The Russo-Ukrainian war began on February 20, 2014, when Russians started to occupy and claim Crimea, a big piece of land belonging to Ukraine. During the annexation of Crimea, six civilians were killed. The United States and the European Union responded by enacting sanctions against Russia for what they were doing, and urged Russia to withdraw, but they refused. Then, Russian troops moved on to Donbas in April 2014, and Putin claimed that Russian troops were aimed to ensure proper conditions for the people of Ukraine. They would also be able to freely express their will, but this was just a cover up. During the battles in Donbas, the military and civilian deaths were totaling 14,200-14,400. In September 2014, Ukraine, Russia, the DPR and LPR signed a ceasefire agreement, the Minsk Protocol. Ceasefire breaches became rife, 29 in all, and heavy fighting continued in January 2015, during which the separatists captured Donetsk Airport. This was followed by a new ceasefire, Minsk II, which was agreed on February 12th, 2015. Up until February 23rd 2022, there was peace. However, a day later, Russia attacked Ukraine on several fronts, beginning a major invasion. The U.S. began to supply military aid to Ukraine and became one of the largest defense partners of the country, supplying them with weapons, air defense, maritime, ground maneuver, anti-armor, small arms, and other capabilities.
Russians bombed water towers, power plants, warehouses etc., which made it really hard for civilians to survive. With no electricity or water, the basic needs of people cannot be met. Russians bombed hospitals, pediatric hospitals, schools, graveyards, apartment buildings, houses, stores, parks, highways and more. Buildings that weren’t bombed had Russian soldiers going in, scavenging and taking peoples belongings. If anyone was there when they would break in, they would rape them, torture them, mutilate and kill them. Russian soldiers were caught multiple times looting Ukrainian homes, stealing from families they had just killed, then bringing stolen items back as gifts to their families. Russians repeatedly committed, and continue to commit, war crimes. The Russians bombing roads led to people not being able to leave the country, and often when people would try to cross the border, on the way there, they would get robbed, shot, or bombed. Since the war began, over 500,000 Ukrainian military personnel have been killed, 24,000 had serious injuries, and over 40,000 civilians have been pronounced dead. That’s only the deaths that were reported. In 2013, there were 45.5 million people living in Ukraine, and now there are 37.9 million people left. The Ukrainian-Russian war has really impacted many people, and their lives will never be the same.
