By: Abhinav Malhotra, Associate Editor-ICN World
Continuation of the previous article enlisting the crimes against humanity being witnessed in this ruthless ongoing War between Russia and Ukraine
In an Interview with a prominent American TV Host David Letterman, Volodymyr Zelenskyy gets a direct question as to when the war will end. The unfettered leader replies,
“The End of the war will be when we reclaim our lands and our Borders”
Well on that note as we dive deeper into the horrendous situation in Ukraine and Russia, one thing has been made utmost clear by the president himself that an end to this war seems far from over.
In the last article, we pondered upon the beginning of this conflict which subsequently turned out to be one of the most heinous crimes that two world leaders could commit against their countrymen.
Situation till June 2022
- Volodymyr Zelenskyy was sworn in as the president of Ukraine and immediately moved on to crack down on the Pro-Russian oligarchs in Ukraine. Putin reiterated on Ukraine not becoming a part of
- Putin deployed troops in Donetsk and Luhansk on the pretext of maintaining peace in the region. Subsequently, the city of Donbas became the first city from where Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Zelenskyy declared martial Law in Ukraine and Broke ties with Russia.
- The Ukrainian president made it clear that he will not bow down and will fight in the best interest of his country.
- Putin had been facing various sanctions from major countries all across the Globe.
In the following flow chart, we will understand the situation post-June 2022. A month on month explanation of the key events will help us to understand and judge for ourselves the legitimacy and the relevance of the situation in hand.
Impacts of the War
- An additional four million children have been plunged into poverty because of the war, according to a UNICEF report – 2.8 million of them are Russian.
- The Food and Agriculture Organization says its food price index reached a record high in 2022, up by 14.3% from 2021. Food prices surged after Russia invaded Ukraine in February.
- Over 8000 Civilians have died to date in this war leaving roughly 13000 injured. 14 Million People have been displaced from their Homes.
- As per Reuters, Ukraine has lost over 10000 soldiers to date in this war. U.K Defense ministry estimates that Russia has lost over 2 lakh soldiers in this war.
- The graph below represents the number of border crossings by refugees between Ukraine and Central and Eastern European Countries since the beginning of the war.
My Take on the situation
24 February 2023 marks the 1 complete year of this brutal war. Artillery and ammunition stocks are still piling up on both sides. The war inevitably sees no end. The loss to humanity surely cannot be measured in numbers or estimated figures.
As I had put up a few relevant questions in my last article too, I hereby reiterate them once again:
- What is the fault of the bloke, that he/she suffers the cost of this war?
- Where are the So-Called International Peace-keeping Agencies?
- Are the sanctions enough to stop this broad-daylight Murder of Humanity?
- If tomorrow the war ends, how do you console that family who lost their son on the Border?
- Is the war becoming a playground for International players to fight a proxy war?
While these questions surely go unanswered, The War is still on.
References:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liooTXAF5Xo
- https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/8/24/timeline-six-months-of-russias-war-in-ukraine
- https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/02/ukraine-war-timeline-one-year/
- https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2023/02/turk-deplores-human-cost-russias-war-against-ukraine-verified-civilian#:~:text=GENEVA%20(21%20February%202023)%20%E2%80%93,the%20conflict%20in%20eastern%20Ukraine.
- https://www.statista.com/statistics/1293403/cee-ukrainian-refugees-by-country/
