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mediocres-writing-blog · 7 months ago

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Mortal Kombat Legends: Dreamrealm's Despot

(this is a prequel/sequel to the ending of Requiem Mirror and the ending of Blood Bound, so anyone who read those two would know wtf is happening)

Five months ago, Tremor, the former Black Dragon member has started packing his things. On the way out of the Special Forces base, he met Nico, also known as Red Robin, who seemed happy as usual.

ROBIN: Hey, Rocky Road. What's up?

Tremor's raspy and gravely voice slightly cracks, as he is spooked

TREMOR: Oh! Hello, Nico. I was just packing my things and leaving.

ROBIN: Why? Did Sonya say so?

TREMOR: No, nothing like that. I... have been meaning to leave for a while now, in order to find a place I've heard about once.

ROBIN: Ah, that's fine. What place is it?

TREMOR: A place called the Dreamrealm. I wish to find it as a last step before retirement.

ROBIN: Well, I completely understand. Have fun.

TREMOR: I will. See you around, Nico.

He says as he waves, walking out the door, as he turns, he look away from his friend. The earth bender has walked for many days, following a map he had kept ever since his days in the Black Dragon clan. It took him through a desert, kilometers away from any nearby civilization… As Mr Mineral walked through the desert, the heat was starting to get to his head the more hours passed by. Before he collapsed on the ground from the heat, he came across a cave. Entering said cave, he noticed the thorny vines that grew around the interior. With a sense of confusion, he ventured deeper into the cave, he noticed a strange structure with a strange blue light illuminating in its center, like a miniature star. Tremor stepped closer to it and before he touched it, he got flashbacks to every major moment in his life: from the death of loved one’s, to doing heinous things while in theThe hooded figure looks at geokinetic, unveiling themselves to be a young woman. She seems to be no older than 26, and she has a scar under her eye. She looks at Tremor, as if she saw him for the first time in ages. And as for the child, she held on to her mother's hand, woundering why she's looking at Tremor like that.

WOMAN: Hello? Do I know you from somewhere?

She asked. Tremor shakes his head, and she gives a light "hmph".

WOMAN: You seem lost, stranger.

TREMOR: I... could say I am. I need to find the way to the Dreamrealm.

WOMAN: Well, you don't have to look anymore, you found it.

Tremor looked up at the woman, and looked at the child. The young girl held on to her mother's robes.

TREMOR: I suppose I should thank you.

WOMAN: You don’t need to. Can I have your name?

Tremor looked down, as he does not recall his real name, only his title from the Black Dragon.

TREMOR: Tremor.

he said, and the woman responded with a light-hearted smile.

RHEA: Right... Damn, you look familiar. Anyway, I'm Rhea, and this is my daughter, Hera.

HERA: Hewlo.

Tremor looked at the little girl, as she was looking at him, with curiosity in her eyes. He waved to her squatting down, removing his mask and showing a big smile.

TREMOR: You have a wonderful daughter, Rhea. I had a daughter once. She passed, along with my wife.

He said, looking away.

RHEA: Oh, I'm sorry for your loss.

TREMOR: Do not fret, it was my fault. Anyway, could you escort me to someone who could help me with my mental scars and trauma?

The woman looked at Mr Mineral with slight confusion, but then remembered something, as a lightbulb appeared over her head.

RHEA: I got it!

She said, waving the lightbulb away.

RHEA: I know someone who can help you. They helped me and my daughter get through great pains. Come with me.

She said, as she took her daughter and put her on her back, leading Tremor through the slow moving streets to a large building north from where they are. After a few minutes of walking and band members playing calming music on the side of the streets, they make it to a castle of sorts, where Rhea knocks on three times, as the doors magically open by themselves. The three enter, and notice a man dressed in a white and yellow gown and having odd hair, completely contrasting from the rest of the mostly black and blue aesthetic of the realm, making some sort of powder or potion.

