February 24, 2022 marks 2 years or 731 days of full-scale russian invasion of Ukraine…
However, the russian hybrid war began 10 years ago on February 20, 2014. It all started with the Crimea occupation by russia in 2014. Then the russian army invaded other parts of Ukraine - Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
Today, we’d like to remind ourselves and the world: why our lives have split into “before” and “after” since February 24, 2022.
We understand that the world news has slightly switched from the russian full-scale war in Ukraine to other important topics. However, the war in Ukraine is still not over...
Our day doesn't begin with a cup of coffee or tea. Every day begins with reading news of the latest missile attacks and how many people died (these attacks have been ongoing from day one of this war).
Every day at 9 a.m. we have a moment of silence to commemorate those who have been killed in the russian war against Ukraine.
In this article, we recalled the biggest, heartbreaking events of these terrible two years. These are events that come to mind first. Thousands of crimes were committed by the russian military and the kremlin leaders.
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- The Battle of Kyiv
- The school basement with the entire village held captive
- Siege of Mariupol
- Mariupol Drama Theatre Missile Strike
- Russian occupation of Kharkiv region
- Azovstal Steel Plant
- Missile attack on residential building in Dnipro city
- Missile attack on the city centre of Vinnytsia
- Kramatorsk train station missile attack
- Blackouts
- Kahovka dam destruction
- Fall of Avdiivka city
- Final thoughts
The Battle of Kyiv
The battle of Kyiv. This battle along with the deoccupation of the Kyiv region revealed the atrocities of the russian army committed in February-March 2022. After the deoccupation of the region by the Ukrainian army, journalists were invited to visit cities like Bucha, Irpin, and Vorzel and document the burnt houses, mass graves and death on the streets
Warning: the photos contain real content some people may find disturbing.
The photo above shows people hiding from a missile strike under Irpin Bridge during the first days of war in 2022.
The New York Times conducted their journalist investigation about the russian military unit that killed dozens of civil people in a small Ukrainian city Bucha in March 2022.
Amnesty International UK published a press release with evidence of russian war crimes in Bucha and other cities that were under occupation and severe missile attacks in March 2022.
419 people, including 12 children under 21 were killed by the russian army in Bucha, 116 of them were found in the mass graves in March-April, 2022.
The school basement with the entire village held captive
Russian soldiers held captive 350 people including 70 children in a school basement for one month in the village of Yahidne when occupied the Chrernihiv region. The youngest baby in the basement was only 21 days old.
We invite you to read the TIME magazine story of that harrowing month about people who survived.
Siege of Mariupol
Mariupol - the city that the russian army has been destroying since the first days of the war. Thousands of russian army missile attacks over the city have killed almost 10, 284 people (from February 2022 till 2023) in the basements of their own houses, hospitals and on the streets.
We invite you to watch the “20 Days in Mariupol” documentary to see what happened in Mariupol city during the first 20 days of the war. Learn more about this film on IMBD.
Missle attack on the maternity hospital in Mariupol, March 2022.
The children in these photos were killed in their peaceful city by the russian army in March 2022.
Mariupol Drama Theatre Missile Strike
There was another heartbreaking event that happened in 2022 in Mariupol. It was a missile strike on the Mariupol Drama Theatre which was turned into a city shelter for hundreds of people, including children. After the russian missile attack on the theatre, almost 300 adults and children were killed instantly and many were injured. The writing by the theatre says "Children".
Russian occupation of Kharkiv region
Russian occupation of the Kharkiv region. After the deoccupation of Izium city and other small villages in this region, Ukrainian authorities found lots of mass graves with over 440 bodies buried in them, including Ukrainian soldiers and civilians. Moreover, many of the people had been tortured before they were killed.
Azovstal Steel Plant
Azovstal Steel Plant in Mariupol. One part of it was used by soldiers, and another one as a shelter for civilians, mainly women and children. Check the photos and videos from the Mariupol plant. After the evacuation of civilians, Ukrainian soldiers kept defending the plant until they got captured by the russian army.
Missile attack on residential building in Dnipro city
Other big and horrible events that happened during the past 2 years include the missile attack on the residential building house of Dnipro. 72 apartments with whole families were destroyed by the russian terrorist army.
Missile attack on the city centre of Vinnytsia
The missile attack on the city centre of Vinnytsia at 11 a.m. on July 14, 2002, killed 23 people including 3 children. Liza, a 4-year-old girl is one of the victims, her mother survived.
Kramatorsk train station missile attack
Russian terrorist army killed 52 people including 5 children, leaving more than 100 people wounded in the Kramatorsk train station missile attack.
We invite you to watch the "Why us?" documentary about Ukrainian children of war. This film sheds light on Ukrainian children who have been killed or abducted by russia.
The terrorist state of russia has deported 19,546 children from Ukraine to the russian federation territories since February 24, 2022. And only nearly 400 children have been returned home, back to Ukraine.
Blackouts
Blackouts. Starting from October 10, 2022, the russian army attacked numerous Ukrainian cities with massive missile strikes that targeted the whole Ukrainian power system (including power generating stations, gas and oil stations). These attacks caused total blackouts, and heat and water supply interruptions in big and small Ukrainian cities, including hospitals.
We invite you to read the Ukrainian energy sector evaluation and damage assessment (as of December 20, 2022).
These russian missile attacks on Ukraine's power grids continued all winter of 2022-2023 cutting off Ukrainians from electricity, heat and cold and hot water for days in winter.
Kahovka dam destruction
In the summer of 2023, the russian forces destroyed the Kahovka dam which led to flooding over 29 communities and cities. This russian terrorist attack also caused terrible consequences for wildlife. According to a NYT investigation, Russian forces deliberately blew up the dam.
Fall of Avdiivka city
The russian army has been destroying the city of Avdiivka since 2014. The city has been on the frontline since then. On February 20, 2024, it was captured by the russian army.
Since that day the city has been under the control of the russian army and many Ukrainian soldiers remained trapped in the city.
We'd like to remind you that the russian army has fully devasted multiple Ukrainian cities killing entire generations of families, like Bakhmut, Lysychansk, Severodonetsk and other towns and villages.
The photo was taken by war photographer Kostiantyn Liberov / Libkos photography.
Final thoughts
These are just part of the painful, unforgettable events that came into our minds when we recall what happened in Ukraine during the last 2 years. However, thousands of them are worth a separate a-few-page blog article to write about.
Russian war came into every Ukraine's home.
It doesn't mean that every house is destroyed, but our souls are wounded.
We learned how to live with no electricity, water or gas. We learned to work with power generators, Starlinks, Ecoflows and torches. Our children learned how to do their homework with candles or visit dance/karate or any other classes with a few torches stuck on the ceiling. We are not afraid of air raid sirens anymore. We learned how to turn the darkness into a romantic dinner with candles.
However, we'll never be the same as before February 24, 2022. Every day we owe to our defenders, the Armed Forces of Ukraine who with their own lives do everything to stop russia and ensure that ordinary civil life in Ukraine keeps going.
Learn more about the victims of russia.
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