Dnipro, Friday 10 January, morning
Thought I would get a quick update out before my day starts. The past few days in Dnipro have seen temps hit 10/11 Celsius, it feels like spring. My partner keeps complaining as she's crazy, and loves winter, but when I remind her so many of our friends are in trenches on the front lines and that this year we would prefer no winter, she quickly realises how lucky we are atm.
Lots of air raids each day, but not many actual strikes thankfully, the Russians are fighting a grinding war at the frontlines and Ukrainian casualties are high. I have driven evacuation a fair bit the past few weeks and things are very grim on the frontlines south and east of Zaporoshnye. We have a couple of family friends who are based in Liman, it's also bad. I think across all front lines the best word to describe things is difficult to find. Morale amongst those I speak with, and those we bring out is heartbreaking. I sometimes struggle with feelings of depression at the absolutely hopeless position these men are in, I cannot imagine how the men (and increasingly more women) at the real front must feel. Knowing you can do nothing to stop the onslaught, but no chance of running away must be incredibly hard. They are hero's, I don't like the way pro Russians demonise Ukrainian soldiers, likewise how nazi's in Ukraine demonise the Russian soldier. On both sides men who have been called upon to do their duty are doing it, bravely, and stoically, and are being wounded and killed for this usa led war. I would like to say more here but I won't until after this war is over as increasingly those of us volunteering who are speaking up are being warned to shut up. In the company I assist I am now the only foreign driver, and the only civilian, two others were driving before but both have stopped and I not sure where they now are, but both were as outspoken as me, and now it's just me talking to myself....
Electricity supply has been stable for the past couple of weeks unusually, there was a definite drop in attacks over the new year/Christmas break, and of course the old new year is on 14th so most of us expect things will deteriorate after that. Each year of this conflict since 2014 have seen a lull during this period, but things return with a bang after 14th.
Plenty of equipment heading towards the front, additional troops too, as always equipment etc is always delivered before the West announces it, but even though what is being sent seems like a lot, it's well down on earlier in the conflict, and when you consider the size of the front, it's peanuts in comparison to what would be used every day. I stopped at a service station not far from the Poltava to Sumy turnoff last week and there were a brigade of new soldiers heading to the front. Had it not been for the uniforms you wouldn't know they were soldiers, clearly new recruits, having watched soldiers close up for a while now I think these guys are in for a rude shock.
Average training time for mobilised here is 3 weeks, I find it hard to accept you can teach anyone much in 3 weeks, especially given the fact those being mobilised now have not chosen to fight.
Fuel, food and services are all pretty much normal. There doesn't seem to be any shortages and although prices slowly rise, with soldiers wages there still seems to be money around. There are more injured or older people begging for sure, but that's seen a steady increase since the start of the conflict.
Everyone is waiting to see what Trump does, I for one have lost hope he will do the right thing, and I didn't have much hope in the first place.
