Unpacking the Russian-Ukraine War and Why it Matters to Columbus

It has been just over a month since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, attacking cities across the country. United Nations officials estimate that over 1,000 civilians have died and another 1,500 have been injured. Over 3.7 million Ukrainians have fled into surrounding European countries, while millions more are internally displaced.

The war threatens to disrupt the political fabric of the liberal democratic world and is decimating a country integral to the global supply of grain products. On an equally important human level, Ukrainians have had their lives thrust into chaos, as families have been forced to move under the backdrop of war. The situation in Ukraine will have far-reaching political, economic, and human consequences across the globe. While Ukraine is far away from Columbus, we still see the fallout of this war in our city. 

Getting Up to Speed: A Quick History

In February 2014, Ukrainians overthrew their pro-Russian president after a four-month-long revolution. Two weeks later, Russia invaded the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea and began to secretly supply troops, money, and weapons to separatists in the eastern regions of Ukraine. From 2014 until this most recent invasion, Putin has continued to support the separatists. The Ukrainian military and Russian-backed separatists kept the fighting contained to the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine, yet it still claimed the lives of 15,000 people.

The situation remained in flux until November 2021, when the Russians began to amass troops around Ukraine’s border. Putin fears the close relationship that Ukraine has been developing with the North American Treaty Alliance (NATO) and for three months used the threat of invasion to obtain a guarantee that Ukraine will never join NATO.

When Putin launched the invasion into Ukraine on the 24^th of February, he expected to take out the government within three days. He planned to subsequently change Ukraine’s constitution to stipulate it will never join NATO. He also wants Ukraine to dismantle its military force and formally recognize Crimea as part of Russia. However, Putin miscalculated the strength of Ukraine’s military, which has undergone serious reforms during the last eight years. Additionally, the Russian military has been plagued by low-morale, poor logistical planning, and faulty equipment. This afforded the U.S. and other European countries time to enact devastating sanctions on Russia that have weakened their economy.

Ukrainian forces have effectively prevented Russian forces from capturing key cities such as Kyiv and Kharkiv. Frustrated, Russian troops have turned to artillery strikes on both civilian and military targets. Once beautiful metropolitan cities are becoming nothing more than piles of rubble. Mariupol is a strategic port city located in southeastern Ukraine. Russian forces have been surrounding the city since March 5, 2022 and officials estimate that 2,000 civilians have died and 90% of the buildings have been destroyed. The number of dead will continue to rise as 100,000 people are trapped in the city without electricity, food supplies, or cell service.

Humanizing the War

The barrage of news stories about the war can be overwhelming, and it often misses the human element. Everyone’s experience is different, but hearing someone’s story humanizes the conflict and reminds everyone that these are real people living and dying. I lived in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, for seven months as an English Teaching Assistant. My good friend Nikita, a 22-year-old English teacher from Kharkiv, was kind enough to share his experiences during the first week of the war. It is a tale of anxiety and uncertainty that illuminates the human connection we have to every Ukrainian.

(Note: these are only several excerpts, click here for the full transcript)

“Once we got back into the metro it just felt like you were in a constant state of anxiety waiting for something to happen. I felt helpless and kept thinking that I am going to die. My mind kept replaying the thought of a bomb being dropped onto the metro station. The only thing you want to do at this point is to survive. After sitting there for a bit and hearing bombings, my sister called and said that one bomb had actually hit right above our metro station.”

“After sitting in the station for close to 48 hours, I decided I had to try and get to Lviv [in western Ukraine]. I could not sit there and feel helpless anymore.”

“The trip to the train station was so eerie; Kharkiv was like a ghost town. We were the only car on the road, and I kept thinking that a missile was going to hit us. Seeing unexploded missiles lodged into the road definitely justified my fears. I was also anxious that we would not be able to get a train at the station. But that was a risk we were willing to take. The fear of dying was propelling me forward through every decision; I just wanted to live.”

“I do feel much safer in Lviv because for now we are far away from the fighting, and I think Lviv will fight to the death if Russian forces come. While I do feel safer, I also feel a bit helpless again. I feel like a sitting duck waiting for Russian forces to come. I can’t leave the country so where can I go if they come.”

Ukraine: An Agricultural Powerhouse

The economic ramifications of the war will become more apparent over the next three to six months. Ukraine is the second-largest country by landmass in continental Europe and commands an annual GDP of nearly $160 million. The country of 44 million is the second-largest exporter of grain products globally, and Ukrainian food supplies feed over 400 million people a year across the world. Ukraine and Russia produce 30% of the world’s wheat and 12% of the annual caloric consumption.

Food analysts estimate that 60 million tons of grain will be lost between last year’s and this year’s harvest. The Ukrainian government stopped exporting grain products because of the war. The war is destroying large swaths of grain fields throughout eastern Ukraine. Consequently, wheat prices have already risen by 60% since the beginning of February. To make matters worse, Russia supplies U.S. farmers with crucial ingredients for fertilizer. A deficit in fertilizers will likely lead to a shortage of all food production, not just grains.

For us here in the U.S. and Columbus, prices at the grocery store will likely continue to rise. Countries in the Middle East and North Africa are already experiencing food shortages. If the war continues into the summer, we may be facing a similar crisis in six months. 

But potential price increases pale in comparison to the real pain members of our community experiencing.

There are Ukrainians living, working, and studying in Columbus. They must anxiously watch as Russian attacks threaten their family, friends, and country. Mykyta Tyshchenko is a second-year PhD student in Slavic Languages and Literature at Ohio State. Since the war started, he has been spending several hours every day anxiously checking his phone for news updates while trying to keep up with his rigorous class and research schedule. 

Despite these demands, Mykyta has been actively using his role in higher education to educate the public about the invasion and raise for funds for humanitarian organizations. Mykyta’s brother still lives in Ukraine and is unable to leave the country because of the draft requirements. With few options available, he decided to join a volunteer Territorial Defense Force in Poltava, Ukraine to help maintain law and order and prevent looting. Mykyta does his best to talk to his brother on a regular basis and is optimistic about his safety, but the uncertainty is always there.

Mykyta is just one of nearly 5,000 Ukrainians living in Columbus that are distraught over the invasion and need our support.

Ways to help Ukrainians

The Ukrainian government has created a super site with a list of real ways that foreigners can help Ukrainians, such as donating to organizations or sending humanitarian supplies. You can access the website here.

Staying Up to Date

Ukraine matters and is integral to the global food supply chain. But beyond the optics of economics, real people are dying in the war. Their experiences tell a story of people living in a democratic country just trying to survive.

We hope to provide students, professionals, and the casual reader with greater insight into Ukraine as its role on the global stage evolves throughout the 21st century. In light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we are providing succinct updates about what is happening on the ground. 

You can stay up to date on Ukraine by subscribing to our newsletter at ukraineunlocked.com. Ukraine Unlocked is a weekly newsletter providing a roundup of the country’s cultural, political, and…