Plan 5 moves ahead
I am afraid this article will be serious. The father of the family I was trying to rescue has decided that he was born in Ukraine and will die in Ukraine. He had one of the soldiers directed to clean up Chernobyl, so he is exempt from the conflict (both age and health). He was pivotal in my plan to get the family out. He was necessary to my plan. Women and children are too at risk to travel alone at this time. His decision has put the rest of the family with no option but to sit it out.
I had prepared them as well as I could, so they should have enough food and water to survive for more than a month. The most crucial survival supply to store is water. There is no way to predict how far this crisis will extend, especially as Chernobyl is no longer under the control of the Ukrainians. Radioactive material might be released into the Dnieper, effectively poisoning the heart of the country. Depending upon the prevailing winds, radioactive ash might be sent airborne, potentially poisoning parts of Europe. It costs little to store jars or containers of water at this point. As in the case of any disaster, filling your sinks and bathtub just before the event can prove to be a wise ploy. I included a link for a video on how to make an inexpensive water filter yesterday.
I was in talking to one of my friends last night. People were sheltering in a bowling alley in their area. Aside from the lack of air in that location, always remember to look up if you need to find shelter. Whatever is above you will too often land on you. My friends wisely left this location. Unlike a subway, where there is no likelihood of explosive forces from the side and a fair amount of protection from overhead, you have potentially three avenues of escape. You can go up and, if that is blocked off, either direction of the tunnel.
From my experience with apartments in Ukraine, the washrooms tend to be closest to the interior of buildings, with lots of ventilation. If you are in a bombardment, that is the safest place to be. If you are in an area subject to bombardment, remember that flying glass is the most significant hazard. It is unlikely your apartment will be hit directly at this point. What can happen is that a missile might explode nearby, shattering the windows in the surrounding properties. Creating a buffer of furniture and angling tables to deflect flying debris and sleeping on a mattress on the floor.
For those living in Turkey, something is happening in Syria. I haven't studied the geopolitical motivations in that area, but it is consistent with Russian encirclement strategies. One might start discussions with family members about stocking reserves of preserved food. Even if Turkey does not become embroiled in this, food prices will likely escalate.
It might be a good time for those living in Germany to consider going on vacation to Spain for a few months or years. Even if this is resolved quickly, it is never a good idea to place your survival in the hands of someone who hates you.
In 2018, hard coal production in Germany came to an end. Last year, the German government also limited the use of lignite for electricity generation.
