It has been a little over two and a half years since Russia invaded Ukraine in February of 2022. The exact number of casualties is difficult to pinpoint, but it appears to be around 35,000 Ukrainian civilians, while Russia has over 400,000 casualties. The conflict has only escalated with the unexpected strength of the Ukrainian army against Russia’s offense. Aid is still flowing into Ukraine in the forms of equipment, intelligence, financing, and training for soldiers. Recently, it was announced that the United States would be sending $425 million in aid to Ukraine. However, recruitment is dwindling and neither side can afford to have fewer soldiers in their ranks.
In recent months, Russia has been targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure and cities that hold importance in terms of location. Around 310 square miles of land has been captured by Russia in 2024. They have also captured around 50% of Ukraine’s power generation capacity. However, Ukraine has proved to be stronger than Russia expected, crossing into Russia in August and advancing around 18 miles. Ukraine still has regions under their control currently. Very recently, there have been reports of North Korean soldiers being prepared to be deployed to fight alongside Russian soldiers. This could further complicate the situation and raises questions about whether NATO should enter the war on the Ukrainian side. Furthermore, it adds to the idea that the United States should supply Ukraine with long-range weapons that had previously not been offered.
Since the war began, stories of the horrors faced by both normal civilians and soldiers, whether those in active duty or those who have deserted, are coming to light. Unfortunately, civilians have been the central victim to the war since the very beginning. Cities are still being targeted at a high rate. On October 14th, for instance, Russia launched a missile strike on the city of Mykolaiv.
The war is showing no signs of ending any time soon. However, the upcoming decisions regarding the war, such as whether or not bringing in other countries would be a good idea, are still up in the air.
