White Phosphorus Is Raining Down Ukrainia
By: Giorgio Provinciali
Live from Ukraine ????????
Zaporizhia While media attention is mostly focused on the events unfolding in the Middle East calling theman escalationwhite phosphorus is raining down on the Ukrainian cities which have been at war for 12 years.
In anarticlepublishedon January 17, wecondemnedhow the Russian Federation was ramping up the use of that substance and thermobaric weapons across large sections of the front, especially against Huliajpole.
Explainingthat Russian unmanned units operating in that area hadreceivedabout 1,500 thermobaric munitionsintendedfor drones, wehighlightedthat using these delivery methods increased the level of terror beyond previous levels. Capable of releasing these charges with precise selectivity, Russian drones are effectively targeting critical points to create panic and disable even the most disciplined and trained Ukrainian units.
After taking control of the ruins of Katerynivka in Donetsk,the occupiers are essentially using more precise tools to implement the same scorched earth doctrine already seen in Mariupol, Bakhmut, and Avdiivka, aiming to make Kostiantynivka an impassable kill zone.
This is also happening along the entire southern slope of Zaporizhzhia and the northern slope of Kharkiv Oblast. The Ukrainian defenders stationed in Huliajpole and Vovchansk are therefore experiencing terrifying situations similar to thosereportedin our daily field updates.
This arises from the sense of impunity with which the Russian regime continues to launch such brutal attacks against cities and civilians caught in a war they never wanted.
In addition to wearing out ruins already riddled with artillery,white phosphorus melts anti-drone nets, exposing vehicles to direct fire from Russian drones, to compromise Ukrainian logistics. It devours vegetation, sets fire to shelters and camouflage, and leaves craters on roads.
So much so thatreaching the most advanced positions is now more complicated than defending them. It means moving over 20 kilometers on foot, carrying a backpack weighing just as many kilograms. An effort made even more daunting by mud during the day and ice at night. Once there,the only task is to resist. The enemy, the hunger, the cold. In desperate conditions and receiving only the light support transportable by drone. A reality that as we have repeatedly witnessed would crush anyone.
Consistent with what weve observed in other contexts, this transformation of the battlespace confirms thatwar does not necessarily advance with soldiers but with technology capable of making the territory uninhabitable.
The objective today is no longer conquest but the denial of territory. Here too, the front is losing the concept of linearity it had assumed since Clausewitz, reaching its peak in the Cold War, to become a permanent kill zone.
The poor tactical quality of the Russian infantry which clashed against a very well-organized Ukrainian army has reshaped the approach toa war now based on technological attrition.
Moscow is now seeking to impose a superiority that no longer lies in maneuver but in the density of fire. In the depth of engagement, which sees zones like those we reported from in our latest dispatches Pavlohrad, Synelnykove, Posad-Polrovske, and Kherson struck with selective precision, and with increasing intensity.
The front today is no longer defined by a single line but by gradients of danger that stretch for hundreds of miles.
Virtually unpunished by the international community and ignored by the media, which should be reporting its crimes from the field but instead analyze their consequences remotely,the Russian Federation is artificially creating a hostile environment that soldiers and civilians find themselves fighting as if it were an enemy.
The uncondemned use of white phosphorus is rapidly fueling this sense of total destruction.
A slew of self-styled analysts continue to give a shallow and detached interpretation of the true role of drones in Ukraine. Most argue that they are mainly used to target vehicles, kill people, destroy tanks, and conduct reconnaissance. While this is true, it only represents part of the picture.Drones primarily serve to establish permanent surveillance over the territory. They provide constant visibility, and when every movement can be monitored, something radical happens: maneuvering becomes nearly impossible.The Russians dont drop white phosphorus randomly; they do so precisely where logistics can be impacted, preventing Ukrainian vehicles from moving and forcing soldiers to walk kilometers.
These thousands of small, low-flying eyes createa kind of panopticon of the battlefield, where white phosphorus selectively burns vegetation, melts anti-drone nets, and destroys camouflage, eliminating any chance of concealment.
In this context,the distortion of media attention on the Middle East conflict ends up revealing the normalization of Russias war in Ukraine. A perfect rhetorical lever that the Moscow regimeis exploiting to extend the precision of its terror.
Having experienced what weve described firsthand, we believe its our duty to bring what is directly observable to a physical dimension. The fact that this aligns with references to our previous articles constitutes a condemnation both of those who commit these crimes and of those who stay silent about them.
The ongoing blackouts severely damaged our houses heating system in Western Ukraine while we were in the Donbas.
Without electricity, the pump couldnt circulate the liquid while the fire was lit. As a result, the system caught fire, and the whole house was at risk of burning. Fortunately, it did not, but the whole system needs to be changed, and the house needs to be restored. Tubes are all bent, walls are blackened by haze, and the heating system doesnt work, requiring an entirely new system.
We are doing our best since Allas parents live there, but theres still a lot to work on here, too, as the people around us are in no better situation.
Were renewing our fundraising campaign and thanking everyone who joins us in helping us restore what Russia is destroying. Even a small donation helps. Well keep you updated on developments.
Thank you all, dear friends ????????
白磷傾瀉在烏克蘭
作者：Giorgio Provinciali
翻譯：旺財球球
烏克蘭前線報道????????
