What’s Happening in Ukraine?

by Kayla Francis | February 24, 2022

On February 24, 2022, global citizens woke up to the news of Russia launching a multi-pronged attack on Ukraine.

Tension has been rising for over two months following failed efforts to resolve conflict.

The invasion involved Russian tanks and troops entering Ukraine along the Southern and Northern Borders. Convoys also entered the eastern Ukrainian regions. Additionally, several Ukrainian cities have been bombed following Russian directed airstrikes and missile attacks.

WHY IS RUSSIA INVADING UKRAINE?

Put simply, Russia views Ukraine as a threat.

Ukraine, a democratic nation of 44 million people is Europe’s largest country (by area) second only to Russia.

Ukraine voted for independence at the fall of the Soviet Union and now aims to join NATO and the European Union.

These aspirations, infuriate President Vladimir Putin and Moscow. Putin has called Ukraine an ‘artificial construct carved from Russia by its enemies’ and through this invasion according to Putin, aims to ‘disarm Ukraine and purge it of nationalists’.

WHAT ARE THE IMPACTS THUS FAR?

Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukraine has already suffered serious losses after the airstrikes.

The attack began in the early hours of February 24, with explosions and sirens being heard in the capital, Kyiv, and at its Boryspil airport, and witnesses reporting missile blasts in many other cities, including Kharkiv, Kramatorsk, Dnipro, Mariupol, Odesa, and Zaporizhzhya.

At least 40 persons have been killed with a rising toll of unconfirmed civilian and military deaths. Many civilians are choosing to leave the country by other forms of transportation, or sheltering in bomb shelters, since Ukrainian airspace is closed to civilian flights.

WHAT ABOUT THE JAMAICANS IN UKRAINE?

Amid tensions in Ukraine, the concern of Jamaican citizens who are currently in Ukraine for University was highlighted. Jamaicans in Ukraine were offered travel loans by the government in order to return home. This offer, however was denied by the students. According to the Jamaica Gleaner, some of the students who remain are currently sheltering in European bomb shelters.

While many Jamaicans questioned the students’ decision to refuse a TRAVEL LOAN in such desperate times, Turns out, there is more to the story.

Did You Know?

According to twitter user ‘@du_soleilxx’ a Jamaican medical student studying in Ukraine, some educational institutions in Ukraine were not taking the impending threat of Russian invasion seriously. Jamaican students were told that they would be expelled from their institutions if they left the country.

Students suggested that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade personally write to these Ukrainian schools to help the students, and even suggested having the students placed at Jamaican medical schools in the event that they were expelled, however as of now, nothing has come of this.

Directly quoted from the student ‘Coupled with a travel loan, students were also fearful of losing thousands of dollars with no concrete evidence that the government would help us if we got expelled’

HOW TO HELP UKRAINE

1. Spreading awareness via social media is free.

2. Donation platforms verified by Ukrainians (unfortunately, some scammers will take advantage of this crisis exploiting tragedy for money)

Here are VERIFIED places where you can donate:

• Come back alive
• Army SOS
• Razom for Ukraine
• United help Ukraine
• Fundraiser for sunflower of peace
• Revived soldiers of Ukraine
• Voices of children.

Please avoid donating to random ‘GoFundMe’s or other platforms that cannot be verified.