Markiian Chuchuk
Ambassador of Ukraine to Pakistan
Today we mark a sad anniversary – two years of Russian full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine – the bloodiest one Europe has seen in 80 years. Enslaving Ukraine was supposed to be just the first step in a bigger plan: rolling back history and dividing the world into zones of influence again. Due to the courage of Ukrainians, this plan failed.
The two years of heroism and resilience of Ukrainiansin defending its sovereignty and freedom has amazed the world.Putin’s invasion was intended to be a blitzkrieg, destroying the Ukrainian state within days or weeks. After two years, Ukraine is still standing and fighting back, having liberated more than half of the newly occupied territories, lifting Russia’s naval blockade by sinking nearly a third of Russia’s Black Sea fleet, unitinga global coalition of its supporters.
It is also important to recall that Ukrainian resistance has been going on much longer than two years. The Russian aggression against Ukraine started February 19, 2014 with the temporary occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. February 26, is being commemorated in Ukraine as the Day of Resistance to the Occupation of Crimea.
In revenge for its military losses on the battlefield, Russia continues terrorising Ukrainian civilians by attacking critical infrastructure and residential areas with missiles, bombs and attack drones, turning the beautiful country into ruins. Cities of Bakhmut, Avdiivka, Maryinka and Vuhledar as well as many others stand as remnants of the past, inhabitable no more and virtually erased.Nearly all major Ukrainian cities bear the scars of indiscriminate missile and drone attacks.
Hundreds of thousands of human lives, both military and civilian, including women and children, have been tragically lost.Millions of people have been displaced, forced to flee their homes and seek refuge either within Ukraine or abroad.
Ukrainian law enforcement agencies launched investigations into 125,307 war crimes and crimes of aggression as well as 16,297 crimes against national security. They include the killing of 11,868 (including 526 children) and the wounding of 18,950 civilians (among them 1,223 children).
The Russian occupiers have deported nearly 200‑300 thousand Ukrainian children to Russia. 4,390 Ukrainian kids who are orphans or lack parental care were illegally transferred to Russia. So far, 536 of kidnapped children have been returned and reunited with their families. On February 2, 2024 the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children was launched.
Russian aggression destroys Ukraine’s cultural heritage on a scale unseen since World War II. Many heritage structures have either been destroyed or sustained major damage.
After these two years it becomes increasingly clear that Russia has lost its aggressive war in terms of strategy. Nonetheless,it demonstrates commitment to protracted war of attrition, hoping to win with the use of its still considerable resources, war fatigue and nuclear blackmail.
Ukraine is suffering the most in this war; therefore, no one wants peace more than Ukrainians. The path to the peace lies through battlefield success and throwing occupiers out of Ukrainian soil.The peace will come only after Ukraine territorial integrity has been completely reinstated within the internationally recognized borders. Idea of accepting “new territorial realities” being imposed by Moscow, is unacceptable.
Russian War in Ukraine – 100 Days of Resistance by Markiian Chuchuk










