The war between Russia and Ukraine has reached a bloody new milestone this week, surpassing World War I in length.
On Thursday, the conflict reached 1,569 days—longer than the entire duration of World War I, which began on 28 July 1914 and ended on 11 November 1918.
“In many respects, this war in Ukraine is the one that most closely resembles World War I,” French military historian Michel Goya told the New York Times.
“In general, when the front freezes, you’re back to World War I.”
Another historian has described the conflict as “World War I but with drones.”
Advances during the conflict have been glacial, and often reversed days later.
When Russia captured Pokrovsk, for example, it advance some 70 meters a day, slower than the advances during the Battle of the Somme in 1916.
While millions died during World War I—perhaps as many as 11 million—the casualties in Ukraine have been far lower, though still high by today’s standards. It’s estimated 500,000 soldiers on both sides have died so far.
There is still no sign of an end to the conflict.
Last weekend, Ukraine fired hundreds of drones into Russia after President Putin rejected a proposal for a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky.
At least one person was killed by the wave of strikes and an oil depot was set on fire, on the final day of Russia’s economic forum meeting in St Petersburg.
A significant number of drones targeted the city, for the second time in less than a week.
The city’s governor issued a warning to residents to stay indoors and said 140 drones were shot down in the wider region.
Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed close to 400 drones were shot down across the country and in regions annexed by Russia from Ukraine since 2014.
As well as targeting oil infrastructure—an increasingly important aspect of Ukraine’s war strategy—the drones targeted the Kronstadt naval base in St Petersburg and “the Russian Navy’s 15th Arsenal in the Leningrad region.”
On Friday, Zelensky called for a meeting with Putin to end the war. When this was rejected, Zelensky accused him of “choosing war again.”
Zelensky described the latest strikes as a “just response” to Russian aggression.
“It is time to end this war. But Russia’s ruler wants to keep fighting. That is why Ukrainian sanctions against this aggression are working,” he said on X.
“Any manifestation of injustice against Ukraine will receive a just response.”
Meanwhile, Russia attacked Ukraine with drones and artillery, killing one man and injuring a handful of others, including on the Black Sea.
4 Responses
Any minute now Trumpy Bear gonna shut the war down, as promised. Yeah. He’s just waiting for Zboi’s signed receipt for the very last donation of a couple billion bucks from the good old US of A, a Trumpy Bear Corp.
Trump is allowing the blessings of taxpayer funding for the cause.
Cause it makes money using taxpayers dollars for the contracts in the rebuilding of the ukraine infrastructures.
The taxpayers never did claw back the money for the “loans”.
Trump and crew made sure of that.
The war has only cost the US $130,000,000,000.
Can we please just wipe Ukraine off the map. Please so sick of this scum bag dictator and his stealing billions for the money we keep sending him.