The war between Russia and Ukraine has been going on since 2014, after Russia annexed Crimea and backed militants to take control of the Donbass region in eastern Ukraine. During this time, several countries have been warning the international community that Russia is making preparations for an armed invasion of Ukraine and that Russia will remain unrecognized-until February 20, 2022. However, on February 21, 2022, Russia officially recognized the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Luhansk People’s Republic, founded by pro-Russian forces in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine in 2014, as independent states and established diplomatic relations with both the following day.
Subsequently, the Russian government sent troops into the Donbass region. In the early morning of February 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered a nationally televised speech announcing a “special military operation” against Ukraine in the name of “demilitarization” and “denazification”. Minutes later, Russian forces attacked several cities and their defenses, including the Ukrainian capital Kiev, by means of missiles and air strikes. As if selling goods in large quantities to wholesale lighting merchants, Russia transported troops in large numbers into Ukraine and Belarus in several directions, allowing Russian troops to move south to attack the Ukrainian capital Kiev. In 2022 Russia-Ukraine war officially broke out in full force.
General Course Of The War
Russian forces launched offensives from the territories of Russia, Belarus, and the two occupied Ukrainians (Crimea and Donbas), attacking the western regions of Ukraine
through their fighter jets and missiles. A number of pro-Russian armed forces also approached or surrounded key cities, including the regions of Chernigov, Kharkov, Kherson, and Kiev, and met stubborn Ukrainian resistance. This has left Russian forces logistically and operationally hampered. In the process, civilian casualties continued to mount in large numbers.
In late March 2022, the Russian armed forces changed their initial blitzkrieg strategy and withdrew from the Kiev region, instead strengthening their forces and offensive in the Donbas region. The Ukrainian armed forces, in turn, recovered the Kiev region. On April 2, a massacre was discovered in the Buccha region of Ukraine, and the bodies of a large number of civilians massacred by Russian forces were found. In July, Russia changed its strategic goals for Ukraine, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs declaring that its primary objective was to overthrow the government led by Ukrainian President Zelensky.
During the Russia-Ukraine war, civilian casualties increased significantly, and the Ukrainian and Russian economies fell dramatically.
The International Community’s Reaction To The War
The international community has widely condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Here are some of the practical measures they have taken.
Condemnation of Russia: On March 2, the UN General Assembly convened and resolved to condemn Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and demanded full withdrawal of Russian troops. Russia lost its membership in the Council of Europe and the UN Human Rights Council.
Arms for Ukraine: The NATO military alliance, the United States, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Estonia, France, the Netherlands, Portugal and the United Kingdom are among the Western countries that have pledged to provide arms and humanitarian support to Ukraine. For example, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced his decision to provide Ukraine with $350 million worth of military assistance, including anti-tank systems, air defense systems, small arms and ammunition of various calibers, bulletproof undershirts and related equipment. Countries including Poland, Finland and Norway have also provided Ukraine with a range of advanced weapons, including bullets, rifles and anti-tank guns. Countries such as Japan, Singapore, and China have also provided Ukraine with humanitarian aid such as money and living supplies.
Economic sanctions against Russia: The European Union, the French government, the British government and others have announced massive sanctions against Russian banks and Russian government assets. The U.S. government has also announced sanctions against four Russian banks. The European Commission also said it would impose sanctions on 862 individuals and 53 organizations in Russia and Belarus. A large number of international companies, including Coca-Cola, Intel, and McDonald’s, have also announced the termination of their operations in Russia.
Domestic Reactions To The War On Both Sides
A wave of anti-war movements erupted in Russia: On the day Russian troops invaded Ukraine, anti-war demonstrations broke out in at least 51 cities in Russia to protest the aggressive war waged by the Russian government under Vladimir Putin. In response, Russian police cracked down and arrested a large number of protesters, with more than 4,600 people arrested in dozens of cities for participating in anti-war demonstrations. In addition, a number of Russian scientists and journalists have published open letters opposing war with Ukraine.
In this context, Russia has also further increased media censorship, including banning the use of terms such as “war” and “invasion” on social media platforms.
Large numbers of refugees flee Ukraine: As Russia amasses armed forces on the Ukrainian border, more than 6.1 million refugees have fled Ukraine in the first week of the invasion, more than one on July 28. Most of the refugees are women, children, elderly or disabled and most male Ukrainian nationals between the ages of 18 and 60 have been denied permission to leave Ukraine as part of the mandatory military conscription. In addition, many Ukrainian men, including teenagers, have chosen to remain in Ukraine to join the resistance.
Mass Recruitment of Soldiers in Russia: In response to a war of attrition and depleted troop levels, Russia has been recruiting soldiers in large numbers. In response, Russia has passed a law allowing men over the age of 40 to serve in the armed forces, and combatants at the end of “special military operations” in Ukraine will be considered veterans and entitled to long-term social benefits.
The Final Possible Outcome of The War
As the war has progressed, Russia has shown its decline and has retreated in large numbers to the Donbass region. Ukraine has recovered a significant amount of land. In the long run, it seems likely that Russia will lose and withdraw from Ukraine. However, for both countries, the war has not yielded any really significant benefits. Both sides have lost a lot of money. Suffice it to say that this is a long-lasting tragedy that will leave scars in the hearts of both peoples.
