Ukraine Situation Report: Russian Invasion Day: 284 Poem by Gert Strydom

1
At Bahkmut Wagner has artillery superiority
with nine howitzers to every one of Ukraine,
to canon-fodder they sent their prisoner military,
try a victory with thousands dead to gain,

where Prigozhin, the criminal, do still strive
to at any cost take the city, to get a kind of victory,
most of his twenty thousand prisoners do not survive
where after Putin, in Putin's place he wants to be

and Kordinivka village was by Wagner taken,
while Wagner fights for control of the road,
Prigozhin acts as if the Russian army has Russia forsaken,
do with rhetoric public opinion against the army load

and from the south northwards they want to go,
while from strong defences Ukraine does death bestow.

2
At Bakhmutska village the Akhmad Chechen battalion
that follow Kadyrov are against Ukrainians stuck,
in attacks have to their own decimation gone
are under heavy fire are almost dumbstruck,

while still resisting the territorial troops survive,
are in risk while like Mariupol Bahkmut looks,
and in those ruins the brave soldiers are alive
while scenes are out of World War One history books,

and thirty percent of Ukrainian artillery needs repair
some howitzers by heavy duty are not functioning,
where the Ukraine are of each Russian position aware,
are with every shot accurately resisting

and from trenches Ukrainian troops are rotated,
while the firing of the Russians have accelerated.

3
The City of Bahkmut is totally decimated,
most of the buildings are demolished
between artillery and infantry the defence is amalgamated
with phosphorous Russians have all conventions abolished,

where Wagner is set to win at any cost
and nine shells to one hits the city,
in full frontal formation prisoners storm at a lost,
and for their own they have no pity,

where more weaponry Ukraine urgently needs
as they do defend with what they have got
and firing a mortar a soldiers bleeds,
do not notice, as if his wound matters not,

as a Ukrainian shell between three hundred men fall,
nothing does this raging battle stall.

4
At this moment at Bahkmut Russians are without
logistics and leadership and communication cut:
eleven Russians in a hole do not even move out,
as a Ukrainian drone drops grenades, they are chilled to the gut,

like zombies do not move as only one escape,
when the drone turns more bombs to drop,
they have severe hypothermia are not in a fighting shape
while the drone in a bizarre scene attacks from the top,

they are without winter clothes without sleeping-bags,
in a terrible state: to hold the position,
to be executed if they fail and this at a person nags,
where they are probably cramped in addition,

are without food and equipment and this is sad,
in a war that rages on far past being mad.

5
Some Ukrainian forces at Bahkmut have night vision,
the best Russian troops with equipment are long dead,
as Russian recruits are pushed forward, driven on,
where to Prigozhin and Putin's will they forward head,

while the Ukrainians are equipped and ready,
are rotated in and out the World-War One alike trenches,
in the rain, damp and sucking mud is steady,
in trucks are sheltered on benches.

As Russia tries Bahkmut to surround,
the Ukrainian troops manoeuvre with morale high,
do Russians at new positions astound,
as helicopter transport do in and out fly

and to win at Backhmut against these troops,
needs more than Wagner in their groups.

6
In and out of China Russian An-124 cargo-planes go,
with eleven flights in a single week,
with transponders off in the return, not on tracking to show,
as from the communists they do help seek,

do fly in tens of thousands of winter uniforms,
sleeping-bags, tents, helmets, boots and vests,
as some reports and tracking informs,
maybe also weapons and munitions of the best.

That China is not helping to the West they tell,
while China do now Russia's war supply,
do their people with Zero-COVID attack and expel,
as at a great loss Russia do on China rely

and not to be Russian or Chinese people are happy,
where in those totalitarian places no one is free.


7
In a convoy Russian T-80 tanks in winter-camouflage
have been spotted near Svatove on a highway,
as both sides prepare for attacks and a deadly barrage,
probably Ukrainian heavy artillery is underway

but the Russian command centre is far from the frontline,
as is the supplies to be out of HIMARS range,
this do effectiveness and control of Russians undermine,
especially during thunder-runs when they do fire exchange,

where most of the tanks of Belarus to Russia did go,
and media do about another spring offensive speculate
but in Belarus there is no striking unit's death to bestow
and things might change as we do through winter wait.

When the earth freezes both sides will act,
will in offensives and counters each other attack.

8
In Odessa police tried to stop a terrorist-car
that exploded as it slowed down,
eight policemen where injured in a act that is bizarre
and for desperate acts nowadays Russians are renowned:

from sending letter bombs to embassies in Spain,
to the chief of government as if to warn,
sending packages with animal eyes shock to gain,
as if these gross things do the Russian mindset adorn.

To withdraw from the Zaphorizhzia Nuclear Plant
according to Russians that do telegram use,
Russia wants Ukraine use of its oil pipelines to grant,
while Russian missile strikes are abstruse.

Lavrof says the West did awake anti-Russian esteem
but in Ukraine since 2014 it's by the acts of the Russian regime.

[Poet's note: in 2014 Russia invaded Ukraine to take Crimea, had incited people to rebel in the Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts to create self-proclaimed republics as part of Russia.]
© Gert Strydom