One Year Later: An Update on the Invasion of Ukraine

On February 24th, 2022, Russian forces invaded Ukraine, starting a conflict that is still raging a year later. This has caused millions of Ukrainian refugees to seek safety in other countries and millions more to be displaced within Ukraine. The fighting has also resulted in countless injuries and many deaths, many of which are Ukrainian civilians. In this article, we’ll look at how the conflict has changed over the last year.

A Ukraine Update

Russian President Vladimir Putin first justified the invasion with baseless claims of needing to “de-Nazify Ukraine”. He also attempted to frame it as an effort to neutralize Ukraine’s growing ties with the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Ultimately, however, it became clear that Putin wanted to take over Ukraine and forcibly annex it into Russia. 

But Putin’s strategy did not go according to plan. While Russian forces initially took control of large areas of land and closed in on the capital of Kyiv, the Ukrainian military was able to push them back due to their ability to cut off supply lines. This led Putin to shift his aim to the "liberation of Donbas", which refers to Luhansk and Donetsk—two industrial regions in the east of Ukraine.

Since then, the war between Russia and Ukraine—which is an escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War that started in 2014—has primarily been fought in these two regions, where Ukraine shares a border with Russia. Ukraine has largely pushed Russian forces back over the course of the year, not allowing them to completely control any region. This is in large part due to artillery and other military equipment from Western allies. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky continues to ask these allies for additional assistance in his country’s fight against Russia.

Over the course of the last several months, Russia has switched its strategy and begun targeting civilian infrastructure—like roads and power systems. It’s estimated that around 40% of Ukraine’s power systems have been damaged by Russian air raids. This damage has been compounded by winter weather and below-freezing temperatures, furthering the humanitarian crisis in the country. Certain areas of Ukraine are housing tens of thousands of displaced people, all while Russian forces are targeting energy and housing, endangering the civilians taking refuge there.

As of early February 2023, the governor of Donetsk reported that Russian forces are “eradicating towns and villages” in the region as fighting begins to pick up again. The Russians are also expected to launch a large-scale offensive in the coming weeks, most likely in Luhansk.

By most measures, Russia’s war in Ukraine is failing, but they still hold positions in the east/south and continue to cause catastrophic damage to critical infrastructure, threatening the Ukrainian people still in the country. The prospects for peace dwindle the longer the fighting continues, and further escalation of the conflict looms on the horizon.

As of February 10th, 2023, there are over 8 million Ukrainian refugees living in other countries throughout Europe, which is about 20% of the entire population of Ukraine. Additionally, there are still 6.5 million people remaining displaced within Ukraine. Since the start of the conflict, there have been over 7,100 verified civilian casualties, with real numbers expected to be even higher.

The Ukrainian people desperately need help from individuals, agencies, organizations, and countries in order to find refuge and safety. Since the beginning of the war, the International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC) has set up several projects to support displaced Ukrainians. These include providing emergency food and medicine, supporting the salaries of psychologists and social workers assisting internally displaced Ukrainians, and training seminarians to identify individuals suffering from trauma and refer them to qualified mental health specialists.

Along with the Pope and our members, we are also encouraging a ceasefire so that negotiations toward a peaceful resolution may take place. As long as the conflict resumes, we continue to call for humanitarian corridors so civilian populations can escape to safety. With our members, the national Catholic Bishops Conferences worldwide, we also promote the establishment of Temporary Protection Measures so that refugees are admitted to countries where they are seeking protection.

We rely on generous donations to continue our critical work, so consider making a donation to help make a difference in the lives of Ukrainian refugees today!

About the International Catholic Migration Commission

The International Catholic Migration Commission is a nonprofit organization that protects, serves, and advocates for displaced people throughout the world. We help refugees, asylum-seekers, victims of human trafficking, and migrants of all faiths, races, and ethnicities forge lives in safety and dignity.

With support from people like you, ICMC delivers humanitarian aid and social development, protects vulnerable migrants, contributes to refugee resettlement efforts, advocates before governments, and partners with civic leaders. We seek a sustainable solution to dangerous migration and refugee crises.

Find out more by visiting our website.