The Evolution of War in Ukraine
Via Kyra Sharma
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who had been amassing troops near its border with Ukraine, launched a full-scale invasion into Ukraine on Feb. 22, 2022. Immediately after, global powers began to take control of the situation while staying away from the physical conflict. Freshman Elena Grilli says, “We need to keep our eyes open to what our leaders are doing to hold them accountable for their actions.” Though many countries have lent a hand in humanitarian aid or selling weaponry, many citizens of Ukraine face a devastating plight.
This full-out aggression has not only led to the death of many soldiers but also, the devastation of livelihoods, the death of everyday people. Children and families have been forced to flee their homes in hopes of finding safety. Citizens fleeing their home country leave through crowded buses and unsafe roads in an attempt to reach safety. The number of Ukrainians who have left is soon to reach one million. For many children still stuck in Ukraine, their homes are gone, and now the basements they share with countless others is their new shelter.
The impact of this invasion has reached many, from students chasing their dreams to find them crushed now, to innocent children dead by shillings in public squares. The newer attacks on Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, have targeted civilian spots, crowded markets, and open squares. Freshman Inji Hamdoun says, “What’s happening in Ukraine right now is, in one word, awful. But it’s also really complicated and I think it’s very important that everyone keeps making an effort to stay aware of what’s going on because this affects everyone.” The impact of these attacks will reach farther than those who have lost their lives, to the guilt and grief of the survivors. But at a baseline, this invasion has taken lives. Lives that cannot be fixed or rebuilt like the many buildings. Lives that will not see the light of day again. Lives cut off abruptly. Nothing is or ever will be more precious than life, and this act of aggression has taken countless.
The one, the only, Solaine Bardin. A freshman working as a staff writer for the Hi-Tide, in her first year of journalism, Solaine Bardin is intrigued by...
