[ad_1]
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine is marking one year since Russia launched a full-scale attack that violently ended decades of relative stability in Europe.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the invasion as “the hardest day of our modern history,” adding: “We woke up early and haven’t fallen asleep since.” He has framed the conflict as a morally charged battle, pledging that Ukrainian forces will fight on with the help of Western arms. The United States announced Friday another $2 billion package for Ukraine, including anti-armor Switchblade drones and laser-guided rocket systems.
In Russia, Friday was a quiet holiday, with scant official mention of the anniversary, though some antiwar memorials sprang up in support of Ukraine, and police mounted a large presence in major cities to prevent any potential unrest. Opponents of the war also mounted protests worldwide, leaving a destroyed Russian tank outside the Russian embassy in Berlin and painting a Ukrainian flag in the street before the Russian embassy in London.
One year of Russia’s war in Ukraine
Portraits of Ukraine: Every Ukrainian’s life has changed since Russia launched its full-scale invasion one year ago — in ways both big and small. They have learned to survive and support each other under extreme circumstances, in bomb shelters and hospitals, destroyed apartment complexes and ruined marketplaces. Scroll through portraits of Ukrainians reflecting on a year of loss, resilience and fear.
Battle of attrition: Over the past year, the war has morphed from a multi-front invasion that included Kyiv in the north to a conflict of attrition largely concentrated along an expanse of territory in the east and south. Follow the 600-mile front line between Ukrainian and Russian forces and take a look at where the fighting has been concentrated.
A year of living apart: Russia’s invasion, coupled with Ukraine’s martial law preventing fighting-age men from leaving the country, has forced agonizing decisions for millions of Ukrainian families about how to balance safety, duty and love, with once-intertwined lives having become unrecognizable. Here’s what a train station full of goodbyes looked like last year.
Deepening global divides: President Biden has trumpeted the reinvigorated Western alliance forged during the war as a “global coalition,” but a closer look suggests the world is far from united on issues raised by the Ukraine war. Evidence abounds that the effort to isolate Putin has failed and that sanctions haven’t stopped Russia, thanks to its oil and gas exports.
[ad_2]
Source link
