Russia, it seems, is pissed that somebody blew up their bridge. One day after they pinned the blame for the “terrorist attack” on Ukraine’s Secret Service, they launched their biggest cruise missile attack in months. Russian missiles and drones acquired from Iran hit both military and civilian targets in Kyiv, Lviv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, and other cities. They launched missiles from the ships, from airplanes, and from the land, including launchers in Belarus.
Early reports are the attacks killed more than a dozen and injured more than 100. They also knocked out power in many locations and water in some. While Russia said their targets were military, Ukraine accused the Russians of creating a humanitarian catastrophe. This type of language may strengthen European resolve and encourage further condemnations of Russia for war crimes.
Like a politician using a setback as an excuse to send out a fundraising letter, Ukraine President Zelensky is already using the attack as evidence Ukraine needs more money and weapons in its fight against Russia.
This should serve as a warning to everyone that the war is not over and Russia is not defeated. It’s also a reminder that when you up the ante, the other side escalates its response.
Another Front Opens?
It’s also possible that Belarusian troops will attack Ukraine as Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko announced a new agreement with Putin. I’ve seen unverified reports that Ukraine is blowing up bridges and mining roads along the border between Belarus and Ukraine.
You may recall that in the initial invasion, Russian troops attacked from Belarus, driving towards Kyiv.
The threat of fresh attacks from the North could draw troops away from the front lines in the East and South, where Ukrainian troops are retaking territory and appear to be causing Russian troops to retreat.
What this Means
This latest attack is fresh evidence that the war won’t be over soon and the level of voplence and destruction is likely to increase. Not only can we expect the war to continue for some time, we can expect the side effects to grow worse. Some of these side effects will be self-inflicted wounds caused by sanctions. Others will be unintentional, such as more refugees and shortages of grain and sunflower seed oil. Combined, it means the precarious state of the world is unlikely to change for the better. We remain one mistake away from nuclear war, one errant missile away from NATO getting involved.
It also means the economy will continue to show signs of strain. There is nothing coming to save us from high energy prices. Europe won’t suddenly become energy independent.
Society will also continue to show signs of strain. It’s going to be an ugly winter in Europe and an unhappy one in the U.S. Food supplies will remain tight and it will continue to grow more expensive. Rising interest rates will cause a recession. People will lose their jobs and their homes. Crime will grow worse.
Keep Prepping
If you are relatively new to prepping, look at each week without a disaster as another opportunity to get better prepared. Sneak a few dollars out of every paycheck and buy some food. Stock up on gear. Buy some meds. Get some training.
For example, one of my neighbors is learning to weld. That’s a great skill to have during a recession because it’s easy to find work as a welder. It can also be a good side gig. When the supply chain makes it impossible or expensive to buy new items, people will need things welded.
If you have been prepping for a while, don’t hesitate to rotate out your old food preps and eat them. I’m still eating a can of spam every few weeks, the occasional MRE, and in our refrigerator right now is a bowl of chicken salad made from canned chicken. Eat the old stuff. If you liked it and it was easy to prepare, that means it’s a good prepper food, so buy more. If you didn’t like it, buy something else that has a good long shelf life and can reside in your prepper pantry.
