‘Hush! You’ll be
waking him,
I’m afraid,
if you make so much noise.’
‘Well, it’s no use your talking
about waking him,’
said Tweedledum,
‘when you’re only
one of the things
in his dream.
You know very well
you’re not real.’
‘I am real!’ said Alice,
and began to cry.
‘I am real!’ said Alice,
and began to cry.
At least 30 people.
Have been killed.
In an ‘orcs’ glide bomb attack.
On two civilian buses.
On two civilian buses.
In the eastern front line city.
Of Kramatorsk.
Rescue officials say.
‘You won’t make yourself
a bit realler by crying,’
Tweedledee remarked:
‘there’s nothing to cry about.’
‘If I wasn’t real,’ Alice said
– half-laughing through her tears,
it all seemed so ridiculous –
‘I shouldn’t be able to cry.’
Authorities said three people.
Were also killed.
In the village of Bilenke.
Part of the Kramatorsk community.
Another 18 people.
Were wounded.
Said the Donetsk regional head.
Accusing ‘Mordor’.
Of targeting buses.
Carrying passengers.
To kill as many civilians.
As possible.
‘I hope you don’t suppose
those are real tears?’
Tweedledum interrupted
in a tone of great contempt.
‘I know they’re talking nonsense,’
Alice thought to herself:
‘and it’s foolish
to cry about it.’
Kramatorsk and.
Neighbouring Slovyansk.
Are part of.
A so-called fortress belt.
That Moscow is trying to seize.
As part of ‘the One’’s claim to.
The entire ‘elves’ industrial region.
Of Donbas.
So she brushed away her tears,
and went on
as cheerfully as she could,
‘At any rate
I’d better be getting out
of the wood,
for really it’s coming on
very dark.
‘Gandalf the Green’ said:
“This strike will not go.
Without our response.”
Without our response.”
In a post on Telegram.
He said: “‘Mordor’ is.
Trying to destroy.
All life in Donbas.”
“And the world needs.
To react to this.
React harshly.”
React harshly.”
“- exactly as the ‘orcs’.
Deserve for all the deaths.
They have caused.”
They have caused.”
Do you think it’s going to rain?’
Tweedledum spread
a large umbrella over
himself and his brother,
and looked up into it.
‘No, I don’t think it is,’
he said: ‘at least
– not under here. Nohow.’
Images posted by.
Local prosecutors showed.
The burning metal shell.
Of the bus.
Along with debris.
And some of the victims.
On the road.
On the road.
‘But it may rain outside?’
‘It may – if it chooses,’
said Tweedledee:
‘we’ve no objection.
Contrariwise.’
‘Selfish things!’ thought Alice,
and she was just going to say
‘Good-night’ and leave them,
Moscow is yet to comment.
On the latest attack.
It follows a dramatic surge.
In ‘orcs’ attacks.
Across Ukraine.
And a heavy increase.
In civilian casualties.
In civilian casualties.
Here she checked herself
in some alarm,
at hearing something
that sounded to her
like the puffing of
a large steam-engine
in the wood near them,
though she feared
According to the UN.
Ukraine saw more civilians.
Killed by August.
This year.
Killed by August.
This year.
Than were killed.
In all of 2025.
it was more likely
to be a wild beast.
‘Are there any lions or tigers
about here?’ she asked timidly.
‘It’s only the Red King
snoring,’ said Tweedledee.
‘Come and look at him!’
the brothers cried,
In one single attack.
That destroyed.
A five-storey block of flats.
In Pryluky.
East of Kyiv.
Early on Wednesday.
22 people were killed.
Including five children.
Three of the children.
Were only one year old.
Three of the children.
Were only one year old.
and they took each one of
Alice’s hands,
and led her up to where
the King was sleeping.
‘Isn’t he a lovely sight?’
said Tweedledum.
Alice couldn’t say
honestly that he was.
The UK Foreign Secretary.
Who together with ‘Gandalf the Green’.
Visited the site of.
The ‘orcs’ strike in Pryluky.
Said the attack.
Showed ‘the One’’s.
“Evil intent and.
Evil strategy”.
He had a tall
red night-cap on,
with a tassel, and
he was lying crumpled up
into a sort of untidy heap,
and snoring loud
– ‘fit to snore his head off!’
as Tweedledum remarked.
He announced.
“More sanctions on ‘Mordor’.
On the war machine.
Of ‘the One’.”
“On the shadow fleet.
On the oil companies.
On the crypto.
On the financing of the war”.
