Analysis | One year ago, Russia invaded Ukraine: here is what we know now

Chapman community members reflect on a year of war in Ukraine, where the war stands and what it means for the future of global politics. WikiCommons

Feb. 24 marked the one-year anniversary since Russian military forces implemented the first of many military missile attacks on their neighboring country, Ukraine. 

Shanna Shuckman, a sophomore business student at Chapman University, spent the majority of her childhood in Ukraine, as her mother is from the country. However, this changed seven years ago when it became unsafe for her to travel back due to an increase in tension between Russian and Ukraine.

“This past year has been the most surreal time of my life,” Shuckman told The Panther. “All I want is the bloodshed to stop, no more lives to be lost, whatever needs to be done in order to stop. This needs to happen soon. I pray for peace and pray for all the families suffering from this war.” 

Putin originally invaded Ukraine in an effort to “demilitarize and denazify” the country. The denazification alluded to Putin’s attempt at preventing a genocide for Russian speakers. 

The U.S. State Department and former Ukrainian diplomat Olexander Scherba state that there is no evidence behind Putin's claims. These statements have been considered misinformation. Putin's claims have been considered unreasonable, since the president of Ukraine himself both speaks Russian and is Jewish. 

Since then, Ukraine has put up a resilient fight against Russia. The country's fight of nationalism has been more successful than expected. 

Shuckman said that she is proud of Ukraine’s strength. 

“The whole world thought that as soon as Russia invaded, it was going to be done and over with,” Shuckman said.  “But no, Ukraine is fighting and fighting for their country, their people, the land and not giving up, which is absolutely incredible.”

What is happening in Ukraine will have a destruction on a large scale, according to Nicole Ragnel, an international human rights lawyer and peace studies professor at Chapman. 

“The conflict is going to affect future generations in the region,” Ragnel told The Panther. “It is critical that we find a pathway to the end of these hostilities and eventually peace, so that Ukraine does not end up in a pitfall.”

Since the start of the war, more than eight million Ukrainians have fled to Europe, according to the United Nations. Almost six thousand Russian troops and more than nine thousand Ukrainian troops have died in the war. The number of people wounded is now approaching 200,000 in Ukraine. 

A trivial moment during the war has been Russia’s counteroffensive, according to professor John Compton, a professor of political science at Chapman. 

“A year into the conflict, not only had Ukraine held up for a year, but they had also taken up territory that they had lost,” Compton told The Panther. 

The Ukrainian counter offense showed that the war is going to be a bigger conflict, according to Compton. 

“This has resulted in a stalemate,” Compton said. “Putin is not showing any signs of backing down, but at the same time, the west is not showing any sight of stopping support for Ukraine.”  

Since its invitations, Russia has caused a humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. The United Nations says that the war has sparked the largest refugee crisis in Europe since World War II. The countries with the most refugees are Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic. 

Airstrikes have caused a massive toll on Ukraines infrastructure, leaving millions without electricity. 

Bringing justice to the victims of the war is a critical step towards peace, according to Ragnel. 

“Bringing the perpetrators of mass atrocities, war crimes and crimes against humanity is an important step in bringing accountability,” Ragnel said.

It is through accountability and the rule of law the states can maintain their peace.

“Accountability is an important step in the rule of law, and the rule of law is an important step in state building and peace building,” Ragnel told The Panther.

Shuckman said there is a lack of representation in the media towards the actual realities of the war.

“No one is talking about or showing what’s actually going on and the fact that an entire country is being destroyed,” Shuckman said. 

Since the start of the war, the U.S. has become a key actor by providing aid to Ukraine and imposing economic and political sanctions on Russia. The U.S. Congress has approved more than $110 billion dollars in aid for Ukraine, which they announced in early January. 

“It is incredibly important that the U.S. steps up and continues to provide protections for Ukrainians, as well as continues to operate the asylum system in the United States,” Ragnel said. “It is absolutely critical that the U.S. continue its obligations under international human rights.”

A bill was passed in May of last year that provided humanitarian assistance to Ukrainian families coming to the U.S. The program was focused on helping Ukrainians who already have family in the U.S. Through this new law, Shuckman’s father was able to bring some family members to safety. 

“Their trek from Kherson to Prague to the airports was extremely dangerous, and it was truly a miracle that they survived and got to the U.S. safely,” Shuckman said. “The stories I have heard are unreal, especially the details about their travel to escape, and I’m beyond blessed that they made it here safely.”