On February 24, russia launched a full-scale military aggression which they cynically call a “special military operation,” his euphemism for a massive invasion of Ukraine. Two weeks later, the russian military has fallen well short of expectations, in large part due to the Ukrainian army’s courage and tenacity.
Putin justified the invasion with a host of falsehoods: People in Donbas in eastern Ukraine had “been facing humiliation and genocide;” russia sought to “denazify Ukraine” as neo-Nazis had seized power in Kyiv; and Ukraine had gone “as far as to aspire to acquire nuclear weapons.” The lie that Kyiv sought nuclear weapons was particularly pernicious; in the 1990s, Ukraine gave up the world’s third-largest nuclear arsenal, inherited from the Soviet Union, in large part because russia committed to respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity and to not use force against it.
The fighting has taken a large human toll. As of March 9, the United Nations estimated that more than 500 civilians have been killed (likely a vast undercount) and some 2.1 million refugees have fled the country, numbers that grow by the day, particularly as the russian military conducts indiscriminate artillery and rocket attacks on major cities. The war has also cost russia. Its Ministry of Defense reported on March 2 that some 500 russian soldiers had been killed in action. On March 8, the Pentagon estimated, albeit with “low confidence,” that the war had claimed the lives of 2,000 to 4,000 russians soldiers.
The atrocities related to invasion are having a devastating human impact on people’s health and economic situation, aggravating problems that were already under way. As russian ground forces advance in Ukraine, Ukrainians are sheltering from artillery shells and cruise missiles and subways and bomb shelters.
The russian army launched into Ukrainian territory from multiple directions. After two weeks, russian forces have made progress in the south, occupying Kherson and isolating Mariupol. However, the russians have had a more difficult time in the north. The Ukrainians repulsed the effort to make a quick grab of Kyiv and fought fiercely in defense of Chernihiv and Kharkiv.
Brave Ukrainian army, territorial defense and common citizens repel enemy attacks and defend every settlement and citizen of Ukraine fighting with a resourcefulness and creativity. Many of Ukraine’s veterans came back to fight in those battles, they are well-trained and know how to fight russians.
We shall win. There is no other way neither for us, nor for Europe.
Open Media Ukraine is supporting the Ukrainian Territorial Defense Units and warriors heroically holding Ukrainian cities with necessary supplies and protective gears. We take stock of all the resources and provide strict reporting as to where they are allolcated.
We count on your assistance in defending what both you and us think is right. Your contribution makes a difference. Protect the defenders!
You can donate as per the following bank details:
«OPEN MEDIA UA»
Enterprise code 43366086, BIN 351005,
Join stock company «UKRSIBBANK»
IBAN UA623510050000026005879043247
or
5168 7456 1026 5537 PrivatBank