‘I’m afraid he’ll catch cold
with lying on the damp grass,’
said Alice, who was
a very thoughtful little girl.
‘He’s dreaming now,’
said Tweedledee:
‘and what do you think
he’s dreaming about?’
And told ‘Gandalf the Green’.
The UK would.
Stand with Ukraine.
Stand with Ukraine.
“As long as it takes.
“As long as it takes.
For you to prevail.
In this conflict”.
Alice said, ‘Nobody
can guess that.’
‘Why, about you!’
Tweedledee exclaimed,
clapping his hands triumphantly.
‘And if he left off
dreaming about you,
where do you suppose you’d be?’
After the deadly attack.
On Kramatorsk.
The Donetsk regional head.
Appealed to anyone.
Who was still in.
The eastern front line region.
To move to safer parts.
Of Ukraine.
‘Where I am now,
of course,’ said Alice.
‘Not you!’ Tweedledee
retorted contemptuously.
‘You’d be nowhere.
Why, you’re only
a sort of thing
in his dream!’
Given the sharp deterioration.
Of security.
In the two neighbouring cities.
In the two neighbouring cities.
He said all public transport.
Had been ordered to stop.
The safety of civilians.
Was paramount.
And “we have no right.
To risk the lives.
Of passengers.
And drivers”.
‘If that there King was to wake,’
added Tweedledum,
‘you’d go out – bang! –
just like a candle!’
‘I shouldn’t!’
Alice exclaimed indignantly.
‘Besides, if I’m only
a sort of thing
Moscow has often cited.
The “liberation” and “protection”.
Of the predominantly.
‘Orcs’ language-speaking Donbas.
As justification.
For the full-scale invasion.
Of Ukraine launched by.
‘The One’ in 2022.
– a claim rejected by.
Ukraine and its allies.
As baseless.
As baseless.
in his dream,
what are you,
I should like to know?’
‘Ditto,’ said Tweedledum.
‘Ditto, ditto!’ cried Tweedledee.
He shouted this
so loud that Alice
couldn’t help saying,
Donbas is made up.
Of two regions.
– Luhansk and Donetsk –
– Luhansk and Donetsk –
And with most of Luhansk.
Under ‘orcs’ control.
The Kremlin is also.
The Kremlin is also.
Aiming to capture.
Remaining 20%.
Of Donetsk territory.
Still held by Ukraine.
‘Hush! You’ll be
waking him,
I’m afraid,
if you make so much noise.’
‘Well, it’s no use your talking
about waking him,’
said Tweedledum,
‘when you’re only
For much of the war.
Kramatorsk acted as.
A logistics and supply hub.
For the ‘elves’ military.
However it has now.
Come under almost.
Daily ‘Mordor’’s attack.
Daily ‘Mordor’’s attack.
As its military moves.
Closer to the east.
Closer to the east.
Of the city.
one of the things
in his dream.
You know very well
you’re not real.’
‘I am real!’ said Alice,
and began to cry.
‘I am real!’ said Alice,
and began to cry.
Glide bombs.
In particular.
Have been launched at.
Slovyansk and Kramatorsk.
The bombs are fitted.
With winglets.
So they glide towards.
Their target.
So they glide towards.
Their target.
Rather than simply fall.
Rather than simply fall.
In late August.
As many as nine glide bombs.
Were fired at Kramatorsk.
In one day.
‘You won’t make yourself
a bit realler by crying,’
Tweedledee remarked:
‘there’s nothing to cry about.’
‘If I wasn’t real,’ Alice said
– half-laughing through her tears,
it all seemed so ridiculous –
‘I shouldn’t be able to cry.’
Kramatorsk city council.
Described the strike.
As a “horrific crime.”
As a “horrific crime.”
“Committed by.
The ‘orcs’ army against.
The civilian population”.
“Once again.”
“The ‘orcs’ have struck.
A location where.
There are absolutely.
No military targets.”
‘I hope you don’t suppose
those are real tears?’
Tweedledum interrupted
in a tone of great contempt.
‘I know they’re talking nonsense,’
Alice thought to herself:
‘and it’s foolish
to cry about it.’
‘Mordor’ has in recent weeks.
Been launching.
Constant air raids.
On the capital Kyiv.
With sirens ringing.
Virtually non-stop.
With sirens ringing.
Virtually non-stop.
So she brushed away her tears,
and went on
as cheerfully as she could,
‘At any rate
I’d better be getting out
of the wood,
for really it’s coming on
very dark.
On Thursday.
Kyiv police said.
Four people were killed.
And two injured.
