonia. According to the US government, there are about a million forcibly deported Ukrainians like Vladyslav. About 50 000 of them were able to escape to Estonia. The Kremlinʼs propaganda machine calls these abductions an evacuation, "aid to the Ukrainian people." Spiegel describes the path of Vladyslav, who at the end of March was forced to leave Mariupol due to constant shelling and ended up in a Russian infiltration camp. They interrogated him there, and when they decided that he was not a military man, they sent him to Taganrog, where there was a distribution center for Ukrainians. In Taganrog, Vladyslav was put on a train to Tolyatti, and then he ended up in the village of Kinel-Cherkasy near the border with Kazakhstan. The story of Krasnikov and his group began to be covered by the Russian press, but it was completely distorted. They were presented as "those who saved the city from Ukrainian fascists", Russia was depicted as "the savior of Ukrainians". After a few days of living in a childrenʼs camp in the village, the group split into those who were grateful to the Russian Federation for help, and those who hated Russia, says Vladyslav. Soon, having gained strength, he and his friends left for Estonia, where he now lives with other Ukrainian refugees on a cruise ship. Recently, the man found a job in the theater.
The Washington Post explains why everyone is talking about the Zaporizhzhia NPP in an extensive article. Although in fact this nuclear power plant has been under the control of the Russian Federation since March, the situation has worsened in recent weeks. Last Friday, Russia sent station workers home, which, according to Ukrainian intelligence, may indicate plans to attack the facility. Ukraine accuses the Russian Federation of explosions at the station, and Putin accused Ukraine of shelling. The world is closely watching the development of events and is afraid of a possible nuclear accident. WP tried to understand the structure of the NPP and possible risks. Six of Ukraineʼs 15 nuclear reactors are located at the Zaporizhzhia station. It started working in 1984 and as of the beginning of 2022 produced a fifth of all electricity in Ukraine. The main potential risk is a nuclear meltdown that could occur if the reactor is not cooled properly. This can happen if, as a result of hostilities, the station does not receive the necessary amount of electricity for cooling. Although each of the reactors has three standby diesel generators, it is easy to imagine this fuse system failing in wartime. For example, Russia may try to switch the station from the Ukrainian power grid to the Russian one, and then the cooling system will be completely dependent on generators.
Max Hastings, a journalist and military historian, wrote an essay on Bloomberg in which he suggests recalling the lessons of the Korean War in the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Hastings believes that a complete "victory" in the wars of the 21st century is almost impossible, and the only option to end the war is to restrain its expansion. Hastings describes the events of the Korean War of 1950-1953, which, in his opinion, is a good example of deterrence. When the Chinese entered the war, US military leaders were furious and demanded the use of nuclear weapons. Some even believed that the bomb should be aimed directly at Moscow, because it was the Soviet Union that was responsible for starting the war. Britain insisted on restraint and even continued to trade with China, further angering the Americans, Hastings writes. Republicans in the USA, as now, alternately demanded either a complete refusal of the US to intervene, or an escalation — in particular, they recalled the effectiveness of nuclear bombs in the war against Japan. In early 1951, the Joint Chiefs of Staff demanded that the White House declare war on China. Hastings believes that the ability of the parties to refrain from escalation is what stabilized the Korean front and ultimately allowed the war to end and be contained. The historian admits that this deterrence does not make much sense for the Ukrainians, because they are suffering and cruel, but for the rest of the world, a war that remains within the borders of the region is better than a world war.