Voice From Ukraine: Should Ukraine attack Russia?

I am grateful to be writing from a safe-zone this week. I am in Germany.

This is the first time I have been beyond the borders of Ukraine in months, and it is kind of like the old cliche, ‘you don’t know what you have until it’s gone’, but in reverse.

Over the last few months, I’ve been so thoroughly swept up in the maelstrom of the war that I became accustomed to the ever-presence of tension and stress.

These heightened emotional states became my baseline, and I did not realise how much I needed some time in a place of relative safety and peace.

Since I have been in Germany, I have felt myself returning to an equilibrium. Nerves that a few weeks ago felt frayed and disconnected, are now beginning to mesh together again.

However, it has not been all rest and relaxation; there is work that you can do from a safe-zone that you cannot do in a war-zone.

Volunteer recruitment

THE first thing I have been doing is recruiting volunteers.

Here, unlike in Ukraine, I have dependable internet, and I have been taking advantage of it to action recruitment plans; we intend on bringing new wave of Legenda volunteers here in January.

I have been conducting interviews, arranging ways to house and feed those we take on, and doing the administrative work that goes along with that.

Abundance of applicants

THERE are more people who wish to join our ranks than I had anticipated, especially given the specialised nature of the work.

This, however, is no subject for complaint. We have a surplus of willing experts, which is fantastic.

The volunteers will be going out to assist Cargo 200 teams, but also leading training sessions in Kyiv.

What volunteers will do

THE plan is to have the successful applicants on Ukrainian soil by January.

Once here, they will be fully affiliated Legenda team members. From that moment, the work they do with us will be guided by our north star; the desire to save lives.

More trainers, more experts

WHILE it is crucial that those of us with training behind us make direct use of our skills on the field, it is even more important that we teach these skills to as many people as we can.

Distributing knowledge is essential.

One person, no matter how proficient they might be, can never match the work that can be done by a trained team. Every time we hold a class or a training session, that is what we are doing. We are equipping a group of untrained individuals with the skills needed to transform them into a skilled team.

Fundraising

FUNDRAISING is one of our greatest challenges.

I have a series of talks planned in different clubs here in Germany, and the intention is to spread awareness of our mission, and attempt to gather the money needed to continue funding our operational costs.

We are volunteers and we take no wage, but the vans don’t run themselves. The specialised equipment we use is expensive, but it is diesel that eats up most of our money.

Back in Ukraine

AIR strikes continue to rain down on Ukraine, and temperatures are steadfastly subzero. From what I hear, it is now uncomfortable sitting in the house unless you happen to still have a fire and something to burn.

People wake in the mornings, crawl out of their sleeping bags, and the first sight they see is that of their own breath.

Ukrainian capabilities

INTERESTINGLY, Ukraine has shown its military capabilities to be quite strong in last couple of weeks, with successful strikes on two Russian airbases located far behind the frontline.

These airbases were about to launch attacks on Ukrainian soil – maybe even civilians. The Ukrainian strikes nullified those threats.

To me, this opens an obvious question: Is Russia now a legitimate target for Ukraine?

It is my belief that it definitely is.

The intention of the Russian Federation is now clear. It is to deprive Ukraine’s civil population of their most basic needs. To take away gas, to cut off power, to destroy water supplies.

But what would happen if Ukraine launched a wide-scale aerial assault across Russia? Could this be something that could turn the tide? Could it temper some of Russia’s more hawkish generals and provide an impetus to come to the table?

Or might it provoke an even more horrific wave of attacks in Ukraine? It is so hard to know, but it is a question that will be in minds either side of border. To donate to Legenda and help fund Jonathan’s work, visit https://www.legenda-archaeology.com/