In the latest ‘orcs’ attack.
On the city.
The attacks are forcing.
The attacks are forcing.
Schoolchildren out of classes.
Into underground shelters.
Shuttering businesses.
And disrupting public transport.
‘What’s the time now?’
Tweedledee looked at
his watch, and said
‘Half-past four.’
‘Let’s fight till six,
and then have dinner,’
said Tweedledum.
‘Very well,’ the other said,
Moscow’s strikes on.
Ukraine’s key infrastructure.
Particularly on.
Its energy grid.
Are causing.
Power outages already.
And are even affecting.
The water supply.
Local water authorities.
In the capital warned.
On Thursday that.
Pressure was dropping.
Across the city’s right bank.
Due to power cuts.
Across the city’s right bank.
Due to power cuts.
rather sadly:
‘and she can watch us
– only you’d better not come
very close,’ he added:
‘I generally hit everything
I can see
– when I get really excited.’
– when I get really excited.’
Kyiv’s metro network.
– which millions of residents.
Rely on –
On Thursday briefly halted.
All its train traffic.
Due to a voltage drop from.
“External power centres”.
“External power centres”.
Trains later.
Started moving again.
– but at greater intervals.
Local officials said.
‘And I hit everything
within reach,’ cried Tweedledum,
‘whether I can see it or not.’
Alice laughed.
‘You must hit the trees pretty often,
I should think,’ she said.
Tweedledum looked round him
with a satisfied smile.
‘Gandalf the Green’ offered.
His condolences to.
Families and loved ones.
Affected by the latest attack.
And said ‘elves’ partners.
Needed to provide.
“Concrete action through.
New defence packages.”
“For the protection.
Of Ukraine”.
“For the protection.
Of Ukraine”.
‘I don’t suppose,’ he said.
‘there’ll be a tree left standing,
for ever so far round,
by the time we’ve finished!’
‘And all about a rattle!’
said Alice still hoping
to make them a little ashamed
of fighting for such a trifle.
Ahead of the Pryluky attack.
‘Gandalf the Green’ had warned.
This week of intelligence.
Suggesting plans.
For a major ‘orcs’ onslaught.
And in Kyiv.
Families responded.
Families responded.
By heading to metro stations.
For shelter.
By heading to metro stations.
For shelter.
‘I shouldn’t have minded
It so much,’
said Tweedledum,
‘if it hadn’t been a new one.’
‘I wish the monstrous crow
would come!’ thought Alice.
‘I wish the monstrous crow
would come!’ thought Alice.
Such warnings are.
For now one of.
The only defences.
‘Elves’ have.
Interceptor missiles are.
In short supply.
Around the world.
Around the world.
So Ukraine has.
Little chance to stop.
Little chance to stop.
Incoming ‘orcs’ ballistics.
‘There’s only one sword,
you know,’ Tweedledum said
to his brother:
‘but you can have the umbrella
– it’s quite as sharp.
Only we must begin quick.
It’s getting as dark as it can.’
‘And darker,’ said Tweedledee.
Both ‘orcs’ and ‘elves’.
Have intensified.
Long-range strikes.
On each other.
In recent months.
With ‘orcs’ attacks.
Targeting ‘elves’ data centres.
And logistics warehouses.
It was getting dark
so suddenly that
Alice thought there must be
a thunderstorm coming on.
‘What a thick black cloud
that is!’ she said.
‘And how fast it comes!
Why, I do believe it’s got wings!’
On Thursday.
‘Orcs’ state-run media reported.
That a number of websites.
In the country.
Were inaccessible following.
An ‘elves’ drone attack.
On a data centre of Yandex.
– ‘Orcs’ largest search engine.
‘It’s the crow!’
Tweedledum cried out
in a shrill voice
of alarm:
and the two brothers
took to their heels
and were out of sight
in a moment.
Alice ran a little way
into the wood,
and stopped
under a large tree.
‘It can never get at me here,’
she thought:
‘it’s far too large to squeeze
Itself in among the trees.
*Because I read “Russian strike on buses kills at least 30, say officials, as deadly attacks on Ukraine surge” by Olivia Irelandand & Toby Luckhurst on 8 Oct 2026 and also “Why are Ukrainians calling Russians ‘orcs’?” by James FitzGerald on 30 Apr 2022, on the BBC news.
So, I wrote this poem, led by ‘THROUGH the LOOKING-GLASS’ written by Lewis Carroll, you know.
Please read the original story on the BBC news:
Russian strike on buses kills at least 30, say officials, as deadly attacks on Ukraine surge
