Up until now, this blog has mostly been about my trips to Ukraine.  Unfortunately, given recent events, I think I need to modify the default purpose to include updates on events in Ukraine, and especially those around Mariupol.

Mariupol is my wife’s hometown, and a place I have visited multiple times.  With Russian troops and armor bearing down it — and have no doubt, it is most definitely the Russians — it seems quite likely that Mariupol will be attacked.

To say that these events concern me is an understatement.  Hundreds of people are fleeing Mariupol, but (so far, at least) my wife and her family are not among them.  I have urged them to go elsewhere, at least temporarily, but most people in Ukraine do not have the mobility that people in the US do.  You know Donetsk, where some of the most protracted and damaging fighting has been going on?  Only about 30% of that city of over 1 million was able to get out.  Most people just don’t have cars to hop into and drive away.

So I will continue to watch things, and I will post information I learn and messages from my wife.  I do this mostly to keep my family and friends up to date, but anyone else is welcome to the information as well.  Undoubtedly, politics will creep into some of my posts; given the situation, it is nearly unavoidable.  I’m sorry for that; I know that not everyone is an international political junkie.  (If I happen to write something that you disagree with, keep it to yourself.  When your wife is in danger, then you can have a say.)

From my wife, just this morning (translated and paraphrased as needed):  “My thoughts are constantly working in fear and I can not think of anything else … [I]n supermarkets are empty shelves, with the only products being ketchup and cream powder. … Maybe I was not lucky that I was not born in the country, but I’m close to my family in this difficult time and may be able to do something to help them. … I did not think of this before, that it could be so difficult and scary to live. … I feel your warmth around and it gives me a little strength to survive…”

The vast majority of the people in Mariupol have only wanted a peaceful city and a united Ukraine.  Even when the rebels were occupying some of the buildings and causing all sorts of strife, rallies for peace greatly outnumbered anything the DNR was able to scrape up.  Even this past week, a rally (or two) for Mariupol solidarity drew several thousand people.  But clearly peace is not part of Putin’s plan, so “dangerous” Mariupol will be made to suffer.