One photograph shows a soldier on his knees kissing a child in a subway station where Ukrainian families shelter from Russian bombing. In another, a small child and a woman on the verge of tears look from inside a departing carriage at a man who sees them from outside and places his hand on the window in a sign of farewell.
In an uplifting message on Father’s Day Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted 10 photos of fathers and sons against the bleak backdrop of war, praising popes who “protect and defend what is most precious.”
There are scenes of maternity: in one photograph, a man and a woman look at a baby wrapped in blankets in what appears to be a hospital ward where the plastered walls bear battle scars. In another, a man lifts a child over a fence to hand it over to a woman who is holding out her arms on a railway platform.
“Being a father is a great responsibility and a great happiness,” Zelenskyy wrote in one English text after another in Ukrainian on Instagram. “It’s strength, wisdom, motivation to keep going and not give up.”
Zelenskyy called on the nation’s fighters to resist for the “future of their family, their children and thus the whole of Ukraine.”
He issued his message at a time when the four-month war appears to be taking its toll on the morale of soldiers on both sides, causing defections and rebellions against orders from commanders. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg warned that the conflict could drag on for “years”.
“Combat units from both sides are engaged in intense fighting in Donbas and are likely experiencing swings in morale,” the British Ministry of Defense said in its daily assessment of the war.
“Ukrainian forces have probably suffered from desertions in recent weeks,” the ministry continues, but added that “Russian morale is very likely to continue to be particularly disturbed.”
“Cases continue to occur where entire Russian units refuse to obey orders and armed clashes break out between officers and their troops,” he said.
Separately, Ukraine’s Central Intelligence Directorate released what it said were intercepted calls in which Russian soldiers complained about frontline conditions, poor equipment and understaffing, according to a report by the Institute for the Study of war.
In an interview published Sunday in the German weekly Bild am Sonntag, Stoltenberg said “nobody knows” how long the war might last.
“We need to be prepared for it to drag on for years,” he declared.
He also urged the allies “not to weaken their support for Ukraine, even if the costs are high, not only in terms of military aid, but also due to increases in the prices of energy and food products.”
In his late-night speech on Sunday, Zelenskyy said next week would be “historic” and perhaps bring Ukraine closer to its goal of becoming a member of the European Union. But such a step could herald a more hostile response from Russia, he warned.
EU leaders on Friday recommended Ukraine’s integration into the bloc, a position that will be discussed among members this week in Brussels. Zelenskyy said the outcome of those talks will be one of the most crucial moments for Ukraine since it gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
“I am certain that only a positive decision satisfies the interests of all of Europe,” he said.
“We must anticipate that by that week there will be more hostile activity from Russia,” he added. “And not only against Ukraine, but also against Europe. We are preparing”.
In recent days, the Russian gas company Gazprom has reduced its supply to two major European customers: Germany and Italy. In the case of Italy, energy officials are scheduled to meet this week to discuss the situation. The director of Italian energy giant ENI said on Saturday that with the additional gas purchased from other sources, the country should be able to weather the coming winter, but warned the population that “restrictions” on gas use might be necessary.
Germany will restrict the use of gas to generate electricity amid concerns about possible shortages due to declining supplies from Russia, its Economy Minister Robert Habeck said on Sunday. Berlin has been trying to fill the country’s gas storage facilities to the max ahead of the cold winter months.
Habeck said Germany will try to make up for the shortfall by increasing the burning of coal, a more polluting fossil fuel.
“It is a bitter measure, but simply necessary in this situation to reduce gas consumption,” he added.
KNOW MORE
Defending.In a recorded speech aboard the train on his way back to kyiv, Zelenskyy vowed to defend the south of the country against invaders from Russia.
Blocking.Zelenskyy condemned the Russian blockade of Ukrainian ports, given the deadlock in negotiations on the creation of safe corridors.