紮波羅熱當媒體注意力大多集中在中東事態發展，並稱之為事態升級時，白磷正傾灑在那些已陷入戰爭長達12年的烏克蘭城市。
在1月17日發表的一篇文章中，我們譴責俄羅斯聯邦在前線廣大區域加大了對白磷和熱壓武器的使用，尤其是針對胡利亞普爾。
我們指出，在該地區活動的俄方無人作戰單元已接收約1500枚用於無人機投放的熱壓彈，強調采用這些投放方式使恐怖程度超出以往。俄方無人機能對這些彈藥進行高精度、有選擇性地投放，事實上是在打擊關鍵點以製造恐慌，並使即使是紀律嚴明、訓練有素的烏克蘭部隊也陷入癱瘓。
在奪取頓涅茨克卡特裏尼夫卡廢墟後，侵略者基本上在使用更精確的手段貫徹在馬裏烏波爾、巴赫穆特和阿夫迪伊夫卡已見的焦土政策，旨在將科斯蒂揚蒂尼夫卡變為無法通行的殺傷區。
這種情況也發生在紮波羅熱整個南翼和哈爾科夫州北翼。駐守胡利亞普爾和沃夫昌斯克的烏克蘭防禦者因此正經曆與我們每日前線更新中報道的類似的可怕情形。
這源於俄羅斯政權繼續對城市和平民發起如此殘酷攻襲時所表現出的有恃無恐這些城市和平民被卷入了他們從未想要的戰爭。
（圖片：我在本文發表前數小時拍攝此照片，當時我與Alla在烏克蘭赫爾鬆州戰區作深入報道????????版權所有，Giorgio Provinciali）
白磷在侵蝕本已布滿彈坑的廢墟的同時，會融化反無人機網，使車輛暴露於俄方無人機的直接火力之下，從而破壞烏克蘭的後勤。它吞噬植被，點燃掩體和偽裝，並在道路上留下彈坑。
以致到達最前沿陣地現在比守住它們更為艱難。那意味著需徒步超過20公裏，背負重達數十公斤的背包。白天泥濘、夜間結冰使這一努力更加艱巨。一旦到達，唯一的任務就是堅持：對抗敵人、饑餓和寒冷。在絕望的環境中，僅能獲得由無人機運輸的微薄支援。正如我們多次目睹的，這樣的現實能摧毀所有人。
（圖片：Alla在烏克蘭赫爾鬆殺傷區一處被俄方摧毀的房屋內尋求掩護時????????版權所有，Giorgio Provinciali）
與我們在其他環境中觀察到的相一致，這種戰場的轉變證實戰爭不再必然靠士兵推進，而是依賴能使領土不適於居住的技術。
今天的目標不再是征服，而是剝奪領土使用權。此處戰線也正在失去自克勞塞維茨以來並在冷戰期間達到頂峰的線性概念，成為永久性的殺傷區。
俄軍步兵的戰術素質低下此在與組織嚴密的烏克蘭軍隊交鋒時暴露無遺，已重塑了戰爭的作戰方式，如今轉而以技術消耗為基礎。
莫斯科如今尋求強加一種不再依賴機動作戰而是依靠火力密度的優勢。在深層打擊中，像我們最新通報中報道的帕夫洛赫拉德、西涅利尼科韋、波薩德-波洛夫斯克和赫爾鬆等地都遭到選擇性精確打擊，且強度日益增加。
今天的戰線不再由單一線條定義，而是由延伸數百英裏的危險梯度構成。
（圖片：我在穿越廣闊的烏克蘭草原的無盡旅程中，草原已被持續的俄羅斯轟炸所摧毀版權所有，Giorgio Provinciali）
幾乎未受國際社會懲罰且被媒體忽視媒體本應在現場報道其罪行，卻轉而遠程分析其後果，俄羅斯聯邦正在人為營造一個敵對環境，士兵和平民不得不將其作為仇敵來應對。
不被譴責的對白磷的使用正在迅速催生這種全麵毀滅感。
一眾自封分析人士持續給對無人機在烏克蘭的真實作用給出膚淺與脫離實際的解讀。多數人認為無人機主要用於攻擊車輛、殺傷人員、摧毀坦克和偵察。雖屬事實，但這隻是部分圖景。無人機首要用於對領土建立永久性監視。它們提供持續可見性，當每一個動作都可能被監控時，會發生根本性改變：機動幾乎不可能。俄羅斯人投放白磷並非隨意，而是精確針對能影響後勤的地點，阻止烏克蘭車輛機動，迫使士兵長途徒步。
這些成千上萬的低飛的小型眼睛構成了戰場的全景監控，白磷選擇性焚燒植被、融化反無人機網、摧毀偽裝，消除一切隱蔽可能。
（圖片：我在從後方趕往向前線時拍攝了此照片版權所有，Giorgio Provinciali）
在這種情境下，媒體關注偏移到中東衝突，反而暴露了俄羅斯在烏克蘭戰爭的常態化。這是莫斯科政權用來延展其恐怖精準度的一種完美修辭杠杆。
基於我們親身經曆所見，我們認為有責任將可直接觀察到的事實呈現為一種物理維度。此類事實與我們前文的描述相吻合，既是對實施這些罪行者的譴責，也是對對這些罪行保持沉默者的譴責。
（圖片：我與Alla在烏克蘭赫爾鬆戰區報道烏克蘭版權所有，Giorgio Provinciali）
***
持續的停電嚴重損壞了我們在烏克蘭西部的家中的供暖係統，而我們當時就在頓巴斯。
沒有電，點著的爐火無法通過水泵循環熱水。結果，係統起火，整個房子麵臨著燒毀的風險。幸而未被燒毀，但整個係統需要更換，房子也需要修複。管道都是歪的，牆壁被煙霧熏黑，供暖係統無法正常工作，需要徹底更換。
我們正在盡最大努力，因為Alla的父母住在那裏，但這裏還有許多工作要做，周圍的人處境也好不到哪兒去。
我們正在重啟籌款活動，感謝每一位支持我們修複被俄羅斯摧毀一切的朋友。即使是小額捐款也有幫助。我們會及時更新進展。
感謝大家，朋友們。
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在過去的三年裏，我們一直在烏克蘭戰爭的各個前線進行報道
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