After waking up Thursday morning to a multifront assault from Russia, Ukrainians mobilized and fought back, resisting Russian efforts to take over major airports. By targeting airports, Russia intended to create tactical air bridges to further leverage its superior military might. This morning, Ukrainians–most of whom had stayed awake–have seen rockets hit Kyiv, with U.S. officials warning the capital city could quickly fall.
As Kyiv Faces Rocket Fires, Ukraine Defends Key Airports
Russia’s attack on Ukraine was hardly a surprise, but its rapid expansion of the conflict beyond the disputed regions in the Donbas Region came as shock to many. While tanks, planes, and ships all coalesced on Ukrainian borders, strategic targets like airports were prioritized for conquest.
While Ukrainian forces repelled attempts to take over Kyiv’s two main airports, Boryspil International Airport (KBP) and Sikorsky International Airport (IEV), Russian forces succeeded in taking over Hostomel Airport (GML), also known as Antonov Airport, a major cargo airport about an hour outside of Kyiv.
The world’s only Antonov An-225 Mriya, the largest operating aircraft on earth that includes six engines and once carried Soviet rocket ships, is based there and was parked in a hangar during the invasion. This aircraft was designed and built in the Ukrainian SSR in 1985 and was still in use prior to the latest outbreak of conflict. There was concern that the aircraft was destroyed in the Russian attack, but reports now suggest that the aircraft is safe (Ukraine now reports the airport is once again under government control).
Far more importantly, though, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that 137 civilians and military personnel were killed on the first day of war, with hundreds more injured.
As Russian attacks continue, senior U.S. officials told Members of Congress they fear Kyiv will fall quickly, noting that Russian soldiers are entering Ukraine at an accelerated rate from Belarus.
Whatever was shot down over Kyiv was pretty big pic.twitter.com/aV6a3VwPgX
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) February 25, 2022
Meanwhile, Ivano-Frankivsk Airport (IFO) has also come under attack. The Western Ukrainian city was once part of Poland, annexed by the USSR, occupied by Nazi Germany in WWII, and eventually became part of modern-day Ukraine after the fall of the Soviet Union. The city is located north of the Romanian border and east of the Polish, Slovakian, and Hungarian borders.
Footage of the airport bombing in Ivano-Frankivsk. #Ukraine #Russia pic.twitter.com/MLVuNyPItI
— Ω (@w4rw4tcher) February 24, 2022
CONCLUSION
Russia’s aim to take over Ukraine and install a new government is solidifying as it launches a brutal assault on Kyiv. While Russia’s vastly superior military strength may ultimately lead to (temporary) victory, Ukraine’s fight to secure airports has slowed Russian efforts.
Cheering for Ukraine! Putin and Trump’s warped view of the world is disgusting.
I do not cheer for Ukraine. They are country full of corruption and barely a democracy. Putin is worse, though.
The present Ukraine Govt is a puppet and lap dog of US and Britain. Must be got rid of
Even if that were true, that’s still no excuse or justification for Russia to invade…
Propaganda machine at work.
You only get 5 Kopeks per post to defend Russia. Stick to China. It’s more profitable.
Got that, Ivan.
Seems like someone (Wesley) hasn’t kept up on The Steele Dossier’s fakeness. Even your own echo chambers have finally recognized the theory of Trump being buddies with Putin as a fake. Most Democrats don’t understand that Trump is pro=American, anti-communist, anti-socialist, and also anti-war. He’s no friend of Putin. https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/18/politics/steele-dossier-reckoning/index.html
Back on topic. Biden will really need to step up his efforts to bolster NATO. It is very, very likely that Putin will continue a push into Romania and Poland once Ukraine is under control. Regardless I doubt we’ll see the AN-225 every fly again. I’m surprised that Turkey is supporting Ukraine in all this. Keep an eye on areas outside of Ukraine to see what is really going on. Look at Syria / Israel, China / Taiwan, and other conflict areas to erupt soon if Russia isn’t slowed down in Ukraine. Think WWI, not WW2
And you have [people] going out of his way to spread lies on travel blog… really
Leave your basement and go out there. You are only brave behind a computer screen. Your generation is lost. Feel bad for you.
He’s in the same basement and generation as you are, so…?
There is a mobilization order for 16 to 60 year old males in Ukraine. Effectively they are being drafted to fight.
I do not see women protesting about equal rights and being forced to die for the country. Typical sexist trash from women. They never wanted equal rights. They wanted special treatment.
This is a gross, borderline incel argument that’s also just factually wrong: https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/12/27/ukraine-requires-women-register-military-conscription-russia-threat-looms.html
You are behaving like a simp.
We have data. We should be seeing as many women meeting violent deaths as men, or there are no equal rights.
And if one years data shows there are no equal rights we should pushing more women into dangerous professions till that death rate is equal across genders. The trend needs to be apparent over multiple years. This may also reduce the pay difference based on gender and the higher life expectancy that women enjoy.
This is out of scope for a travel blog regarding airports open in a war zone, but I’ll add 2 polite cents.
The Ukrainian women tend to not be (western) feminists and yet are willing to engage in harsh labor whether on the farm or firearms. The term is “Soviet Feminism”. They aren’t obsessed with gender equality like in the west although feminists there do exist but the cultural conflicts in the west have undermined it. There are numerous feminists who fret about the slow inroads they are making in the culture.
