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 them «an escalation» – white phosphorus is raining down on the Ukrainian cities which have been at war for 12 years.
In an article published on January 17, we condemned how the Russian Federation was ramping up the use of that substance and thermobaric weapons across large sections of the front, especially against Huliajpole.
Explaining that Russian unmanned units operating in that area had receivedabout 1,500 thermobaric munitions intended for drones, we highlighted that 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 those reported in 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 that reaching 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 we’ve observed in other contexts, this transformation of the battlespace confirms that war 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 to a 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 don’t 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 create a 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 Russia’s war in Ukraine. A perfect rhetorical lever that the Moscow regime is exploiting to extend the precision of its terror.
Having experienced what we’ve described firsthand, we believe it’s 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 house’s heating system in Western Ukraine while we were in the Donbas.
Without electricity, the pump couldn’t 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 doesn’t work, requiring an entirely new system.
We are doing our best since Alla’s parents live there, but there’s still a lot to work on here, too, as the people around us are in no better situation.
We’re renewing our fundraising campaign and thanking everyone who joins us in helping us restore what Russia is destroying. Even a small donation helps. We’ll keep you updated on developments.
Thank you all, dear friends
白磷倾泻在乌克兰
作者：Giorgio Provinciali
翻译：旺财球球
乌克兰前线报道
扎波罗热——当媒体注意力大多集中在中东事态发展，并称之为“事态升级”时，白磷正倾洒在那些已陷入战争长达12年的乌克兰城市。
在1月17日发表的一篇文章中，我们谴责俄罗斯联邦在前线广大区域加大了对白磷和热压武器的使用，尤其是针对胡利亚普尔。
我们指出，在该地区活动的俄方无人作战单元已接收约1500枚用于无人机投放的热压弹，强调采用这些投放方式使恐怖程度超出以往。俄方无人机能对这些弹药进行高精度、有选择性地投放，事实上是在打击关键点以制造恐慌，并使即使是纪律严明、训练有素的乌克兰部队也陷入瘫痪。
在夺取顿涅茨克卡特里尼夫卡废墟后，侵略者基本上在使用更精确的手段贯彻在马里乌波尔、巴赫穆特和阿夫迪伊夫卡已见的焦土政策，旨在将科斯蒂扬蒂尼夫卡变为无法通行的杀伤区。
这种情况也发生在扎波罗热整个南翼和哈尔科夫州北翼。驻守胡利亚普尔和沃夫昌斯克的乌克兰防御者因此正经历与我们每日前线更新中报道的类似的可怕情形。
这源于俄罗斯政权继续对城市和平民发起如此残酷攻袭时所表现出的有恃无恐——这些城市和平民被卷入了他们从未想要的战争。
（图片：我在本文发表前数小时拍摄此照片，当时我与Alla在乌克兰赫尔松州战区作深入报道——版权所有，Giorgio Provinciali）
白磷在侵蚀本已布满弹坑的废墟的同时，会融化反无人机网，使车辆暴露于俄方无人机的直接火力之下，从而破坏乌克兰的后勤。它吞噬植被，点燃掩体和伪装，并在道路上留下弹坑。
以致到达最前沿阵地现在比守住它们更为艰难。那意味着需徒步超过20公里，背负重达数十公斤的背包。白天泥泞、夜间结冰使这一努力更加艰巨。一旦到达，唯一的任务就是坚持：对抗敌人、饥饿和寒冷。在绝望的环境中，仅能获得由无人机运输的微薄支援。正如我们多次目睹的，这样的现实能摧毁所有人。
（图片：Alla在乌克兰赫尔松杀伤区一处被俄方摧毁的房屋内寻求掩护时——版权所有，Giorgio Provinciali）
与我们在其他环境中观察到的相一致，这种战场的转变证实战争不再必然靠士兵推进，而是依赖能使领土不适于居住的技术。
今天的目标不再是征服，而是剥夺领土使用权。此处战线也正在失去自克劳塞维茨以来并在冷战期间达到顶峰的线性概念，成为永久性的杀伤区。
俄军步兵的战术素质低下——此在与组织严密的乌克兰军队交锋时暴露无遗，已重塑了战争的作战方式，如今转而以技术消耗为基础。
莫斯科如今寻求强加一种不再依赖机动作战而是依靠火力密度的优势。在深层打击中，像我们最新通报中报道的帕夫洛赫拉德、西涅利尼科韦、波萨德-波洛夫斯克和赫尔松等地都遭到选择性精确打击，且强度日益增加。
今天的战线不再由单一线条定义，而是由延伸数百英里的危险梯度构成。
（图片：我在穿越广阔的乌克兰草原的无尽旅程中，草原已被持续的俄罗斯轰炸所摧毁——版权所有，Giorgio Provinciali）
几乎未受国际社会惩罚且被媒体忽视——媒体本应在现场报道其罪行，却转而远程分析其后果，俄罗斯联邦正在人为营造一个敌对环境，士兵和平民不得不将其作为仇敌来应对。
不被谴责的对白磷的使用正在迅速催生这种全面毁灭感。
一众自封分析人士持续给对无人机在乌克兰的真实作用给出肤浅与脱离实际的解读。多数人认为无人机主要用于攻击车辆、杀伤人员、摧毁坦克和侦察。虽属事实，但这只是部分图景。无人机首要用于对领土建立永久性监视。它们提供持续可见性，当每一个动作都可能被监控时，会发生根本性改变：机动几乎不可能。俄罗斯人投放白磷并非随意，而是精确针对能影响后勤的地点，阻止乌克兰车辆机动，迫使士兵长途徒步。
这些成千上万的低飞的小型“眼睛”构成了战场的全景监控，白磷选择性焚烧植被、融化反无人机网、摧毁伪装，消除一切隐蔽可能。
（图片：我在从后方赶往向前线时拍摄了此照片——版权所有，Giorgio Provinciali）
在这种情境下，媒体关注偏移到中东冲突，反而暴露了俄罗斯在乌克兰战争的常态化。这是莫斯科政权用来延展其恐怖精准度的一种完美修辞杠杆。
基于我们亲身经历所见，我们认为有责任将可直接观察到的事实呈现为一种物理维度。此类事实与我们前文的描述相吻合，既是对实施这些罪行者的谴责，也是对对这些罪行保持沉默者的谴责。
（图片：我与Alla在乌克兰赫尔松战区报道乌克兰——版权所有，Giorgio Provinciali）
***
持续的停电严重损坏了我们在乌克兰西部的家中的供暖系统，而我们当时就在顿巴斯。
没有电，点着的炉火无法通过水泵循环热水。结果，系统起火，整个房子面临着烧毁的风险。幸而未被烧毁，但整个系统需要更换，房子也需要修复。管道都是歪的，墙壁被烟雾熏黑，供暖系统无法正常工作，需要彻底更换。
我们正在尽最大努力，因为Alla的父母住在那里，但这里还有许多工作要做，周围的人处境也好不到哪儿去。
我们正在重启筹款活动，感谢每一位支持我们修复被俄罗斯摧毁一切的朋友。即使是小额捐款也有帮助。我们会及时更新进展。
感谢大家，朋友们。
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在过去的三年里，我们一直在乌克兰战争的各个前线进行报道……
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