Prior to Research Blog
All across Europe, from Amsterdam to Warsaw, protests have been organised and staged to demonstrate solidarity with the Ukrainian people. Despite this, no one has seemed to step forward and volunteer the only actual aid Ukraine can be given short of military support-monetary aid. No one has suggested an EU wide economic relief package, stated their willingness to pay that extra bit on goods in order to support sanctions on Putin's regime or offered to pay for refugees transportation fees. People are gung-ho to protest in the streets, tweet about the injustice, just about anything other than reach into their pockets and put their money where their mouths are.
A financial lack of most more concerning than the lack of financial aid and contributions is the lack of pressure brough to bear against politicians on both the national and European level to condemn and oppose Putin. There is little national attention brought to real solutions of real problems millions of Ukrainians face each day such as where they're sleeping that night. More should be done by the so-called activists to pressure constituent leaders to help address the plight of Ukrainian refugees.
Online activists are doing what they always do-talking the talk and not walking the walk. There is simply an insufficent response from people who claim to be fighting for the Ukrainians-both their refugees and those still fighting in the country.
Post-Research Blog
On 24th February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine in what many Ukrainians saw as a renewal in Russian hostilities that began in 2014 with the annexation of Crimea. The recent invasion had been prefaced by months of mounting tensions and military build-up. Russia initially dressed up this invasion as a "special military operation" so as not to justify third party interference. They then claimed they were helping the true, legitimate governments of Donetsk and Luhansk (pro-Russian separatists) from the oppressive Nazi government in Kyiv. They launched offensives from Crimea in the south, Donetsk and Luhansk in the west and Belarus in the north into Ukraine proper.
In the north, amidst heavy losses and strong Ukrainian resistance surrounding Kyiv, Russia's advance stalled in March, and by April its troops retreated. On 19 April, Russia launched a renewed attack across a 500 kilometres long front extending from Kharkiv to Donetsk and Luhansk. This offensive faltered quickly with many western commentators speculating that the rampant government corruption had played havoc with Russia's supply lines. By 13 May, a Ukraine counter-offensive had driven back Russian forces near Kharkiv. By 20 May, Mariupol fell to Russian troops following a prolonged and extensive Russian bombing campaign.
Ukrainian forces launched large counteroffensives in the south in August, and in the northeast in September. These offensives saw net gains for Ukraine as in the northeast they successfully recaptured the majority of Kharkiv Oblast in September. In the course of the southern counteroffensive, Ukraine retook the city of Kherson in November and Russian forces withdrew to the east bank of the Dnieper River amid heavy fire.
Activism, both online and offline has played a colossal role in sending aid to Ukraine. Particularly online, aid packages have been arranged, pressure put on politicians to increase sanction on Russia and provide humanitarian and in some cases, military aid to Ukraine. The UN has described the situation as one of the worst humanitarian crises since the collapse of Yugoslavia. Online activists have played a large role in mitigating this disaster by organising the providing of shelter, organising protests and collecting aid money. Online groups such as Anonymous have even hacked Russian governmental databases and websites, crashing the latter and using the former to dox (publicly reveal personal information) active duty Russian soldiers. All of theses efforts have culminated in large scale, and far-reaching drive of support for the Ukrainian people by these activists.