02/19/2023 17:02 (act. 02/19/2023 17:02)
February 24 marks the anniversary of the start of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine. © AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti
February 24, 2023 marks the anniversary of the start of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine.
When Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the attack on Ukraine on February 24, 2022, he launched a war that resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of people, the destruction of entire Ukrainian cities, and severe economic damage.
A year of war in Ukraine: an overview of the anniversary of February 24
casualties in the armed forces
According to the latest estimates from Norway, 180,000 Russian soldiers were killed or wounded in the fighting and 100,000 Ukrainian army troops. Other Western estimates place 150,000 casualties on each side. By comparison, the Soviet Union’s war in Afghanistan from 1979 to 1989 claimed the lives of around 15,000 Soviet soldiers.
civilian casualties
Overall, according to Western sources, between 30,000 and 40,000 civilians died in Ukraine. By the end of January, the UN estimated that at least 18,000 civilians had been killed or wounded, but likely many more by the end. Most were killed by Russian bombing.
Overall, according to Western sources, between 30,000 and 40,000 civilians died in Ukraine. By the end of January, the UN estimated that at least 18,000 civilians had been killed or wounded, but likely many more by the end. Most were killed by Russian bombing.
Ukrainian authorities say at least 400 children lost their lives. According to Kiev, 30 percent of Ukraine’s territory is now contaminated by mines. Human Rights Watch accused Ukrainian troops of laying antipersonnel mines in the eastern region of Izyum. According to experts, it can take decades to clear landmines.
EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders speaks of around 65,000 war crimes that have been recorded so far. UN experts have accused Russia of committing war crimes “on a massive scale” in Ukraine, including executions, torture and sexual violence.
Kiev says Moscow has deported more than 16,000 children to Russia or regions controlled by pro-Russian separatists. Several NGOs accused Ukraine of violating the rights of Russian prisoners of war.
The “active” front runs about 1,500 kilometers from north to south, says Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Valeriy Salushnyi. According to the Institute for War Studies (ISW) in Washington, Russian troops currently control about a fifth of Ukraine. According to Zalushny, the Ukrainian army recovered about 40 percent of the territory occupied by Russia at the start of the invasion.
During the winter months, Russia carried out targeted military attacks on Ukraine’s power grid, which led to major power and heating outages. The World Bank estimated in October that the country’s economy will shrink by 35% in 2022.
The Kyiv School of Economics KSE said in January that it could cost $138 billion to rebuild infrastructure destroyed in the war. In agriculture, Ukraine, one of the breadbaskets of the world, lost $34 billion in economic losses, according to CFE estimates for November. The EU and World Bank estimate the total cost of rebuilding Ukraine to be around $350 billion.
According to UNHCR, more than eight million Ukrainians have fled since the start of the war, most of them to Poland, where 1.5 million have found shelter. More than five million Ukrainians have been displaced within the country. According to information from Moscow, five million people fled to Russia. The Ukrainian leadership accuses Russia of carrying out forced evacuations.
When Russia attacked Ukraine, the Ukrainian army had obsolete equipment from Soviet times. In the meantime, the US delivered HIMARS precision rocket launchers with a range of 80 kilometers, considered superior to those on the Russian side.
In November, the Kiel Institute for the World Economy estimated that Ukraine’s Western allies had pledged nearly €38 billion in military aid so far. This does not include tank deliveries announced in January by Germany, other European countries and the US.