Photo by Janos Kummer/Getty Images
Yesterday marked a somber occasion for Ukrainian citizens and their supporters around the globe. It was one year earlier that Russian troops invaded their country, sparking a military crisis that has seen the United States and allied nations worldwide provide billions of dollars in aid and a variety of military equipment.
Many experts initially believed could have been an easy operation for Russia, but Ukraine has proved capable of pushing back against Vladimir Putin’s military offense.
By the numbers
Viewing the Russia-Ukraine war in an abstract manner can make it difficult to assess the true humanitarian toll that the invasion has taken on both sides of the shared border.
Reviewing some of the staggering statistics involved, on the other hand, will offer some important context:
- At least 100,000 Russian troops and 13,000 Ukrainian service members have died.
- More than 7,000 Ukrainian civilians — including 400+ children — have also been killed.
- Russian forces fire off roughly 20,000 rounds of artillery daily, compared to between 4,000 and 7,000 from Ukraine.
- 8 million+ Ukrainian citizens — nearly 20% of its prewar population — have left the country.
The hardest hit Ukrainian regions include the Donbas, which involves largely Russian-speaking provinces that have been involved in the fighting for nearly a decade. More than 3,400 civilians have died in this region alone since 2014.
A unified effort
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been an effective leader on the world stage, convincing allies to support his country’s fight for freedom and democracy. U.S. President Joe Biden staged a surprise visit to the capital city of Kyiv earlier this month where he reiterated America’s support.
Nevertheless, Zelenskyy looks back on Feb. 24, 2022, as “the hardest day of our modern history,” adding: “We woke up early and haven’t fallen asleep since.”