RHEA: Oi, Sandy, how's it brewing?

The man turns around, noticing the three.

SANDMAN: Hm? Oh! Hello, Rhea.

Said the Sandman, stepping down from his workbench. Tremor would look at him in total awe, never seeing anything like it.

SANDMAN: I see you have brought a friend. Allow me to introduce myself to you, stranger. I am the Sandman, good friends call me Sandy.

TREMOR: The pleasure is all mine, sir.

The sandman looked at the man in the dark brown cloak and immediately recognized his voice, and the name.

SANDMAN: You must be Tremor. I've heard a lot about you. You haven't been naughty as of late, have you?

Tremor looked confused and a bit shocked, while the Sandman laughed his ass off.

SANDMAN: Oh, don't worry, Tremor, I'm the sandman, not Santa Claus.

He said, trying to keep a straight face, but failing. He then cleared his throat.

SANDMAN: Anyways, *ahem*, welcome to my home slash workshop, where I do most of my work and when I'm not, I help people with severe anxiety and mental scars rehabilitate. What can I do you for?

He asked. Tremor looked at him, and told the man of his issues.

TREMOR: Well, for quite a few months now, I've been having nightmares of past experiences.

SANDMAN: Right... Rhea? Hera? Could you leave us for a few minutes?

The woman and the girl nod, and leave the room. Tremor would then tell him about his nightmares, and the Sandman would listen to his story.

TREMOR: After the death of my loved ones, I joined the Black Dragon clan, a group of ruthless criminals shortly after this, because their leader Kano stated that if I join him, he could help me with getting them back. I had nothing left to lose, so naturally, I accepted. The longer time I spent in Outworld, the more my body changed, and sooner or later, I forgot my actual name. All I knew was to live and fight for him. So once this man named Smoke gave me a beating of a lifetime, he changed me and my perspective on the world. I joined the Special Forces for a while, and after several months, I wanted to leave. So I went on a journey to find Dreamrealm and... now we're here.

The Sandman, listening to his story while sitting in a therapist chair, writes notes down.

SANDMAN: Right. I am terribly sorry for what happened in your past, but sometimes, you only have to keep going forward. Yes, the past can hurt, but when that wound hurts, you can do one of two things.

The sandman puts the papers down and gets up, as he stands tall, and he walks towards the window, showing the landscape of Dreamrealm.

SANDMAN: You can either tamper with it to make it worse, or you can let someone help you with it. Because only with time and the right people, can a wound truly heal.

Tremor looks at the man in his face with heavy eyes.

TREMOR: A sound logic, Rafiki.

SANDMAN: You're welcome, Simba. Now then... let me show you my workshop.

The sandman turns the wall into a corridor, showing a large room with machines and brightly colored lights sliding down tubes. Tremor looks around, confused but intrigued at what he is seeing.

TREMOR: Interesting. But also.. What is it that I'm looking at?

SANDMAN: This is my workshop, where I make dreams for everyone in the realms. Well, I'd happily explain it to you with a song, but then I'd be risking a copyright strike, plus it would be hard to picture because this is a written medium.

He said, turning to Tremor, who is as oblivious as Nico was in the last chapter. But to prove a point, think this picture

SANDMAN: Look, point I’m tryin’ to make is: emotions + past experiences = dreams. And sometimes I add in a little element of surprise to the concoction, which is why dreams sometimes show you things that haven’t happened yet. And when they do, you get some of that “deja vu”.

The mineral man looks back at the sandman, looking less oblivious and more interested.

SANDMAN: But let's not get too off–topic.

Sandman opens a door to his right, which goes outside with several feet out into the air. Tremor looks through, then the song by the Chordettes looks out, closing the door.

SANDMAN: Whoops, hehe, wrong door.

He then opens a door next to the one he just opened, revealing a room that appears as some sort of Edo period style house. Tremor would sit down, while the sandman took a kettle and teacups. He then turns to Tremor, asking him a question.

