With the next World Cup in Qatar just nine months away, the immediate past hosts, Russia has triggered what could be the World War III as the world woke up Thursday morning to the sound of gun shots and bombing of Ukraine.
Even though no official statement has come from FIFA, the conflict has undoubtedly scuppered two World Cup qualifiying play-off matches.
One involves Russia who this Thursday are supposed to host Poland in Moscow, the same day that Russia has carried out the invasion of Ukraine.
Poland incidentally is one of the Eastern European countries that share border with the invaded Ukraine. It is almost unthinkable they will risk travelling to Russia to fulfil the World Cup play-off fixture.
The other fixture endangered is the one involving the Russia-invaded Ukraine and Scotland in Glasgow. A World Cup qualifier will command the least of attention for a country at war. Frightened Ukrainians took to subway stations on Thursday as air raid sirens rang out across the country’s main cities following Russia’s launch of its feared military attack.
According to Independent, a UK newspaper, Ukraine claimed it had shot down five Russian warplanes and a helicopter following Vladimir Putin’s invasion. The Russian aircraft were brought down over the eastern Luhansk region, Kiev said
But Russia rubbished the claims. The Russian defence ministry denied the claim, saying it had taken Ukrainian bases “out of action” and incapacitated the country’s air defences within hours.
Such claim sound justified considering the comparative military strength of both countries as could be gleaned from the illustration below.
