Exactly two years ago, Russian forces launched an attack on Ukraine, invading the country from Belarus, Russia, and Crimea while simultaneously firing missiles at major cities and industrial regions, including Kyiv, Mariupol, and Odesa. Since the initial attack on February 24, 2022, over 10,200 Ukrainian civilians have been killed and more than 19,300 have been injured, according to Edem Wosornu, the U.N. humanitarian office’s operations director. Associated Press News (AP News) reported that Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, declared there needed to be “an immediate end to Putin’s war against the world,” also stating that “the world must force Russia into peace.”.
Following the attack, millions of Ukrainian citizens were forced to flee their homes. By March 24, roughly one-quarter of Ukraine’s total population had fled the country. The refugees embarked for Poland, Germany, the Czech Republic, and other surrounding countries. Statistics cited by the Washington Post reveal that about 90% of Ukrainian refugees were made up of women and children. Men aged 18–60 were banned from leaving Ukraine, as the country needed troops to fight (Harlan).
An economic perspective reveals that Russian forces have caused numerous damaging effects on Ukraine’s economy and infrastructure. Missiles have destroyed hospitals, schools, and residential buildings, including private homes, apartment buildings, and dormitories. According to the Kyiv School of Economics, “the total amount of damage caused to Ukraine’s infrastructure due to the war has increased to almost $138 billion.” During the first year of the war, the Ukrainian economy lost roughly 30–35% of GDP (Kulish). Additionally, the income of people in Ukraine has decreased significantly, causing 7.1 million people to go into poverty, states Michael Kilfyle from the Economics Observatory (Kilfoyle).
The Russian-Ukrainian war has had the worst environmental impact on Europe since the Chernobyl disaster of 1986, as stated by a report published by the European Parliament. The war is predicted to have long-term health and environmental impacts; a notable example of an environmental impact is the explosion of Kakhovka, Ukraine’s largest dam. The dam was destroyed by Russian forces on June 6th, 2022. The dam caused extreme flooding, which submerged thousands of acres of surrounding land, restricted access to clean drinking water, killed dozens of civilians, and killed wildlife, farm animals, and pets (“Russia’s War on Ukraine: High Environmental Toll”).
To conclude, the Russia-Ukraine war has had and continues to have, various ethical, economic, and environmental impacts since the first attack that took place two years ago. Despite the fighting, there is hope. Max Rozenfeld, an architect and designer in the city of Kharkiv, says, “It is very important to feel like the city is alive. Because, despite everything that’s happened to it, underneath the ruins and the pain, it is.”
As cognizant members of the Hunterdon Central community, we should encourage ourselves to be educated global citizens. Understanding what’s going on in the world around us is crucial, even if it may not hit home directly. Our school district has received classmates who were affected by this conflict and were displaced from their home country, essentially forced to migrate to the United States. Having a well-rounded understanding of the state of the world is of utmost importance for us as a school community.
Works Cited
Ellyatt, Holly. “Russian Forces Invade Ukraine.” CNBC, 24 Feb. 2022, www.cnbc.com/2022/02/24/russian-forces-invade-ukraine.html.
Harlan, Chico. “In a War of Terrible Choices, These Are the Fighting-Age Men Who Left Ukraine.” Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2022, www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/03/09/ukraine-men-leave/.
Kakissis, Joanna, et al., “After 2 Years of War in Ukraine, 6 Cities Hold Out Hope Under Fire.” NPR, 24 Feb. 2024, www.npr.org/2024/02/24/1232838017/russia-ukraine-war-2-year-anniversary-ukrainian-cities.
Kilfoyle, Michelle. “Ukraine: What’s the Global Economic Impact of Russia’s Invasion?” Economics Observatory, 24 Oct. 2023, www.economicsobservatory.com/ukraine-whats-the-global-economic-impact-of-Russias-invasion #:~:text=Ukraine.
Kulish, Hnat. “The Total Amount of Damage Caused to Ukraine’s Infrastructure Due to the War Has Increased to Almost $138 Billion.” Kyiv School of Economics, 24 Jan. 2023, kse.ua/about-the-school/news/the-total-amount-of-damage-caused-to-ukraine’s-infrastructure-due-to-the-war-has-increased-to-almost-138-billion/.
“Russia’s intense attacks on Ukraine have sharply increased civilian casualties in December, the UN says.” AP News, 17 Jan. 2024, apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-civilian-casualties-increase-missiles-b4702b77b170ad94fab56cac8cbcdc2b#:~:text=The%20confirmed%20number%20of%20civilians. Accessed February 24, 2024.