SANDMAN: Tea or coffee?

TREMOR: Tea, please.

The sandman turns back to rocky road, tossing the kettle perfectly in the air to pour just enough tea for both of them, catching it before it hits the ground. He then serves the tea to Tremor.

SANDMAN: I’m glad you chose tea, because I made the tea before asking and the last time I did that, the person I offered it to never spoke to me again.

Tremor would remove his mask, and would start sipping the tea. The sandman as he sips his tea, eyes the mineral man.

SANDMAN: Look, Tremor, to put it lightly, I’m kind of like a king or ruler or guardian of this realm. When someone has a problem, they turn to me, and I solve it.

Tremor would put his tea down, tilting his head and squinting his eyes.

TREMOR: Your point being?

SANDMAN: Rhea brought you here with a reason, and that reason being you got more than one problem in your life. Your body is as still as a mountain, yet your soul is cracked. I intend to balance that out with the time you have here.

Tremor looked at the Sandman, finishing his tea and very gently placing it down.

TREMOR: Where do we begin, sir?

Sandman refills Tremor’s cup, putting the kettle aside.

SANDMAN: Finish that cup, and follow me.

Tremor finished his tea, and got up to follow the man in yellow. They went to the door on the left, which previously went nowhere, but now entered what looked like a traditional Japanese house. Tremor entered, looking confused as hell. His speech reflected his expression.

TREMOR: What the actual shit?

SANDMAN: I know right? Oh and also…

The sandman spun his fingers, and the door behind them slammed shut.

SANDMAN: Tone it down on the language.

He moved around some of the chairs and other stuff that was in the way.

SANDMAN: Here, your training begins. Well, mental training at least.

Tremor bows, and they begin. First few days went smoothly, with Tremor doing certain tasks, and showing great progress of staying still and calm under great stress, but there still was stress, as was shown in his eyes. Sandman noticed this, and approached him.

SANDMAN: Something wrong, babygirl?

Tremor turned around, looking quite stressed.

TREMOR: No, I mean yes, but… What did you just call me?

SANDMAN: Nothing, the point is, there’s something in your eyes, and it's not pretty.

TREMOR: What do you see?

SANDMAN: Well, firstly, myself. Secondly, it’s sadness, stress, fear.

TREMOR: I’m fine, man.

SANDMAN: You sure? Because denial is only the first stage of grief.

The mineral man takes a deep breath and looks at him, poking his breats.

TREMOR: Look, I’m fine, alright? I just need something to punch, sometimes.

Mr Sandman thinks for a second, and then looks at Mineral man.

SANDMAN: Why don’t you punch me?

Tremor chuckles, hearing Sandman say this.

TREMOR: You? The man who has been giving me free therapy for days now? The man who’s dressed in a nightgown and cap?

Sandman listens to Tremor’s both nice and not nice comment, as he changes his outfit with a snap of the finger, going from looking like Scrooge McDuck to looking like Little Mac. He takes a stance and looks at Tremor.

SANDMAN: Put 'em up, bitch boy.

Tremor looked at his stance, sighing and taking his MK X idle stance. He goes to punch Sandman, but he sidesteps, barely dodging his fist. Tremor looked at him, quickly getting his stance back up. His veins felt like they were burning, as he went in for another punch, which was stopped with a block. Tremor kept swinging and Sandman kept dodging, which fueled something in Tremor’s heart. After the tenth dodge, Sandy finally decided to do something productive by punching Tremor in the side, filling him with anger. His hands ignite with fire, which he doesn’t notice, but Sandman does.

SANDMAN: Uh, dude, your hand–

Before he could finish his sentence, Tremor decked him in the face, after which the whole room was heated. Tremor quickly notices, and tries to calm down, which extinguished the fire and cooled the room. He lended Sandman a hand feeling terrible for what he just did.

