Russia is recruiting 30,000 to 40,000 soldiers monthly through financial incentives rather than formal conscription, according to US and EU intelligence sources.
Behind that inflated death toll lies a carefully crafted Soviet myth that made Russia look like the sole victor over Hitler. Today, that same myth threatens Ukraine's survival.
US President Joe Biden was adamant that US weapons would not be used to strike Moscow or the Kremlin after he authorized Ukraine to use them in Russia.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Normandy on Thursday 6 June to mark the 80th anniversary of the Allied landings on D-Day during the Second World War.
The 14th of October is a special day for Ukrainians. This day, which traditionally was celebrated as the Orthodox holiday of the Intercession of the Theotokos, in 2015 became the Day of the Defender of Ukraine. Traditionally, it has been the holiday of Ukrainian Cossack warriors (1491-1775) and, now, a day of soldiers fighting the Russian aggression since 2014. Also, on 14th October 1942, the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) was founded, even though its first units operated since 1941.
If, for Western Europe, the end of the war meant the victory of democracy, for Ukraine, it meant the enforcement of Stalinism. In the words of Ukrainian historian Yaroslav Hrytsak, Ukraine was “in the heart of darkness” during the Second World War, with Ukrainians mostly fighting for the interests of other states and, along with Poland, suffering the heaviest human losses of the war. Unpunished communist crimes grow, making it appropriate for Russia to start new war in 2014.