World
‘Stalemate’: counteroffensive stalls, heaviest bombardment yet, landmine crises worsens
By Matt De Vlieger · November 2, 2023
In short
- Ukraine's counteroffensive against Russia, led by General Valery Zaluzhny, has largely failed, echoing the brutality of World War I trench warfare.
- Recent Russian attacks in Ukraine have resulted in one of the heaviest bombardments of the conflict, causing significant civilian casualties.
- Ukraine is now the most heavily mined country globally, with a third of its territory covered in landmines and unexploded ordnance, posing grave risks and hindering recovery efforts.
Ukraine’s commander-in-chief, General Valery Zaluzhny, recently made a sobering admission about the ongoing conflict with Russia. Despite a five-month-long counteroffensive, Ukraine has largely failed to recapture the territory lost to Russia’s invasion.
In a grim analogy, General Zaluzhny likened the current situation to the brutal trench warfare of World War I, where vast numbers of troops were sacrificed to regain small patches of land.
This admission comes at a time when Ukraine’s military is reporting an alarming increase in Russian attacks. Over the past day, Russian shells have rained down on nearly 120 settlements, marking one of the heaviest bombardments witnessed in this prolonged conflict.
The toll on civilians is devastating, with the United Nations’ humanitarian affairs office reporting that over 9,900 civilians have lost their lives since the start of Russia’s invasion. That’s an average of nearly 16 civilians killed every day.
The war has left an indelible mark on Ukraine, and not just in terms of lives lost. It has also turned the country into the most heavily mined nation in the world. The Ukrainian government estimates that approximately a third of its territory is now covered in landmines and unexploded ordnance, making the land fraught with danger for its citizens and posing a significant challenge for post-war recovery efforts.
The ongoing conflict continues to have devastating consequences for Ukraine and its people, both in terms of the loss of life and the long-lasting scars it has left on the nation’s landscape. It underscores the urgent need for a peaceful resolution to end the suffering and destruction that has befallen this Eastern European nation.