Mikhail Gorbachev

Mikhail Gorbachev was a fascinating man and I think most of us respect him for his radical reform. He was concerned about the living standards of his people and so wanted to stop wasting money on nuclear weapons. He introduced competitive elections and allowed civil society. He adored his wife in a place and time when Soviet leaders were not supposed to have emotions. Chernobyl convinced him in glasnost, or openness. Gorbachev and Reagan met in Reykjavik. 

In one of the eulogies, I read something about Lithuania and decided to read further. In January six Lithuanians filed a lawsuit against him. They lost relatives when Moscow cracked down on their independence drive. The January 1991 assault killed 14 and wounded over 700. Lithuania prosecuted Soviet officers for war crimes and imprisoned the ones they could reach. 

Even under Gorbachev this happened. 

Ukraine lured expensive Russian missiles into firing at decoy HIMARs. They were made out of wood. Maybe this is why Russia kept claiming that they'd destroyed HIMARs. The Russians call the tactics of trickery "maskirovka." 

A Ukrainian strike in Kherson appears to show that the Russian HQ was destroyed. 

The Russian-installed leader of Kherson has fled to Russia. 

The first ship carrying grain from Ukraine to Africa has arrived in Djibouti.