Ukrainians mark 31st year of independence as Russian air raids hang like the sword of Damocles

Gulf Today Report

Some people fare best under adversity. The Ukrainians are putting up a brave front to withstand the continuous onslaught of the Russians on their homes, buildings, and other forms of infrastructure.

That bravery has acquired a new meaning on Wednesday: patriotic zeal is firing up the people as the nation marks its 31st year of independence from the yoke of the Soviet Union. Incidentally, their day of independence also fell on a Wednesday.

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However, the celebrations are muted as a threat of an attack hangs like the sword of Damocles over the cities. Public gatherings are a no-no in the capital Kyiv and a curfew is in force in the eastern city of Kharkiv, which has withstood months of shelling. It has been six months since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned over more attacks by the Russians and urged his people to take air raid sirens seriously.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky prepares to speak with the nation in Kyiv. File photo

There was mysterious fire at a Russian military facility. The ammunition was stored near the border with Ukraine.

Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of Belgorod region, blamed the fire on a rather ridiculous reason: hot weather. Ukraine was quick to scoff at the act.

Ukraine's defence ministry said on Twitter that in a few months “we will find out” whether the extreme cold triggered the explosion of Russian ammunition.

Ukraine's armed forces have said almost 9,000 military personnel have been killed in the war.

The five principal reasons for sudden explosions in Russia are: winter, spring, summer, autumn and smoking, it said sarcastically.

Zelensky told representatives of a global virtual summit on Crimea on Tuesday that Ukraine would evict the Russians from Ukrainian soil by any means.

Thousands of civilians have perished in the war, which turfed out over a third of Ukraine's 41 million people from their homes, and reduced cities to rubble.

Almost 9,000 Ukrainian troops have been killed in the war.

US intelligence has put the number of Russians killed in the conflict at 15,000.