6 Months of War in Ukraine | The situation is “more worrying than ever”.

Andre Duchesne
Pres

Human losses are underestimated

As of August 22, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has calculated that 5,587 civilians have been killed and 7,890 injured since February 24, 2022. The organization also points out that these figures are underestimates. “The OHCHR estimates the actual numbers to be significantly higher. Information from some areas of heavy fighting has been delayed and many reports await confirmation,” it said. An estimated 20,000 civilians were killed in Mariupol alone. There is also an ambiguity in military casualties. Many put them at 10,000 or more. Agree to calculate.

Mariupol

On Tuesday, FSC Mariupol football club resumed its activities in the Ukrainian second division. But war is a must, and soldiers train at Demitiv Stadium, north of Kiev. If there is a city-martyr example to illustrate the effects of the invasion, it is Mariupol, a port city on the Sea of ​​Azov. Beyond the mediating headquarters of the Azovstal Steelworks, the city is 90% destroyed, its mayor Vadim Potchenko declares. The estimated population of 432,000 in 2021 has shrunk by tens of thousands. Occupied by the Russians, the city claims its identity. “We are alive,” sums up FSC Mariupol head Oleksandr Yaroshenko.

When the world is hungry

The war had the effect of reminding us of the importance of agriculture. Ukrainian farmers saw their crops damaged and experienced a blockade (now lifted) of their grain production. Russia, which has been hit by economic sanctions, has blocked the sale of essential fertilizers to producers in several countries, including Canada. The price has gone up. Poor countries are threatened by famine. “Projections for 2022 indicate that 181 million people in 41 countries may face food insecurity. However, most of these analyzes do not take into account the effects of the war in Ukraine,” notes the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

6,657,918

As of August 17, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has registered 6,657,918 refugees from Ukraine across Europe. This is 15% of the registered population in 2021. According to worldpopulationview.com, Ukraine’s population dropped 8.8% from a year ago to 39.7 million people. This is the biggest drop among the 209 states listed. Ukraine is also said to have 7 million internally displaced people. Some have now returned home.

20%

Including Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014, Ukraine’s area is 603,700 square kilometers. However, since the annexation of Donetsk and Luhansk provinces, Ukraine has lost 20% of its territory to Russia. As a percentage, it’s like we’re shipping Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador from Canada.

No less hassle

If the war in Ukraine is generating fewer headlines than in the first weeks, the situation is less dire. That’s the thinking of Yann Brault, professor of international studies at the Royal Military College of Saint-Jean. “No one imagined that Ukraine would resist this level of aggression or enjoy such support from the West,” he said. However, the conflict has recently spread to Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014, which he says does not fare well. “We crossed a red line by attacking Crimea, which the Russians consider their territory. A process that is more worrying than ever is still underway. »

3 billions

On Wednesday, US President Joe Biden announced $2.98 billion in new military aid, bringing the total to $13.6 billion. This allows Ukraine to resist and retaliate. But for how long? “Mr. Brault believes that the Ukrainian army is not even equipped with American equipment to stop the Russian artillery attack. I am very pessimistic about the chances of the Ukrainians to liberate the territory. The West wants to preserve the international order and respects the ambiguity of the borders. But the determination to go all the way in an open confrontation with Russia, a major nuclear power. We haven’t. Will the push to liberate Ukraine continue? Not sure. The Russians are counting on this exhaustion of Western aid. »

proof’s: The New York TimesFrance Information, Agence France-Presse, Associated Press, United Nations Refugee Agency, worldpopulationview.com, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, FAO