Explosions in Belgorod

On Sunday, October 16, several strikes hit the Russian region of Belgorod, which is situated near the Ukrainian border. The blasts wounded at least three people and, according to the New York Times, several attacks in the recent days of the war have targeted Russian-held areas far from the front lines, especially the city of Donetsk, where an explosion blew a bridge connecting Russia and Crimea. The New York Times wrote that there were around 16 explosions in the Belgorod region and this was the fourth successive day that strikes have been reported in the area. Eyewitness Vyacheslav Gladkov simply states to The New York Times, “we’re being bombed again.”

Shooting at a Russian training camp

On Saturday, two men open fire on Russian soldiers at a training camp in the Belgorod region, killing 11 and wounding 15, before committing suicide (New York Times). The Russian Defense Ministry classified the attack as an act of terrorism and it followed Putin’s announcement of an enormous mobilization effort to repair his faltering war effort in Ukraine, where the Ukrainian army has been regaining territories lost to the Russians (New York Times).

Blast damaging administration building in east Ukraine

According to the New York Times, at least one person was killed in an explosion Sunday morning. Ukrainian shelling struck a Russian administrative building in the city of Donetsk and the region was formally annexed by Russia just last week.

France pledges to train and aid Ukrainian soldiers
Defense minister Sébastien Lecornu announced on Saturday that France would train up to 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers for several weeks. It is a significant move for a country that has largely avoided training assistance and is evidence of President Emmanuel Macron’s stronger commitment to helping Ukraine defeat Russia (New York Times).

The Future
Ramapo social studies teacher Mr. Verdon commented on what he thinks the future holds for the Russo-Ukrainian tensions. “As we move into the final few months of the year, it is difficult to believe that the escalation in the Russo-Ukrainian War began in February. In addition to the death toll and an incomprehensible number of citizens displaced, the conflict has had far-reaching implications for the entire world. Clearly, Russian forces did not anticipate the complexities of their invasion and the war seems to have no real end in sight. The conflict has raised important questions for the international community regarding the preservation of democracy, our global energy infrastructure, and the extent that economic tools can be leveraged to drive foreign policy.”

Additionally, Ramapo junior Lauren Markarian commented that she “is scared for how the war will impact the United States” and “is terrified at the thought of the United States potentially getting involved in the war.” Hopefully, the end is near and peace will be restored.