TREMOR: I am so sorry, sir, I didn’t mean to do… What did I just do?

SANDMAN: No need to apologize, I was being a douchebag.

As the sandman took Tremor’s hand and got up, he burnt himself on his hand, letting out a shout in pain.

SANDMAN: Ah crap, my hand!

Tremor saw this, and looked at his hand, which looked like flowing lava. As he calmed himself down, his hand cooled off.

TREMOR: I am so sorry, sir.

SANDMAN: Ah, don’t sweat it, it’ll heal.

He said, shaking his hand. He then looked at Tremor, who’s hands and face were illuminated by magma, which slowly disappeared.

SANDMAN: Amazing… Not only have your hands changed, but you did too. You look like a flaming hot badass.

TREMOR: What?

He asked, in a much deeper voice. Sandman would make a mirror appear in front of Tremor, showing him his new form.

TREMOR: That's.. Me?

SANDMAN: I suppose exposure to the atmosphere here and releasing all that anger must’ve triggered a change…

Sandman would place his hand on Tremor’s head, reading his mind and seeing it has expanded exponentially.

SANDMAN: …And your mind expanded.

Tremor would tilt his head, looking back at Sandman.

TREMOR: What do you mean, Sandman?

SANDMAN: What I’m saying is, my friend…

Sandman walked up to Rocky Road, wiping some sand off his hood, and putting his hand on Tremor’s shoulder.

SANDMAN: Now, you have balance.

TREMOR: Truly… So does this mean you won't teach me anymore?

The hit song by The Chordettes smiles at Tremor, and gives him a head pat.

SANDMAN: You can come over anytime you like. Whether you need a therapist, or to blow off some steam, you know where to find me. How’s about a hand shake as a goodbye?

He said, extending his hand to Mr Mineral. Tremor, at first denied, but then accepted. Sandman then escorted Tremor back to the entrance. Before Tremor left, he turned back to Sandman.

TREMOR: Where do I go now? I don’t have anywhere to call home anymore.

Sandman thinks for a minute, then asks Tremor to follow him. After a few minutes of walking, the terrific two stand in front of a house. Sandman pushes the doorbell, and Rhea opens the door.

RHEA: What’s up, Sandy?

SANDMAN: Rhea, I would like to introduce you to your malewife, Tremor.

Rhea looked at Tremor’s new design, looking surprised and interested.

RHEA: That’s you, Tremor? Damn, dude, you look menacing as fuck but also kind of hot. Also, did you just say “malewife”?

Sandman stood there, slurping on a slushie he just made.

SANDMAN: You two just look cute together, idk. Buh-bye–

He said, as he disappeared in a cloud of sand. Tremor and Rhea look at eachother and shrug.

RHEA: So uh… Come on in?

TREMOR: Please and thank you.

He says as Rhea opens the door, while Tremor has to squeeze through to get in.

TREMOR: Ooh. Sorry, jus–

RHEA: No, it’s fine, lemme just try an–

TREMOR: Yeah, I’ll just… There.

He said, as he fell on the floor, but did in fact, get in. Rhea giggles.

RHEA: Man, I’m gonna need a bigger door. Hera! Come meet someone!

Hera’s little tippy taps echoed through the hallway, as she walked into the room, and saw Tremor on the floor. She looks at her mother, then points to Tremor.

HERA: Is he going to be my dad now?

Tremor and Rhea look at eachother, and then Rhea looks back at her daughter with a smile.

RHEA: Yes. Yes he is.

Tremor closes his eyes, his hands move up, as if he’s shrugging.

TREMOR: Well, I suppose I have no other choice.

Tremor gets up, and Hera comes over to hug her mother. Rhea looks at Tremor, with one hand holding her child and the other is open, as if she’s offering him a hug. Tremor seems confused.

RHEA: Come on, you big stupid dummy, get in here!

TREMOR: I… suppose.

