In February, this year, the Russian Federation invaded Ukraine in what President Vladimir Putin described as a “special military operation” aiming at “demilitarisation” of Ukraine. Hundreds of tanks were deployed across the border into Ukraine, with the sole aim of seizing the capital, Kyiv.
The world has not been told about any justifiable reasons why Putin and his troops have moved to attack their former Soviet Union member.
It is, however, being speculated that Putin is not happy with the moves being allegedly made by Ukraine to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), the sworn enemy of Russia.
Moscow is, therefore, trying to use her military might to thwart such a move by Ukraine and ensure that NATO arsenals does not come close to her borders.
It, however, appears that Putin has met his waterloo in Ukraine. After failing to seize Kyiv in the initial stages of the war, he is also losing grounds in some key towns and villages Russia had earlier seized.
Not even what the western countries described a ‘sham referendum’ in areas she occupies and annexing it as part of the Russian Federation could stop the Ukraine army from pushing and recapturing their territories.
Now, having realised that it is losing at the battle front, Russian has now resorted to the firing of cruise missiles targeting key infrastructure in Ukraine.
Among these targets are plants in the Ukrainian energy sector. Over the past weeks, Russian bombs have hit and destroyed sources where energy is generated and supplied to the Ukrainian population.
Apparently, Russia wants to punish Ukraine so that they will not have electricity during the winter season.
This development is very worrying and The Chronicle is surprised that both the United Nations and western countries have sat aloof for this to happen.
What Russia is doing could be more dangerous than firing a weapon of mass destruction. Because Ukraine is not far away from the Arctic Circle, temperatures in that part of the world are always very low during this period of the year.
The only way the people can survive the winter is through the heating of their rooms to keep themselves warm.
Now with bombs dropping on facilities that provide them with the energy to heat their rooms and homes, the probability of people freezing to death cannot be ruled out.
This is the reason why we are worried that the UN, which is mandated to ensure peace in this our troubled world, is not doing anything to rein in Russian.
NATO members have also remained quite when their opponent appears to have taken the decision to annihilate Ukrainians from the surface of the earth.
The Chronicle is not calling on NATO to declare war on Russia – no, that will lead to destruction of this world. What we are rather calling for is for NATO members to also mount pressure on Russia to stop the indirect killings of Ukraine civilians, who have obviously not committed any crime against Russia.
It is inhumane to deny the people the right to heat their homes in order to survive the winter, just because Russian has the air superiority and can, therefore, do whatever she wants to do.
We hope those who have the ears have listened to us and will join hands with us to mount pressure on Russia to stop bombing energy facilities in Ukraine.
