What Ukraine Is Fighting For

For the first time in the 12ish years I have been studying social media, the word Hero is trending.

I thought it might be because of Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, who refused to evacuate to safety and remained in Kyiv, Tweeting encouragement and the results of his conversations with other world leaders (requesting military support, equipment, etc) through the night. Or possibly Kyiv’s mayor, who has taken up arms and is participating in the defense. Or the 13 Ukrainian soldiers who told a Russian warship “Go fuck yourselves,” and held out long enough to live-stream the unprovoked attack in which all 13 were killed, thereby dominating the narrative of the first full day of fighting and generating a global outpouring of support (both discursive and tangible). Or even Ukrainian MP Kira Rudik, who looks about 16 in this photo, holding her newly-issued Kalashnikov.

It is, probably, all of them at once.

But it is also this guy, Vitaliy Skakun, whose family lived just over the bridge he died to bring down – blowing up the bridge, and himself, to stop the Russian advance.

And that’s what Ukraine is fighting for.