Devastating Anniversary - Four Years Since the Russian Invasion of Ukraine
Entering its fifth year at war, Ukraine is still resisting Russian so-called "special military operation," or rather a conscious attack on a sovereign state. On February 24 2022, Vladimir Putin, Russian President, sent 200,000 of his soldiers with a wish to take control of Kyiv in just a few days. Four years later, he is still far from achieving his military goals, peace is nowhere to be seen and the negotiations brokered by the US reached no resolution.
The lead up and its consequences
In reality, the conflict began with the annexation of Crimea in 2014, revealing Putin's intentions to conquer and seize territory. Unmarked men with guns entered the peninsula in response to protests in Kyiv, which ousted the pro-Russian president, Viktor Yanukovych. The operation was pre-planned and undercover, it involved groups of pro-Russian extremists camouflaging themselves and taking over Ukrainian military bases. Through infiltration, Russia managed to conduct a referendum that was dominated by the elderly, nostalgic about the Soviet Union and manipulated by pro-Russian sentiments.
Crimea was just the beginning
After taking Crimea, Putin continued his years-long propaganda campaign that revived imperialist sentiments. Russian media adopted terms such as “Novorossiya” (New Russia) to justify the country's expansion and promoted the idea of "russkyi mir" (Russian World) to spread ideas of assumed Russian superiority. Kremlin's propaganda infiltrated mainstream media, and as of May 2025, according to a survey conducted by Statista, 80% of respondents stated that they certainly or rather supported the war.
Russians are also Putin's victims
It's important to consider that the opposition to the regime is actively silenced. Alexei Navalny, Putin's number one enemy and the deceased leader of the resistance movement, was poisoned in a Siberian penal colony in 2024. He was targeted once before in 2020 with the Novichok nerve agent. "I will spend the rest of my life in prison and die here," he wrote in his diary.
Russian civilians are afraid to speak up, even if they don't support the war, as they fear becoming political prisoners or losing their lives. Authoritarian regime allows no difference in opinion. Living by the myth of defending their country from "neo-Nazis" and fighting against the "rotten, woke West," Russian soldiers die on the front, sacrificing their lives for nothing.
Ukrainians resist
Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, emphasises that Putin failed to break his country. After relentless attacks on civilians, crucial infrastructure destruction and ever-increasing death toll, Russia failed to gain full control over Ukraine and is mainly battling in the East of the country.
Crucial infrastructure attacks left many without power, which resulted especially difficult in the winter months, when the temperature gets as low as -26°C. A total of 1,894 attacks were conducted, acting as a brutal weapon against civilians.
Europe stands united
In a joint statement of the European Union leaders, there is a recognition of their commitment to support Ukraine. It identifies Russia's actions as illegal in the light of international law and recalls the financial support that the EU provided since the start of the war - 200 billion euros. The statement follows with: "We stand firm with Ukraine. For a just and lasting peace. For a strong and sovereign Ukraine in a strong and sovereign Europe." This demonstrates the acknowledgement of how Ukraine is defending Europe as a whole, stopping Putin's war machine from moving further into the West.
Courage, resistance and hope for the better future are what accompanies the acts of commemoration of the lost Ukrainian lives across the world. On Maidan square in Kyiv, blue and yellow flags bloomed, silent contemplation commenced and prayers were said for the ones that sacrificed their lives for their country. The devastating anniversary concluded with an emphasis on resilience of Ukraine and its allies.