Tremor enters the hug, and for the first time in a long time, Tremor actually had a feeling of warmth in his heart. His body temperature heated up, just enough to give a warm hug to the two. And for the next month or so, Tremor has lived with them for some time now, and every so often, he visits the Sandman to get therapy or to blow off steam. Tremor has treated Hera as if she were his own child, and Rhea as a wife. Eventually, He discovered other abilities, courtesy of Sandman. Soon enough with this ability, he visited a former colleague and an old friend.

Credits. Play.

#mortal kombat #mk #mortal kombat au #mk au #smoke screen au #mk smokescreen #humor #comedy #memes #meme #mk oc red robin #mortal kombat oc #mk oc #mk ocs #mk oc rhea #mk oc hera #mk oc sandman

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cyberbenb · 6 days ago

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Ukraine war latest: Ukraine returns 150 people from Russian captivity in prisoner swap

Key developments on Feb. 5:

Ukraine brings back 150 POWs from Russian captivity in prisoner swap

Ukraine strikes Russian oil facility, Buk air defense system overnight, military claims

UK pledges $69 million to boost Ukraine’s resilience, grain deliveries to Syria

Ukraine’s Defense Ministry introduces robotic units into army

Ukraine should receive nuclear weapons if NATO entry is delayed, Zelensky says

Over 45,000 Ukrainian soldiers killed since start of war, Zelensky says

Ukraine brought back 150 Ukrainian service members from Russian captivity, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Feb. 5, marking the latest prisoner exchange between Kyiv and Moscow.

The released Ukrainian captives included members of the Navy, the Air Force, the Airborne Troops, the National Guard, the State Border Guard, the Territorial Defense Forces, and a police officer, according to the president.

“They are all from different sectors of the front, but they have one thing in common: They fought for Ukraine,” Zelensky said on Telegram.

Some POWs had been held captive for more than two years, according to Zelensky.

Among the released soldiers are those in serious condition. They have a long rehabilitation and recovery ahead, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko reported.

At the same time, Russia announced the return of 150 Russian prisoners of war (POWs) from Ukrainian captivity.

During the last exchange, which took place on Dec. 30, 2024, 189 people returned from Russian captivity.

In 2024, 1,358 Ukrainians were released, and since the beginning of the all-out war, 3,956 Ukrainians have returned from Russian captivity, Zelensky said in his New Year’s address.

From drone simulators to civics: Ukraine reforms school curriculum to protect next generation from Russian threat

In a small town in Kyiv Oblast, 10th grader Alina Marynenko just beat her entire class to be the most accurate shooter on an AK-47 simulator. “Fourteen out of fifteen! I set a record! We beat the boys!” Marynenko yells out to her class. Marynenko and her classmates fired the

The Kyiv IndependentKateryna Hodunova

Ukraine strikes Russian oil facility, Buk air defense system overnight, military claims

Ukrainian forces struck a Russian oil facility in Krasnodar Krai and a Buk air defense system in the occupied part of Zaporizhzhia Oblast overnight on Feb. 5, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said.

An attack carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the Defense Forces set fire to the Albashneft oil facility in Novominskaya in southwestern Russia, according to the statement.

Earlier the same day, Krasnodar Krai authorities reported a Ukrainian drone attack that started a fire at an unspecified oil depot that allegedly contained a “residual amount” of petroleum product.

The village of Novominskaya lies roughly 250 kilometers (150 miles) from the front line in Ukraine.

“The hit has been confirmed,” the General Staff said, describing the facility as a “mini-refinery” involved in the supply of gasoline and diesel fuel for Russian forces in Ukraine.

The extent of damage to the facility is being determined.

The General Staff also reported a successful hit against the Buk system in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, adding that “damage to the target was recorded."

The Kyiv Independent could not verify all the claims.

