Ukraine-Russia War Today

By: Caleb Cox

Russia and Ukraine’s conflict is still very much real and the fight does not appear to be ending any time soon. From Nuclear weapons to everyday life, for Ukrainian trapped in their country, here is what is happening in the Ukraine-Russia war and how it affects us in the US.

A quick recap of what has happened so far:

After some political disagreements between Ukraine and Russia, Russia decides to invade Ukraine and attempt to gain control over the country. After WWII, Russia lost some of its territories and this included Ukraine, which they now plan to re-conquer. Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, began the invasion of Ukraine for a couple of reasons: First, he believes that Russia should have the same land as it had before WWII, and second, Ukraine and Russia disagree on a lot of topics such as how to run their country and who to have alliances with. So far, there have been countless bombings and 5,587 confirmed deaths. Ukrainian citizens are still in constant danger and Russia’s advance is slowly progressing.

  Life in the Russian occupied areas of Ukraine is difficult with Russian soldiers frequently searching citizens’ houses and destroying most of their possessions in the process. People are afraid to leave their homes because Russia has taken over all of the stores, restaurants, and public places and simply leaving their houses is dangerous. Citizens are poorly treated, teased, and on some occasions, even killed for the fun of Russian Soldiers. Ukrainian citizens try to escape from Ukraine, however, Russia does not allow this as they do not need people getting out and spreading information about Russia's plans. Over 13 million Ukrainian citizens are trapped by the Russians, and 12 million were able to escape before the invasion became too fierce.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy is the current Ukrainian president serving in office. He stayed in Ukraine during the war, illustrating how he values his country and is willing to sacrifice everything to protect it. Volodymyr was offered transportation to the US for safety right after the war officially began. He denied the offer, and responded, “The fight is here. I need ammunition, not a ride.”  This greatly inspired the Ukrainian people to fight and protect their country. This has also inspired people not only from the US, but other countries as well to donate to special organizations to help fund the transportation of weapons and ammunition to Ukraine.

Updates:

On September 12th, Russian troops retreated to the east and Ukraine took back more than 6,000 square kilometers. Russia is planning another attack soon and they still possess most of the south-eastern side of the country. Generous donations have allowed weapons to be shipped to Ukraine and aid them in their fight. Some of the weapons that were sent to Ukraine from the US include anti-aircraft Stinger missiles, Javelin anti-armor missiles, and Switchblade drones. 1400 of the anti-aircraft Stinger missiles were sent and their purpose is to take down various aircrafts and other flying vehicles. Eight thousand five hundred Javelin anti-armor missiles were sent and their purpose is to break the armor of tanks and ground vehicles with oppressive force. 700 Switchblade drones were sent and their purpose is to fly into enemy vehicles, blowing up and ultimately destroying their target. 

Usually, this conflict would turn into a world war, and countries from all around would jump in and help to aid Ukraine in the fight against Russia. However, this is not the case in modern times because of nuclear weapons. Currently, Russia is threatening all external countries that want to intervene with nuclear missiles. Missiles could do massive damage to any city or country, and there is a basic rule all countries know about nuclear weapons: If one country sends a nuclear weapon, then the one receiving it will send their arsenal upon the original before the nuke hits them. On average, a nuclear missile will take approximately 10-30 minutes to reach another country from Russia at 15000 miles per hour. This gives the receiving country enough time to send their missiles back at Russia before they are obliterated. This is why there have only been threats and not actual bombings because if they send any nuclear weapons, the response could be the end for an entire continent’s population or even the world. Nuclear warheads cannot be shot down due to the nuclear fallout that would occur afterward, as this would do just as much damage if not more as the missile detonates on the ground. 

On September 21st, 2022, the president of Russia announced Call-up to provide Russia with more soldiers. A call-up is the same as a Draft in the US. The government appoints capable citizens and has them join the army. The people of Russia became very upset with this, so Putin decided that the call-up would only affect people who have experience as professional Soldiers, so it will not affect regular citizens. The fact that Putin announced a call-up could mean that Russia needs more soldiers and may be running out of manpower. Another possibility is that Putin still has plenty of military power, but he may be planning a full frontal attack on Ukraine.  

The war between Russia and Ukraine will most likely continue for many months, or even years to come, and it is not yet clear who will win. However, Ukraine will still need foreign help in the battles ahead, so remember to donate to programs like UNICEF and Truly Non-Profit to help the men, women, and children suffering in crossfire in Ukraine right now.