I am personally against expanding equality as compared to eliminating the pretense of equality we currently live in. Most don’t buy into it (men are still expected largely to be the providers by most people) so sort of like, say, speed limits that EVERYONE is breaking why not just post a more reasonable speed? (Sorry for the crude analogy.)
There are numerous videos out there of tough Ukrainian women taking the fight to the Russians both verbally and physically. One is hilarious where she gave a Russian soldier sunflower seeds, he thanked her (thought they were a snack) and she said: “This is so when you die, your rotting corpse will be useful (bleep word)”.
Trust me, they’re tough women and different than elsewhere. That’s what’s need about travel: You see what’s universal and what’s not. Some things are the same and others alien. It took me a few days to figure out how to flush the toilet in Poland and read numbers.
Yeh. My post veered towards feminists everywhere and has moved away from the original blog. The fact of the matter is the mobilization order is for 16 to 60 males and the women anywhere are not protesting about being left out.
In the US women talk about how few women are in the boardrooms but not how few are coal miners. If you think dangerous jobs need to be done we should be seeing equal number of women in them as well. Its time equal number of women cops are shot dead or the equality is just in numbers is just fake and the actual dangerous jobs are being done by males. Look at the data and you will see the inequality. Women just pick and choose which inequality they want yo talk about and they should not be allowed to.
Can you all take a moment to stop with the vitriol in the comments? Blaming others. Can you all just for a moment to let it sink in that this is an invasion with no justification and a war created by a mad man in Europe not seen since the era of Hitler? Can you take a moment and maybe recognize the horror these Ukrainian people are experiencing now? Perhaps recognize the bravery they are displaying in how they are fighting back to defend their homes?
It’s time we unify as a people to stand with Ukraine. If we do not unite in this one thing I think you are all completely unaware of the repercussions and long term chaos this will bring to the world. Putin will not stop. China will be emboldened. Conflict will reach NATO. Millions could die.
So please, for the love of GOD and all things decent, stop with the divisive and start to get it through your heads that this is exactly how war has started in Europe in the past. At the hands of a mad man who the world allowed a running start through complacency.
Thanks for saying that Stuart.
Defend democracy? What democracy? Even the Washington Post in a fact check of Tucker Carlson’s assertion that Ukraine is not a democracy said, “To some extent, whether Ukraine is a democracy is a matter of opinion, so we will not offer a Pinocchio rating.” How would the West defend Ukraine? By taking up arms against Russia on its doorstep? Since when it is the US’s responsibility to police “democracies?” What about the poor folx being oppressed by the house of Saud? Putin is invading Ukraine because he can and it is in Russia’s interest to maintain a buffer against the West. A West, mind you, that is all too happy to cripple its energy infrastructure at the behest of hysterics like Greta Thunberg and then hand over its money to evil Russia for yuge portions of its gas and oil. If the the US’s supposed allies in NATO actually took defense seriously and the US weren’t beclowning itself, maybe Putin wouldn’t have made the easy calculation that he could get away with doing whatever he likes. Putin is not a madman; he is crazy like a fox. He doesn’t need to invade Poland. Why risk war with NATO when NATO has already shown itself to be toothless? Unfortunately, the one who has lost his mind is our beloved Biden.
Do you think Aeroflot will take over Ukraine International Airlines? Wouldn’t that be an improvement for PS?
Thanks for your lesson.. But I never used the term, “defend democracy.” At least critique me for something I said?
Fair enough. Why intervene in Ukraine, then? Because they are among the Biden family’s many (undemocratic) patrons?
Spare us. Trump tried to steal the election. He and his supporters such as yourself have no interest in democracy. You are all worse than pond scum
Who said anything about Ttump? Please seek help for your TDS. Perhaps Pfizer or Moderna can come up with a 100% safe and effective vaccine for it.
Democracy means 51% enslave the other 49%. Democracy means people being arrested for speech, Christians being arrested for going to church or reading the Bible aloud in public, and people being forced to allow dangerous groups in their communities, schools, and businesses. Democracy means 51% taking the earnings of individuals and businesses by force and deciding how to spend it against the interests, wishes, and approval of the 49%. Democracy is not something that should ever be defended or touted.
I would prefer Putin didn’t order Russian entry into Ukraine (outside of the two regions that are ethnic Russian and declared independence) but let’s not pretend the current regime in Ukraine is innocent or noble. They are puppets of western globalist governments. If Biden, Tradeau, Macron, and the rest of the establishment oppose something, I assume what they are opposing has better values and is a better cause than them. The biggest enemy is right at home: leftists and the cops who blindly follow their orders.
Your hard on for dictators is going strong. What happened in your life that you turned out this way?
Stuart is right.
Europeans are still buying russian gas. Europeans are two faced jerks. Why does the US spend so much defending Europe when Europe can’t be bothered.
Trump was right if very boorish. Send the invoice to Europeans. Can’t believe we let our politicans hood wink us into spending money on Europe. They say it’s to maintain world order, it’s probably to give contracts to their buddies in the defense and other industries.
The primary thesis should be that politicians are corrupt. They do everything to line their pockets instead of helping the country. Trump was just open about it.
Gerard Schroeder is on russian gas companies boards and he also just used the both sides are at fault line. Where are the Democrats with their faux outrage? Bloody posers.
Don’t worry, Kam and I have this situation under control. We will defeat the Russians in Ukraine just like we defeated the Taliban in Afghanistan.
That you, Chivas? Don’t be a stranger. I miss you.