Potential encirclement in Velyka Novosilka prompts questions about last-ditch withdrawal strategy

Thrusting forward with their vast manpower advantage, Russian troops are gradually penetrating Ukrainian defenses on the western edge of Donetsk Oblast and are close to capturing Velyka Novosilka. Located about 15 kilometers east of the neighboring Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, the vital road-junction vil…

The Kyiv IndependentAsami Terajima

UK pledges $69 million to boost Ukraine’s resilience, grain deliveries to Syria

The U.K. will provide Ukraine with 55 million pounds ($69 million) in new humanitarian and economic assistance to promote a long-term partnership between the two nations, the British government announced on Feb. 5.

“This funding for social, humanitarian, and energy programs will strengthen our resilience. And this assistance is very timely right now,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said at a press conference with his British counterpart, David Lammy, attended by the Kyiv Independent.

Lammy is visiting Kyiv to discuss continued U.K. support for Ukraine as it enters the fourth year of Russia’s full-scale invasion. The U.K. official is expected to assess firsthand how British aid is assisting Ukraine on the battlefield and in civilian infrastructure recovery.

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The new funding is part of a broader 100-year partnership agreement signed by President Volodymyr Zelensky and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Jan. 16.

In addition to the financial aid, the U.K. will allocate 3 million pounds ($3.7 million) to supply Ukrainian grain and other food products to Syria, working with the World Food Program.

"Unlike Russian grain supplies to the brutal Assad regime, which attempted to buy favor while burdening Syria with costly debt, this planned support will provide a lifeline to the most vulnerable in Syria," the British government's statement read.

London previously committed a record 3 billion pounds ($3.6 billion) in military aid to Ukraine for 2024, including advanced weapons systems and munitions. The first 1.5 billion pounds ($1.8 billion) of a 2.26 billion pound ($2.7 billion) loan under the G7 program will also be released to fund major procurement projects for Ukraine's defense.

The loan will be repaid using profits from immobilized Russian assets, marking another step in the West's efforts to use Russia's frozen funds to finance Ukraine's war effort and recovery.

"We have agreed on the need to continue using frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine. In the near future, we will begin utilizing funds from the U.K. loan of more than 2 billion pounds ($2.5 billion) sourced from these assets," Sybiha said.

What to expect from Ukraine’s defense innovation in 2025

Despite the uncertainty surrounding a potential resolution to the war, Ukrainians know one thing for sure: we must ramp up our defense capabilities to effectively defend against current and future Russian aggression. This requires the rapid development of asymmetrical solutions to counter Russia’s a…

The Kyiv IndependentNatalia Kushnerska

Ukraine's Defense Ministry introduces robotic units into army

The Defense Ministry is launching an initiative to increase the use of unmanned ground systems in the Ukrainian army, introducing robotics units, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov announced on Feb. 5.

Throughout Russia's full-scale invasion, both Ukraine and Russia have heavily invested in unmanned vehicles, particularly unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, revolutionizing warfare.

Ukraine is increasing the production of unmanned ground systems and deploying full-fledged robotic units as part of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' combat brigades on the front line, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov wrote on Facebook.

"We continue transforming the Ukrainian Armed Forces into a modern army with a technological advantage over the enemy. Our goal is to create an army in which innovative technologies help to perform the most dangerous tasks while saving the lives of our defenders," Umerov said.

The project is the result of tests conducted in cooperation with the military since the summer of 2024, he added.

Unmanned ground systems have proven to perform several tasks on the battlefield, including offensive and defensive activities, evacuation of the wounded, logistical support for units, and mining and demining areas, according to the minister.

Various aerial, naval, and ground drones have been developed and are frequently used by Ukrainian troops for reconnaissance, combat, and other tasks.

Ukraine’s Defense Ministry introduces robotic units into army

“We continue transforming the Ukrainian Armed Forces into a modern army with a technological advantage over the enemy,” Rustem Umerov said.

