Russian invasion of Ukraine
Special Coverage
Vladimir Putin began a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, in an escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War that he started in 2014. The invasion received widespread international condemnation, including massive economic sanctions. Milwaukee’s Ukrainian American community began with immigrants in the early twentieth century, and continued to grow in the years after World War II and the fall of the Soviet Union.
These news stories cover the local connections in Milwaukee to an international crisis, and all the complexities woven into America’s political climate.
- Selected features that focus on news from Milwaukee’s Sister City of Irpin can be found here: mkeind.com/irpin
- Complete coverage from the series Reports from Ukraine can be found here: mkeind.com/reportsfromukraine
Featured: Jennifer Vosters: A visit to Kyiv that offered insight, awareness, and an inspiration for solidarity [Feb 24, 2022]
Security for our Sister City: Milwaukee approves the donation of protective police gear to Irpin in Ukraine
The Milwaukee Common Council approved File #220396 on July 28, a substitute resolution relating to gifting protective gear from the Milwaukee Police Department to Milwaukee’s sister city in Ukraine. Irpin was designated as a “Hero City” by President...
Escaping the war: How Ukrainian families in Wisconsin find help from the Resettlement Assistance Program
Peter Sokor has been playing piano since childhood, and at his home in Ukraine, he made his living giving lessons to adults and children. He enjoyed teaching people and planning large concerts where students would invite their families, friends and coworkers to see...
Cultural Symbolism: Why heritage sites in Ukraine like Saint Sophia Cathedral remain a threat to Russia
By J. Eugene Clay, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies, Arizona State University More than 160 Ukrainian cultural sites have been damaged or destroyed since Russia invaded the country in February 2022,...
A war on food in Ukraine: World Central Kitchen’s relief effort has served 100 Million meals in 5 months
Today marks five months since Russian forces invaded Ukraine, displacing millions of people, claiming tens of thousands of lives, and destroying thousands of buildings and entire communities. But these numbers only partially convey what the Ukrainian people have had...
Illusion of Greatness: Russia’s war continues to be propelled by propaganda and historic parallelism
By Julia Khrebtan-Hörhager, Associate Professor of Critical Cultural & International Studies, Colorado State University; and Evgeniya Pyatovskaya, Ph.D. Candidate in Communication, University of South Florida Russia’s war against Ukraine is pressing into its...
A terror playbook: Almost two million Ukrainians have been victims of Russia’s mass kidnappings
By Alexander Hinton, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology; Director, Center for the Study of Genocide and Human Rights, Rutgers University – Newark Following months of speculation, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed on July 13, 2022, that Russia...
War-shattered infrastructure: North Korean labor to rebuild occupied Donbas region destroyed by Russia
North Korea could send workers to two Russian-controlled territories in eastern Ukraine, according to Russia’s ambassador in Pyongyang. The move would pose a challenge to international sanctions against the North’s nuclear weapons program. According to NK News, a...
Morally Exhausted: Why Russian soldiers are refusing to fight in the unprovoked war on Ukraine
For 4 1/2 months, Corporal Ilya Kaminsky and his fellow soldiers from the 11th Separate Air Assault Brigade have waged war, as part of the grinding Russian military offensive that has slowly pushed Ukrainian troops back in eastern Ukraine. By early July, Kaminsky...
Maks Levin: Report finds that celebrated Ukrainian photojournalist was executed by Russian troops
A Ukrainian photojournalist and a soldier accompanying him who were killed in the first weeks of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine appear to have been “coldly executed” by Russian troops, Reporters Without Borders has concluded following an investigation into the killings....
Shared European security: Why it is not wise to be alone in a region with an authoritarian neighbor
By Steven Lamy, Professor Emeritus of Political Science and International Relations and Spatial Sciences, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences No one should be surprised by the decision made by the governments of Sweden and Finland to apply for full...
Poorer and less secure: Putin’s bloody assault of Ukraine is badly dividing other post-Soviet countries
By Nicole Jackson, Associate Professor of International Studies, Simon Fraser University The war in Ukraine is dividing the former Soviet region, making it poorer and less secure. Russia will take advantage of this. As a student three decades ago, I watched the Soviet...
Prelude to Annexation: Russian policy seeks to further weaponize citizenship in occupied Ukrainian territories
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin recently signed a decree to simplify the procedure for Russian citizenship, specifically for residents of the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts in occupied Ukraine. The action further proves that Putin had every intention to annex...
Hybrid Warfare: How Ukraine is winning the hearts and minds of Americans to offset Russia’s propaganda
By Michael Butler, Associate Professor of Political Science, Clark University Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has dominated headlines since late February 2022. The war struck a nerve among Western audiences, evoking a high degree of support for Ukraine. The reasons for...
Featured: Photos from the frontlines: Sergi Mykhalchuk documents images of war as civilians evacuate Irpin [Mar 16, 2022]
Featured: Milwaukee formalizes Sister City status with Ukraine’s Irpin [Mar 23, 2018]
Milwaukee has a small but thriving Ukrainian American community, and Irpin is a sister city. Follow our special coverage at mkeind.com/ukraine for updates on Putin’s invasion, and about how the fight by Ukrainian people to preserve their democracy is having an impact on the families and businesses here in Milwaukee. 🇺🇦 Слава Україні! Героям слава!
Help maintain a reliable news source in Ukraine by supporting the Kyiv Independent, an English-language media outlet created by journalists who were fired from the Kyiv Post for defending editorial independence. Donations can be made via patreon or gofundme.
