A Forward from Slingshot
Today is the one-year anniversary of the unprovoked and unlawful invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Countless lives have been unnecessarily lost, and the world has been reminded of how fragile freedom really is and how evil can so horrifically manifest if left unchecked.
Behind this reminder is the strength and spirit of the people of Ukraine. An inspiration to all of us, they have repelled a much larger force with intelligence, resourcefulness, and courage.
Remarkably, they stand tall in the line of fire and ask only for weapons and supplies to defend themselves.
They protect not just themselves but the free world. Now is the time to support them more than ever. We can provide and we must.
But on this day, it’s not my words that should be heard; we’re not in a position where we should comment from our perspective. We want to give space for those living this daily. So instead, we lend our blog to the CEO of Abto Software, our great Ukrainian partner and home to many of Slingshot’s developers, designers, and QA analysts.
With respect, please hear the unfiltered words of Oleksandr Muzychuk.
-David Galownia, CEO of Slingshot
Ukraine – One Year Later
For a year, Ukrainians have been at the forefront of the clash of cultures and eras, of good and evil. This rupture is again taking place precisely on our territory, as it has multiplied during the last centuries.
This war was unavoidable with the geopolitical ambitions of our neighbor. It has an existential meaning for us, regarding Ukrainian survival and freedom. Russians, in contrast, are fighting because of the fear of getting shot at the back of their head, or with the hope of stealing goods from Ukrainian homes (for example, a washing machine.) Therefore, we will definitely win. I will quote an unknown author: “their army is not big, it is long.” So, the victory of Ukraine will take some time.
As Ukrainians, we have proven that we are a separate nation. We are sturdy and ready to fight for our freedom and democratic values at the cost of our lives. However, without the united help of the Western democratic world, our victory would be impossible.
Russia is a terrorist state. Just the same as ISIS is, but with a seat in the UN and nukes. Russians commit countless genocidal war crimes, including killing, rape, torture, kidnapping children, bombing hospitals, civilian houses, and infrastructure, you name it. They bring chaos and destruction. They must be stopped by all means.
It is common to think that we are escalating the conflict by crossing the so-called self-imposed “red lines” of weapon supplies. In fact, this is precisely the kind of rhetoric that is beneficial to the Kremlin. At first, there was artillery beyond such lines, then HIMARS, then air defense, and lastly tanks. Even still, every time we overcome these red lines with joint efforts and demonstrate successful deployment and effective use. The sooner we get long-range weapons, including long-range missiles and fighter jets, the sooner we [can remove Russians] from our land, and the fewer civilian casualties there will be.
Unfortunately, without a solid and complete victory on the battlefield, a long and reliable peace is impossible. Not because Ukrainians will be unable to forgive Russian atrocities, but because this precedent will be perilous. It will demonstrate that it is possible to break the rules with impunity, on which the world rests. Russia will certainly go further and will inspire [other totalitarian states] in their geopolitical ambitions. This will be the collapse of the democratic world. So Russia must be stopped, right at our border.
Furthermore, destroying the world’s biggest geopolitical rival, without losing (officially) a single soldier, is also within the interests of the US and NATO. Thus, helping Ukraine is not something quite unattractive we are asking for. Our interests align.
Time is playing against us. The best of our young men and women keep giving their lives in this bloody war, so our children won’t have to fight again. Recently, we at Abto Software lost our brother, front-end developer, Taras Savchuk. This is the memory of Taras we shared:
”“A Human with a capital letter. A brilliant and bright person. He was interested in military history, and astrophotography, and liked hiking in the mountains. Last year, he became interested in motorcycle tourism. He was also involved in research activities. War takes away the best,”
Honor and respect to those who are defending us now from the Russians. Let the defenders return home safe and sound. [May we share a] bright memory to the fallen Heroes. [We share] appreciation to our supporters and allies, governments, diplomats, ordinary people, and taxpayers. United, we are strong. We realize that keeping this pressure is extremely hard. Let’s make another push and make 2023 the year of the big victory of Ukraine and the whole democratic world. There is no other way.
Finally, many special thanks to our customers and business partners, including Slingshot, who keep their trust and keep working with us. It matters a lot to the company, the people, their families, and the economy and strength of Ukraine overall.
Thank you!
#StandWithUkraine
