Russia and Ukraine have a long and complex history dating back centuries to when the Tsar once ruled over Russia. Under the rule of the Soviet Union, Ukraine suffered more than ever; the Holodomor, a man-made famine created by the Soviet Union, killed thousands of Ukrainians. Stalin wanted greater control of the territory because Ukrainians were beginning to hope for independence and no longer wanted to supply the industrializing areas of Russia with grain. Ukraine remained under the rule of the USSR until its collapse in 1991, and with its fall Ukrainians voted to become an independent nation separate from Russia. This was a huge win for Ukraine, but a major loss for Russia that future leaders would view as the end of Russia’s glory. Ukrainians have always seen themselves as their own group of independent people, despite being under the control of Russians.
After Ukraine separated itself from Russia, there was debate over what parts of territory would go to Russia or Ukraine. Ukraine ended up gaining control of the Crimean Peninsula, a vital area for transportation. In 2014, Putin decided that Russia should have power over the Crimea, and he invaded and annexed the area, although he was quickly shut down, it was obvious that Russia was testing how far they could go.
February 24, 2022: The start of a full-scale Russian invasion on Ukraine. Russia sent troops in and continuously bombed Ukraine, causing mass amounts of casualties. Miles of infrastructure were devastated over the years, access to clean water and food was destroyed, and the ability to heat homes in the cold, harsh winters was no longer an accessible feature of life inside of Ukraine. Over the past few years, Ukraine has suffered greatly from the constant attack of Russian forces, but never once has losing their sovereignty been an option.
This June, Ukraine has continued their unique warfare strategy in order to fight back against Russia. Ukraine again decided it would be best to fight back by utilizing drone warfare, and decided to apply it in St. Petersburg. St. Petersburg is a grand, highly-populated city in Russia, so for Ukraine to demonstrate the damage they can do in such an important area shows Russia that Ukraine is not a weak nation that can easily be overthrown, but a strong, free nation who will continue to always fight for their independence. Sadie Ferrara, a sophomore and Hingham High School, Sadie thought the drone war-fare was a powerful move by Ukraine, she describes how, “I believe that Ukraine bombing Russia by use of drones is an innovative method on Ukraine’s part, and that if they continue on this path of resilience at some point Russia will give in and move more towards a permanent solutions.” The belief that Russia could agree to negotiations, or possibly ceasefire, would be the best possible outcome for Ukraine, and the hope that it will eventually be the result.
Maggie Towle, another sophomore at Hingham High, describes how she finds, “It is truly brave that Ukraine will not bend to Russia and they continue to rebel against their oppressive rule.” Maggie perfectly encapsulates the truth of the situation, that Ukraine fighting for their sovereignty was unexpected on Russia’s part, but is exactly what a strong, free nation would do. The bombs going off in St. Petersburg was the right move on Ukraine’s half, but the one downside, which is the downside of every war, would be the number of innocent Russian civilians injured or killed in the process. Yet, with every war, that is the natural outcome.
Overall, Ukraine has proven they will continue to fight against Russia in hopes of Russia agreeing to negotiate to a permanent solution that will end the war while letting Ukraine keep control over their territory. Ukraine has been backed by nations all over the world who believe that the country deserves to remain independent, and Ukraine has proven that it will not fall without a fight.
