Russia-Ukraine Conflict Update

Credit: Serge Serebro

The world was stunned in early 2022 when Russian forces entered Ukrainian territory for the first time since 2014. In the first few hours, hundreds, if not thousands, of innocent people’s lives were lost, as Russian forces decimated Eastern Ukraine. To date, it is the deadliest European conflict since World War II, with casualties rising to just under a million according to the latest reports. However, with recent events taking center stage, such as the US Presidential election and the Hamas-Israel conflict, the focus has shifted away from the conflict slightly. So, coming up to two years since the beginning of the conflict, what is going on in Ukraine right now? 

In the first few weeks of 2025, there has been a reignition of the fierce fighting that began to dwindle towards the end of 2024. This is largely attributed to the relaunch of the Ukrainian offensive on the Russian Kursk region in early January. Moscow stated that Russian troops halted an attempted breakthrough attempt by Ukraine in the early hours of January 6th, utilizing a path directly through the Kursk region. Ukraine has used the Kursk area as a buffer to ensure Russia couldn’t deploy troops as easily in key battlegrounds across the eastern front. Despite the prevention of the attempted breakthrough, anxiety has risen throughout Russian forces in the Kursk region, as they were taken aback by the severity and surprise of the attack. In retaliation, Russian forces shelled the southern city of Zaporizhzhia, killing thirteen and injuring an additional thirty-two Ukrainians, attacking mainly residential buildings. Furthermore, the focus on the Kursk region offensive has led to the Russian occupation of the strategic stronghold of Kurakhove. The occupation of this city is key as it is roughly twenty miles south of the key logistical hub of Pokrovsk, where much of the key Ukrainian military information is stored. 

Ukraine continues to put more pressure on Russian forces, launching its biggest attack on Russian troops in mid-January this year. Key strategic targets, such as chemical plants and ammunition depots, were hit by Ukrainian missiles across Western and Central Russia, some up to 100 miles from the border. This period is critical for Ukraine, as they look to keep Russia at bay while President Donald Trump moves into office. Trump has already said that a meeting with Putin has been scheduled to occur once he settles into office, most likely sometime in March. It is unclear whether or not this will be a meeting regarding putting an end to the conflict or regarding the US leaving the conflict altogether, as Trump has stated multiple times his skepticism towards military and financial support towards Ukraine. The Ukrainian government will also have talks with the Trump administration, but it is also unclear whether this will occur before or after the meeting with Putin. 

Despite the multiple setbacks and uncertainty surrounding their country, the Ukrainian people remain defiant in tough times. An example of this is Ukrainian refugees opening a school in Northampton, England, to make their children’s lives as normal as possible. It has now grown to roughly forty students and four faculty members since it opened in August of last year. The school focuses on teaching the children about Ukrainian culture, heritage, and traditions rather than just maths and science. The school provides a sanctuary of normalcy for many who have been craving such since the Russian invasion in 2022. This is just one of many examples of refugees from the Ukraine-Russia conflict persevering through tough times. Their story offers a silver lining from the conflict that everyone can appreciate and learn from, showing how Ukrainians are continuing the fight against Russia from abroad.