Markus gives an update a year after the beginning of the Russian- Ukrainian War.
Photo Credit: The National Review
Over the course of one year, Russian forces have been trying to invade and conquer Ukraine, a country once under Russian rule. As of February 24th of last year, Ukraine has been under constant attack, and has been aided by multiple countries. The war has been going on for 11 months so far, and isn’t showing any signs of slowing down or stopping.
The Biden Administration announced a $3 billion package of military assistance for Ukraine that will include Bradley Fighting Vehicles, which would be especially helpful to Ukrainian units fighting Russian forces in the Donbas region, where some of the fight is currently taking place. Ukrainians have requested the fighting vehicles as they continue to push back against the forces of President Vladimir Putin. Officials said the vehicles would help in what the military calls combined arms maneuvering, which refers to the close coordination of air power, artillery and ground forces in operations.
For the first time, the U.S, Germany and France will each send armored fighting vehicles to Ukraine, a significant change in military support after almost 11 months of war. The combat vehicles are not tanks, which President Volodymyr Zelensky has requested for months, but they will “strengthen Ukraine’s capabilities on the battlefield”, military experts say. They could also open the door to deliveries of even more powerful weapons, as Ukraine warns of a planned Russian attack in the spring.
On Monday, it was confirmed that there have been more than 7,000 Ukrainian civilians since last February killed. Russia's recent air strikers have hit cities far from the main fight in eastern Ukraine. Dnipro, a Ukrainian city was under attack, where Russia fired long-range missiles at civilian targets, including residential neighborhoods. At a coffee shop when the air attack occurred, 33 year old Viktoria Tamich narrowly avoided being home during the time of the strike. Once she returned home, she saw a "terrible scene" of smoking rubble and bloodstains in the stairways of her own building.
Germany's foreign minister announced that Berlin would not stop Poland from sending German-made tanks to Ukraine, whilst Poland's prime minister vowed to form a coalition of nations willing to donate some of Europe's most advanced weaponry whether Germany participates or not.
Many countries are coming together to aid Ukraine in this battle against Russia, but how will this war end? Civilians of Ukraine and everywhere else in the world are hoping that things end well for Ukraine and all Ukrainian residents, with the new military technology and aid from many different countries.