BRATISLAVA, February 24 (IPS) – “Now we have a saying right here in Ukraine now – ‘younger folks meet at their mates’ funerals quite than at weddings.’ It’s unhappy, however very true.”
As Russia’s full-scale invasion of her nation strikes into its fifth 12 months, Iryna Yakova, 29, is trying again at how her life has modified over the previous 4 years.
Talking from Lviv, the western Ukrainian metropolis the place she lives, she tells IPS that her “values and perspective in direction of life” have modified. “Materials issues change into unimportant when your family members or mates are at risk,” she says. She has additionally developed a eager sense of her nationwide id and an empathy for the struggling of her fellow Ukrainians.
“Through the full-scale invasion, I realised that every one of Ukraine is my house. I cry for individuals who had been killed by a missile in Kyiv whereas they had been sleeping at evening. Despite the fact that I didn’t know them, it hurts me as a result of they’re Ukrainians. It additionally pains me to see kids rising up with out their dad and mom as a result of their dad and mom are on the entrance. The warfare has intensified my sense of empathy and belonging.”
Her psychological well being has suffered. She says anxiousness is ever-present in her life.
However what she returns to usually as she solutions questions on how her life is in the present day in comparison with earlier than the warfare is the loss she, and others, have skilled.
“What I miss most [from my life before the full-scale invasion] are the individuals who have been killed within the warfare. I’ve misplaced mates, acquaintances, and family members. Nothing compares to human loss. The toughest factor I’ve needed to cope with throughout this warfare goes to the funerals of mates — folks you used to go to events with, journey with, examine with,” she says.
The human value of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has been huge – Ukraine’s authorities doesn’t formally give figures for navy casualties, but it surely has been estimated they could possibly be as much as 600,000 (Russian navy casualties are considered greater than twice that quantity).
However the scale of civilian casualties has been enormous, too. In keeping with UN our bodies, greater than 15,000 civilians have been killed and over 41,000 injured in Ukraine for the reason that begin of the invasion on February 24, 2022.
Worryingly, as Ukraine marks the fourth anniversary of the beginning of the warfare, analysis suggests there was a pointy enhance in civilian casualties over the past 12 months.
Knowledge from Motion on Armed Violence (AOAV), launched earlier this month, confirmed civilian casualties in Ukraine elevated by 26 p.c in 2025 in contrast with 2024, regardless of there being a 6 p.c drop within the variety of injurious explosive weapon incidents recorded nationwide.
The group mentioned its information confirmed a worrying shift within the character of the battle – the common variety of civilians killed or injured per incident in Ukraine rose 33 p.c over the 12 months, with a complete of two,248 civilians reported killed (an 11 p.c rise) and 12,493 injured (a 28 p.c rise) by explosive violence.
This implies that explosive weapons are being utilized by Russia in Ukraine in ways in which generate better civilian impression, whether or not via extra drone strikes, heavier munitions, particular concentrating on selections of populated areas, or repeated strikes on city infrastructure, the group mentioned.
Practically seven in ten civilian casualties recorded in AOAV information occurred in residential neighbourhoods, up from simply over 4 in ten in 2024.
Niamh Gillen, a researcher at AOAV, informed IPS it was inconceivable to definitively say that Russian forces had been intentionally concentrating on Ukrainian civilians, however that “the information speaks for itself.”
“It exhibits that civilian areas are being attacked, that the assaults are occurring inside civilian areas like hospitals, colleges, cities, cities. Generally, in areas the place civilians are closely concentrated, like cities and cities, villages, wherever like that, if you happen to’re utilizing an explosive weapon with large space impacts, then you definately’re prone to hurt extra civilians,” she mentioned.
On high of the deaths and destruction Russian assaults have prompted, they’ve additionally led to huge displacement. It’s thought that at the least 3.4 million individuals are internally displaced within the nation. This has put huge strain not simply on the displaced themselves, but additionally on host communities and companies.
Folks’s bodily well being has deteriorated in such circumstances – the World Well being Organisation (WHO) has mentioned that greater than two-thirds of the inhabitants have reported a worsening of their well being for the reason that begin of the invasion.
However the hurt brought on by these assaults is way from simply bodily. Psychological well being professionals within the nation, in addition to worldwide our bodies together with the WHO, have warned of a psychological well being disaster in Ukraine, with probably as much as 10 million folks struggling with psychological well being issues.
IPS spoke to scores of individuals in cities and cities throughout Ukraine about how the warfare had affected their psychological well being. Many spoke of experiencing anxiousness, typically completely to some stage, which could possibly be intensified at any second by the frequent sound of air raid sirens warning of an assault, or for these nearer to frontlines, the sounds of explosions and bombings.
“What impacts my psychological well being each day are the fixed nighttime drone and missile assaults. Due to them, it’s inconceivable to loosen up or get correct relaxation, as reaching a shelter for security is crucial, even at evening,” Mihail*, an adolescent who lives within the Kyiv area, informed IPS.
