One year ago on February 24, the world saw Russia invading the borders of Ukraine. This act has so far resulted in the death of over 8,000 civilians and more than 13,000 have been injured, according to UN Human Rights data. With some nations standing on the Russian side and some on Ukrainian, the end to this conflict is still nowhere in sight.
However, one of the most striking aspects of the war so far is that Ukraine has survived. It’s a result of a combination of planning, courage, tactics, overseas military and financial assistance and Russia’s battlefield failings has meant that, far from capitulating within days as many had expected, Ukraine has kept the enemy at bay. Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska recently said, “Ukraine will be commemorating not the first anniversary of the Russian invasion but a year of successful resistance.”
Day it all began
On February 21, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that he had recognized two Russian-backed separatist areas in eastern Ukraine, Donetsk and Luhansk, as independent states. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded to this announcement that his country had cut diplomatic ties with Russia. This was followed by Putin’s February 24, 2022 speech where he announced he would launch a “special military operation” in Ukraine.
Shortly after the announcement, Kyiv was bombarded. This was the beginning of a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Show of resistance
In the initial phase of the war, all the odds seemed to be against Ukraine. According to the data by Global Data, Ukraine only has around 1,117 infantry fighting vehicles, 368 main battle tanks, and 268 armoured personnel carriers. This when compared to Russia has 17,677 infantry fighting vehicles, and 17,370 main battle tanks, and 14,991 armoured personnel carriers.
The Russian Navy boasts 866 fleets, including 20 attack helicopters and 155 multi-role helicopters, while Ukraine has just 28 fleets and no helicopters. Despite this, the Ukrainians resisted bravely. The focus of the Russian army in the beginning seemed to take over the capital city of Kyiv and capture President Zelenskyy. Russian troops formed a 64-kilometre-long convoy outside the city and an attack seemed imminent. However, they miscalculated the Ukrainian side and met with severe resistance. The Russian troops were forced to stall their attack.
Zelenskyy’s leadership draws worldwide attention
It would be an understatement to say that President Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy, a former television comedian and actor, has had a stressful year. Despite the winds running against him, President Zelenskyy proved to be a powerhouse of courage and bravery. His sheer faith in the citizens of Ukraine, his diplomatic skills and tactical planning, among many other things have made him the leader to look up to.
When the invasion took place last year, the US offered President Zelenskyy to evacuate the country and fight for it from the outside while being safe. “The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride,” he responded to the offer. The 45-year-old, who wears khaki clothes to reflect his country’s war footing, was named Time magazine’s Person of the Year in 2022.
“Zelenskyy’s success as a wartime leader has relied on the fact that courage is contagious,” the magazine wrote in December.
Latest updates from the war
- Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that despite all the hardships suffered by Ukrainians during the past 12 months of war, 2023 will be the year of the country’s victory over Russia
- The UN General Assembly has passed a non-binding resolution that calls for Russia to end hostilities and withdraw from Ukraine. Of the UN’s 193 member nations, 141 voted to condemn Moscow’s invasion
- President Vladimir Putin announced on Tuesday that Russia was suspending its participation in the New START nuclear arms control treaty with the US. President Joe Biden called the decision a “big mistake”
- China has reiterated its calls for a political settlement to the Ukraine conflict, as Beijing is under increasing pressure from the United States and its allies over its growing partnership with Moscow
- US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has said that military aid to Ukraine will “change the dynamics” of war with Russia