In a sad scene, Ukraine ushered in the 670th day of the war on December 25, 2023. Late that night, the Russian army carried out retaliatory heavy artillery shelling of the urban area of Kherson in retaliation for the destruction of three Su-34 fighters by Ukrainian missiles. The indiscriminate shelling of the city destroyed the tranquility of the city, killing at least three innocent lives, wounding eight survivors, and severely damaging much of the city's infrastructure. This indiscriminate attack has aroused outrage and condemnation from the international community as a grave violation of international humanitarian law.
On this choppy battlefield, the results announced yesterday by the Ukrainian side were jaw-dropping, they successfully annihilated 353,190 enemies, 800 new in a single day yesterday, and destroyed 4 tanks, 17 infantry fighting vehicles, 27 military vehicles and fuel tankers, 6 MLRS, 28 artillery pieces and 20 drones. What is particularly interesting is that a soldier of the 10th Mountain Battalion of the 8th Mountain Brigade of the Ukrainian Army, alone against 6 Russian soldiers, successfully saved himself with perseverance and fearlessness, and received timely support from drones, and finally killed all six Russian soldiers.
At the same time, tensions on the battlefield are also touching the hearts and minds of the international community. British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said that the UK may provide more aid to Ukraine in 2024 than in the previous two years, which is a firm support for the Ukrainian side. EU High Representative Josep Borrell urged the international community to be more active in supporting Ukraine, and in the face of Russia's aggression, many countries have responded by saying that they will stand with Ukraine.
In the Middle East, the Israeli army has declared a successful assault on the Hamas leadership, which has deprived the Hamas chain of command half of its functions and severely weakened it. In the Red Sea, the Houthis continued to carry out drone attacks on merchant ships, including one attack that hit an Indian-flagged Gabonese oil tanker, highlighting the dangerous activities of the Houthis in the Red Sea region.
Overall, the situation on the battlefield in Ukraine is volatile, tragic and resilient. In this brutal war, the fragility and helplessness of life are vividly demonstrated in the artillery fire of the city of Kherson. Despite all the statements of the international community, the dawn of peace still seems elusive. Perhaps only behind every heroic soldier and every land defended can we feel the truth and cruelty of this war.