The Tragi-Comedy of the Present Ukrainian War?

 We often think of war as a tragedy, but for once shall we compare and contrast the drama enfolding before our eyes as a comedy. It seems to be a tragi-comedy, like a literary genre that blends aspects of both tragic and comic forms, most often seen in dramatic literature. 

Nothing it seems could be further from comedy than the wonton destruction and self-destruction that constitute the very nature of war. 

We have kinship, brother fighting brother. We see everything that was built with hard earned labour over years, if not decades, being destroyed. We have the Brits praising the bravery and the valour of the Ukrainians, after trying to stir it up, just short of a nuclear escapade. We have the United States, de-escalate by not wanting to fight a war with Russia, but supplying the latest technological armoury to its neighbours, for a war by proxy. 

A retired British General has stated that the more airstrikes and shelling begin to destroy large parts of Ukrainian towns and cities, this scenario will make defending easier for Ukrainians. In the language of warfare, it will require more Russian troops needed to attack such positions as compared to advancing their battalions over open ground, or virgin territory. Should more Russian troops enter such devastated territory, perhaps, having to fight on foot, street by street, town by town, it is believed the conflict will see Ukraine turn to “guerrilla warfare” as insurgency rises. 

This is well and good if the Russian forces are not “used to it” or have proven military strategy. The lessons of warfare recently seen in Chechnya, Grozny and Syria, all contradict this theory. 

Understandably once you “rubble a city”, it becomes “much harder to take it”. It is because you have to enter and work “close and personal to winkle the enemy” out of shattered buildings. “This is really difficult, if you have trashed the place, the ground with artillery?”                                                             

All this reasoning is valid, if Russia was going to take Ukraine by storm. Who knows how long this war will last? Who knows what is in the mind of President Putin? Who knows what is in the mind of the people of Russia? 

Did you know the comedy of wars? The paradox of war is that arms superiority, or in layman’s language, superior resources, is seemingly a great disadvantage to fight a long“prolonged war”. It is an accepted fact in the West, that Russia will fight this war in Ukraine in similar fashion to the way it fought its war in Chechnya. Russia may have other ideas?

Besides, no two wars are the same? If it was the enemy will have pre-empt tactics, perhaps, the strategy?

 Of course, Russia’s superiority in size, in Cyber Warfare, in the air missiles with the latest “laser tech” in their MIG fighter jets, and devastating capacity, in fact, capability, has been proven. Besides, it “sucks” the intelligence of the FSB “par excellence”. 

Alexander Vasilyevich Bortnikov (Russian: Алекса́ндр Васи́льевич Бо́ртников; born 15 November 1951) is a Russian official. He has been Director of the FSB since 12 May 2008. He belongs to the Siloviki of Putin's inner circle.

At the same time, it is now becoming clear, that three senior Russian Commanders have been killed in this war, perhaps, by a trap set by Ukrainians, to make extraordinary personal take inordinate risks with their lives at the outset of this eleven day war, so far. 

“Who knows, if this war is going to be without end?” With devastation of territory, loss of life, loss of everything they have both achieved up to now, This will be horrific, not only for Ukraine, for Russia and for the world.                                        

What can we in UK expect in the days to come? 

We already see Police interrogation of people, “stop and search” of those they have intelligence, who look and speak Russian in crowed train and Underground stations, besides what the UK Government wants to do, with the assets of Russian Oligarchs. 

President Imran Khan of Pakistan has refused the request of the West to condemn the action of Russia in Ukraine, perhaps, a tactical way, in return for Russian oil and gas exports at lucrative rates? Can we expect anything different from Iran either for other reasons ? 

We already see that oil, gas, wheat, corn, soya, fertilizer among others, exports to UK from the “so called energy and bread basket of Europe, in Russia and Ukraine,” shut off. This will cause the price of an ordinary loaf of bread, the staple diet of the poor, to be out of their reach. I can visualise food rationing in UK in the not too distant future? 

What can the Russians expect in the days to come? 

Without going to detail, which I don’t have access, it would be foolish to guess? There will perhaps,be, a tightening of belts, I mean money belts at least? 

What can the Ukrainians expect in the days to come? 

President Putin’s forces have resumed hostilities after a period of evacuation of Mariupol, a port city in the south of Ukraine. They have a close eye on the bigger port in the Black Sea, Odessa. 

The Russians have “made it” to Fastiv, Obukhiv, and Vyshneve, west of Kiev. 

 The West is looking to the Ukrainians to wage a proxy war for the West, while simultaneously, gearing up for a mission to rescue President Volodymyr Zelinsky of Ukraine before he is cornered, and following three assassination attempts. 

Who knows what actor, comedian President Zelinsky, has up his sleeve? He is no pushover either?

Victor Cherubim