Alexander Query

In Syria, now fugitive dictator Bashar Al-Assad has been ousted by rebels after decades of atrocities on his people. Russia’s troops located in Syria have scrambled to help Vladimir Putin’s long-time ally in the region without results. What could it mean for Ukraine?

Russia’s largest aerial assault in months has plunged Ukraine into renewed terror, targeting civilians with over 120 missiles and 90 drones on November 17. Among the hardest hit is Sumy, Ukraine’s frontline city bracing for a winter of fear, destruction, and survival.

In the Sumy region, where Russian strikes often target schools, some have moved underground to offer children a semblance of normalcy. Hidden in basements, these makeshift classrooms are a quiet defiance of war.

The Russian army’s push for Donbas is not only a matter of symbol in Vladimir Putin’s twisted vision of history; it’s also a matter of resources. Russia’s hold on Donbas would deprive Ukraine of vital resources for its industry. 

Ukraine is learning the hard way; it can’t depend entirely on its Western allies to get enough weapons to repel the Russians and ensure victory, so Ukrainian engineers are racing against the clock to constantly produce new innovative weapon systems. Here’s a quick round-up of the latest war-time inventions.

“Two girls died,” says Slava, a Kherson local who survived a Russian drone attack, his scarred hands a painful reminder. He glances at the bus stop where we’ve paused, and twitches. “Let’s move,” he says. Bus stops, he knows too well, are prime targets.