The Kyiv IndependentKateryna Hodunova

Ukraine should receive nuclear weapons if NATO entry is delayed, Zelensky says

The U.S. should provide Ukraine with an alternative security guarantee, such as nuclear weapons, if it is not ready to accept the country into NATO, President Volodymyr Zelensky suggested in an interview with U.K. journalist Piers Morgan published on Feb. 4.

"What kind of support package, what kind of missiles? Will they give us nuclear weapons? Then let them give us nuclear weapons," the president said when talking about possible guarantees instead of quick NATO entry.

Zelensky acknowledged that Ukraine's NATO accession could be delayed "for years or decades," raising the question of how the country would defend itself.

Ukraine applied to join NATO at the outset of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022 but has yet to receive an official invitation. Despite an allied pledge last year that Kyiv's path to membership is "irreversible," countries such as the U.S., Germany, Hungary, and Slovakia continue to resist its entry.

Zelensky argued that while the West can supply Ukraine with missiles to deter Russia, their ability to stop Russian nuclear weapons is "a rhetorical question."

"Let's do this: give us nuclear weapons back; give us missile systems; help us finance a million-strong army; or deploy your contingents in parts of our country where we want stability so that people feel safe," Zelensky said, outlining hypothetical alternatives.

The comments come after Zelensky criticized Ukraine's 1990s decision to give up its nuclear weapons without receiving robust security guarantees in return.

Under the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, Ukraine relinquished the Soviet-era nuclear arsenal stationed on its territory and joined the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).

In exchange, the U.S., U.K., and Russia provided security assurances. Twenty years later, Russia occupied Crimea and parts of eastern Ukraine. Thirty years on, it is waging a full-scale war against Ukraine.

The invasion has reignited discussions over whether Ukraine should develop nuclear weapons as a deterrent, though Kyiv maintains that NATO membership remains the best possible security guarantee and said it has no plans for building a new nuclear arsenal.

Why Ukraine doesn’t have nuclear weapons

When the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic adopted the Declaration of Sovereignty in July 1990 to gain greater rights and freedoms within the Soviet Union, ridding the country of its nuclear weapons was one of its top priorities. Ukraine had just suffered enormously from the Chornobyl nuclear pow…

The Kyiv IndependentLiliane Bivings

Over 45,000 Ukrainian soldiers killed since start of war, Zelensky says

Ukraine has lost 45,100 soldiers on the battlefield since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with U.K. journalist Piers Morgan published Feb. 4.

Zelensky added that there have been a total of 390,000 cases of soldiers sustaining wounds on the battle, although the actual number of wounded soldiers is less given that some soldiers sustained multiple wounds during separate incidents.

In previous statements on the total casualty count, Zelensky said that approximately half of the soldiers wounded in action later return to the battlefield.

The comments from Zelensky comes as a rare admission from a Ukrainian official about the casualty count on the front line.

Zelensky previously revealed the total casualty count in December 2024, claiming that Ukraine had lost 43,000 solider, with "370,000 cases of medical assistance for the wounded."

Despite the estimates, Zelensky added that it was not clear as to how many thousands of men are currently held as prisoners of war compared to those missing in action.

"How many of those are missing (in action) and how many of those are prisoners (of war), I do not know the precise number but we are working on it," Zelensky added.

Comparing Ukraine's casualty count to that of Russia, Zelensky said in the interview that approximately 350,000 Russian soldiers have been killed, with between 600,000 to 700,000 instances of Russian soldiers sustaining wounds on the battlefield.

Note from the author:

Ukraine War Latest is put together by the Kyiv Independent news desk team, who keep you informed 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

If you value our work and want to ensure we have the resources to continue, join the Kyiv Independent community.

US weapons aid to Ukraine is about to run out

Funds that Congress approved for weapons packages to Ukraine during the Biden administration are nearly empty, with most weapons already in Ukraine. A Dec. 30 package from former U.S. President Joe Biden used up the last of the funding from the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which since 20…

The Kyiv IndependentKollen Post

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