A senior member of the Ukranian War Cabinet has given an interview to the BBC saying that the couter-offensive could start any day.
Oleksiy Danilov would not name a date but said an assault to retake territory from President Vladimir Putin's occupying forces could begin "tomorrow, the day after tomorrow or in a week".
He warned that Ukraine's government had "no right to make a mistake" on the decision because this was an "historic opportunity" that "we cannot lose".
Very soon after the Armed Forces of Ukraine issued a “recruitment video” which cenred on a century old prayer for the country
The cinematorgraphy. editing and choreography strongly reminded me of the Aotearoan Māori war dance and chant the Haka.
The haka is a ceremonial Māori war dance or challenge. Haka are usually performed in a group and represent a display of a tribe's pride, strength and unity.
Actions include the stomping of the foot, the protrusion of the tongue and rhythmic body slapping to accompany a loud chant. The words of a haka often poetically describe ancestors and events in the tribe's history.
As a challenge it conveys the intimidating message “we are strong, united and ready to fight if you come here to mean harm”, the same the Ukrainians are telling the Russians in the video. The Haka has a reverse side as a welcome or honoring ceremony, we know you are pacific, pass in peace. (In very formal ceremonies, the leader of the team will lay a spear down in front of the welcomed.) The video’s message is similar for the Russians — depart the land of the Cossacks and there will be peace.
The chants are always in Māori but the English translation gives an idea of the simiarity on sentiment with the prayer and form of the Ukrainian video.
Let your valor rise! Let your valor rage!
We’ll ward off these haunting hands
while protecting our wives and children!
For thee, I defy
the lightning bolts of hell
while my enemies stand there in confusion!
O God – to think I would tremble
to a pack of wolves seeing fear, or running away,
because they would surely fall in the pit of shame
as food for the hounds who chow down in delight! Oh, what in the name…?
'Tis death! 'tis death! (or: I may die) ’Tis life! ‘tis life! (or: I may live)
’Tis death! ‘tis death! ’Tis life! ‘tis life!
This is the hairy man
Who summons the sun and makes it shine
A step upward, another step upward!
A step upward, another... the Sun shines!
The similarity might not be entirely fanciful on my part. The film makers could have been exposed to a very recent video of trainers from the New Zealand Defence [sic] Force performing a haka in honor of Ukrainians leaving for home. There is also apparently a good rugby following in Ukraine and the NZ national Rugby Union teams. tne “All-Blacks” famously perform a haka before matches.
The Haka has become a defining part of Aotearoan identity. If you google it you will see (once you get past the rugby) the wide variety of occasions it is performed, from ceremonial welcomes to a school honoring a respected teacher on their retirement. In this context however it would be amiss not to use this example of members of the NZDF paying their respects to their fallen comrades.