The state of affairs for a lot of Ukrainians has acutely worsened this winter. In what has been one of many coldest winters the nation has seen for a few years, Russian forces have repeatedly attacked Ukraine’s vitality infrastructure, leading to huge, widespread energy outages. Thermal heating services have additionally been destroyed in focused assaults.
As temperatures have plunged to as little as minus 30 levels Celsius on some events, thousands and thousands of individuals have been left freezing of their houses.
Jamie Wah, Deputy Head of Delegation with the Worldwide Federation of Crimson Cross and Crimson Crescent Societies (IFRC) in Ukraine, mentioned folks had been struggling desperately within the chilly.
“Some nights have been very insufferable. There isn’t any escape from the chilly. While you go away your residence, it’s chilly. Generally folks have been joking that it’s hotter inside a fridge than inside their residence. I’ve been right here for over 4 years now, and it’s been the worst winter,” she informed IPS.
Humanitarian organisations, together with the Ukrainian Crimson Cross, and state emergency companies have arrange emergency heating factors in cities and cities the place folks can hold heat, recharge gadgets and get meals.
However Wah mentioned whereas this has change into a humanitarian disaster, it’s considered one of simply many crises Ukrainians are battling.
“In frontline areas, there are communities which can be beneath evacuation orders, and a few communities have primarily had most of their sources reduce off. Household ties are fairly strained – psychological well being wants are additionally immense, not solely within the frontline areas however throughout Ukraine,” she mentioned.
“There are many repairs to houses which can be wanted, to not point out the vitality disaster, which is a humanitarian disaster… with no heating and no electrical energy, simply the day-to-day issues – simply even heating your meals turns into an issue. A variety of households are having to spend extra time outdoors their houses, having to spend more cash. On high of that, the price of residing has elevated. These are a number of the actual, tangible conditions that individuals in Ukraine are going through now,” she added.
Amid these issues, many Ukrainians admit that they’re exhausted after 4 years of warfare.
However among the many many individuals IPS spoke to on the eve of the fourth anniversary of the warfare, there was a widespread, though definitely not common, willpower to not surrender.
“I really feel a way of duty. I wouldn’t have the best to surrender, as a result of many individuals have died in order that I may have the prospect to dwell. After all, there may be exhaustion, however, in contrast to these within the navy, a civilian like me has time to relaxation and reset,” mentioned Iryna.
For a lot of, such resilience is born out of a need not only for them and their nation to outlive what they see as Russia’s try to destroy them as an impartial state and nation, but additionally a hope that, finally, there can be some justice served for what has been accomplished to them.
The Russian navy and authorities have repeatedly been accused of warfare crimes, crimes in opposition to humanity, breaches of worldwide humanitarian legislation, in addition to genocide, through the invasion of Ukraine.
The sheer quantity of alleged crimes – at the least 180,000 warfare crimes have been registered by Ukraine’s Prosecutor Normal – and the constraints of documenting, investigating and prosecuting throughout an ongoing battle imply that bringing these behind them to justice was by no means anticipated to be simple. Solely over 100 folks have been prosecuted in Ukraine to this point for crimes through the invasion.
However there are fears that worldwide our bodies such because the Worldwide Legal Courtroom (ICC), which has issued an arrest warrant for, amongst others, Russian President Vladimir Putin over alleged warfare crimes, could possibly be rendered more and more toothless of their capacity to ever prosecute main figures who ordered such crimes as a result of world leaders, reminiscent of US President Donald Trump, are not focused on upholding worldwide justice for warfare crimes.
“I really hope that the warfare will finish very quickly and that every one warfare criminals can be delivered to justice. Nevertheless, what I see occurring proper now could be the other: whereas establishments just like the UN are unable to punish Russia, individuals are beginning to neglect about its warfare crimes. International locations are step by step lifting sanctions,” mentioned Mihail.
“For instance, Russian athletes are going to have the ability to participate within the Paralympics this 12 months. In consequence, individuals who dedicated warfare crimes simply months or years in the past can now participate in one of many world’s greatest sporting occasions. So we have to act – by refusing to normalise aggression, retaining sanctions agency and, most significantly, remembering about warfare.”
Others, although, are extra hopeful.
“There isn’t any doubt amongst Ukrainians that warfare criminals could be delivered to justice,” Oleh Martynenko, an skilled on the Ukrainian NGO Heart for Civil Liberties, which paperwork warfare crimes, informed IPS.
“That is evidenced by the participation of Ukrainians in worldwide missions and courts the place warfare criminals have been convicted. Additionally, because of the European Union, Ukrainians are constructing their very own legal prosecution methods, which offer for the arrest and imprisonment of Russian warfare criminals in accordance with UN worldwide requirements,” he mentioned.
No matter these issues and the opposite issues Ukrainians are going through because the full-scale invasion goes into its fifth 12 months, some want to the long run with a level of hope.
“I really feel a mixture of willpower, resilience, anger, and hope of victory,” Tetiana, a nurse within the Dnipropetrovsk area, who requested to not be recognized for safety causes, informed IPS. “Glory to Ukraine!” she added.
*Title modified to guard id.
IPS UN Bureau Report
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