Two Steps Forward- Reports from the Progress of Ukraine

Map of Ukraine and surrounding territories. Photo courtesy of Natalie Crocker, Natalie Leung, and Renée Rigdon.

In the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia, Ukraine remains the underdog- they have fewer men and fewer weapons. Nevertheless, they are making some serious headway in their region. In the sliding scale of this war, Ukraine seems to be on the rise in recent days. According to a figure provided by CNN, Ukrainian forces regained over three thousand square miles in Kharkiv in the four days between September 8th and September 12th of this year. They were also able to restore two main electricity lines in the area. This is only one example of the resilience of the land and of the people. President Zelensky was so grateful for this progress that he personally visited Izium, a newly liberated city in Kharkiv, and he gave a very heartwarming speech. In this speech, Zelensky thanked the military for, “saving our people, our hearts, our children, and our future.”

Outside of Ukraine, this victory has inspired other allies, like European Commissioner President Ursula Von der Leyen, to visit Ukraine in a show of support. These diplomatic victories are arguably just as important as the military victories; Kate Nowak, a junior, admits that “Russia has so many resources, but their side is seen as the bad side. And, having allies and people on your side is much better for morale.”

Despite these achievements, Ukraine will continue to need rallied support; Russian forces have increased their offenses in Crimea, stocked weapons in Dnipro, and moved to cut off water and power in Ukraine. If one were to just look at the numbers, the efforts on behalf of Ukraine would almost seem futile. But, Ukraine has the power of many European countries behind them. Senior Rachel Ward notes that this is incredibly important and says, “it’s almost like in WWII without the US some of the countries [like France] couldn’t do it on their own, but the Allie’s made a big difference.”

Sources: CNN and New York Times