Photo courtesy of BBC News.
3.7 million people.
“An estimated 3.7 million people are internally displaced within Ukraine, while around 6.9 million have sought refuge in Europe and beyond,” according to the International Organization for Migration.
It’s been over 930 days since the Russia-Ukraine war began on February 24, 2022 – a war with no end in sight. While many hoped the war would be short, it has turned into a long battle and struggle.
Dr. Joseph Hebert, from the St. Ambrose Political Science Department, provided context on the history between Ukraine and Russia.
“The histories of Ukraine and Russia have long been intertwined. In the Middle Ages, Kiev [the present day capital of Ukraine] was the seat of an empire including Western Russia. After this empire’s fragmentation, Ukraine was the site of numerous conflicts, leading to its annexation by the Russian empire in the 1700s. Attempts to “Russify” Ukrainians led to a nationalist movement to preserve the Ukrainian language and identity.”
Dr. Hebert continued, stating: “In the early 1900s Ukraine unsuccessfully sought independence, before its incorporation into the Soviet Union. Under Soviet rule, millions of Ukrainians died from starvation in a government-induced famine. When the Soviet Union dissolved in the 1990s, Ukraine was recognized as an independent nation, and agreed to give up its nuclear weapons in exchange for security guarantees.”
“Politically, Ukraine remained divided between pro-Russian and pro-Western parties, and in 2014 Russia responded to the electoral victory of pro-Western candidates by annexing Crimea [a peninsula in Eastern Europe, on the northern coast of the Black Sea]. Finally, in 2022 Russia invaded Ukraine, seeking its complete “Russification.”
Ukraine is still fighting to protect its land and sovereignty, and the world is watching closely to see how this war will end. The brutality is intense, with battles stretching across miles of Eastern Ukraine, “The fighting remains violent and brutal, spanning over 700 miles of frontlines in the Eastern part of Ukraine,” as stated from the recent Spirit of America article.
Spirit of America is a nonprofit organization that unites American citizens with U.S. military personnel and diplomats. For over two decades, it has worked to maintain the core values of the United States, utilizing the support of the American citizens to protect lives, troops, and defend freedom.
In addition, Spirit of America stated that Russia and Ukraine continue to fight over territories: “At this stage, the Russian army has devolved to relying strictly on sheer mass – thanks in large part to its stable recruiting and conscription pipeline – but is making only incremental gains at significant cost. Russian strategy also incorporates brutal attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure such as power plants, hospitals, and schools to disrupt everyday life and inflict pain on the Ukrainian people.”
At this point, Russia’s military is relying heavily on numbers, recruiting more soldiers to replace the many it has lost.
“Putin signed a decree authorizing the latest phase of the country’s twice-yearly conscription effort, with the new window beginning Tuesday and running until July 15. It will see 160,000 men between 18 and 30 join Russia’s armed forces – an increase of 10,000 on last year’s spring drive, and a rise of more than 15,000 compared to three years ago, according to Russian state media outlet TASS.” (CNN)
Even with a larger army, Russia has made only small gains. Ukrainian forces, despite being outnumbered, continue to hold their ground; with help from others, they are pushing Russia back in certain areas.
One of Russia’s main goals has been targeting Ukraine’s civilians. Russian forces have fired missiles and hit power lines, schools, hospitals, and homes. These attacks are designed to make everyday life harder for Ukrainians, hoping to break their will to fight.
“The third year of Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine saw Russia scale up its aerial campaign against civilians, resulting in a record-high spike in civilian targeting and an increased civilian death toll. But analyzing just direct Russian attacks that led to deaths or injuries reveals only a part of the grim reality for civilians living in Ukraine. This report extends the discussion on the war’s impact on civilians by analyzing over 5,500 events targeting civilian infrastructure…” said(ACLED).
Because of the significant military aid from countries like the United States, Canada, and members of the European Union, Ukraine has received advanced weapons, such as missiles and tanks, which have helped them fight back.
Dr. Kim Duk, from the St. Ambrose International Studies Department, provided insight on the role that the United States is playing in the Ukraine-Russia War.
“The U.S. has been a major supporter of Ukraine, providing billions in military, economic, and humanitarian aid. For the U.S., it’s about defending democracy and sovereignty in Europe. NATO and the EU have also backed Ukraine, but carefully, avoiding direct combat with Russia. NATO’s focus in Eastern Europe has grown significantly since the war started, especially in Poland, the Baltics (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania), Romania, and Bulgaria. These countries are key to deterring Russian aggression.”
The money that Ukraine has received from other countries has helped them to purchase weapons however, not all aid has been utilized for weaponry, several billion has been diverted towards humanitarian efforts.
The Center for Preventative Action affirmed the following: “Since January 2022, Ukraine has received about $407 billion in aid, including over $118 billion from the United States. Fighting and air strikes have inflicted over 40,000 civilian casualties, while 4 million people are internally displaced, and 6.8 million have fled Ukraine. 14.6 million people need humanitarian assistance.”
To learn more or stay up-to-date with the war, visit: Institute for the Study of War.
