One year has passed since the Russia-Ukraine War began, with Russian forces invading Ukraine and attacking from four main fronts. The siege of Mariupol, a strategic city for Russia, was intense and resulted in the shooting of a maternity hospital and air attack on a theater building. The Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol became a symbol of the war, with Ukrainian forces and civilians seeking shelter there. The “Grain Corridor Agreement” was signed to address the food crisis caused by the war. Explosions occurred at a Russian airbase in Crimea on August 9. In Bucha, human rights organizations uncovered hundreds of mass graves revealing evidence of war crimes.
On August 9, explosions occurred at a Russian airbase in Crimea, killing one person and injuring 14. On September 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a partial mobilization of 300,000 reserve soldiers to support military operations in Ukraine. Four regions of Ukraine were annexed by Russia after a referendum held in September, and a bomb-laden truck attacked the Crimean Bridge in October. Russia withdrew from the Ukrainian city of Kherson in November, and Ukrainian President Zelenskiy made his first overseas visit to the United States in December, where he received a military aid package of $1.85 billion. The United Nations General Assembly passed a non-binding resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and calling for the withdrawal of troops from the region.
Ukrainian President Zelenskiy declared that his country will do everything to win this year, marking the 1st anniversary of the war and thanking supporters. The Russian Ministry of Defense reported losses of Ukrainian military equipment and 61,207 Ukrainian soldier deaths, while the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reported losses of Russian military equipment and 146,820 Russian soldier deaths. The UN Human Rights Office reported that at least 8,000 civilians have died and 13,300 have been injured since the beginning of the war.