1186 day of war

Hello, friends!

Thank you all for the birthday wishes!

For some reason, spring hasn’t been bringing us warm weather this year, and we’re still experiencing rain and cold. I’m trying to stay busy with work and household tasks, while waiting for warmer weather to ride my bike more. I don’t remember such a cold May before, but it seems like the climate is changing and everything is different now.

The negotiation attempts still don’t seem genuine. The shelling continues, and last night was the heaviest bombardment of the week. We barely slept due to the air raid alert, and the exhaustion after nights like that is very noticeable. Yesterday I read that Putin announced they’re starting to create a "demilitarized zone" in three more of our regions, which only confirms that these negotiations are just a way to prolong the war. By now, it’s clear what their strategy is. First, they talk about a demilitarized zone, and as soon as they enter a region, they amend their constitution to claim it as theirs. Then, they say a new demilitarized zone is needed in neighboring regions. Since they couldn’t capture everything at once, they’re trying to take it bit by bit, and the whole purpose of this is just beyond comprehension. Having such vast territory and unlimited resources, yet choosing to kill people and destroy cities—it’s so senseless. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to understand it.

On a positive note, these negotiations have led to large-scale prisoner exchanges. A 1000-for-1000 exchange is underway, and 700 people have already returned over the last two days. That’s very good, because people in captivity probably endure the worst possible conditions. Their appearance after captivity and the stories of what they’ve been through are incredibly difficult to hear, and I’m glad they can return home.

Right now, we’re waiting for Russia to present its memorandum on ending the war, but it’s already clear that nothing meaningful should be expected from it. In any case, I hope that one day this will all end and everything will be okay.

Thank you all for your support, it really helps. I'm glad that we are not alone.