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.
- Links to complete news coverage of Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine: mkeind.com/ukraine
- Reports from Ukraine – Series of news reports from May 2022 in Ukraine: mkeind.com/reportsfromukraine
- Return to Ukraine – Series of news reports from June-July 2023 in Ukraine: mkeind.com/returntoukraine
- Selected features that focus on news from Milwaukee’s Sister City of Irpin: mkeind.com/irpin
Featured: Jennifer Vosters: A visit to Kyiv that offered insight, awareness, and an inspiration for solidarity [Feb 24, 2022]
Russia’s Nuclear Doctrine: Understanding the rules behind Putin’s threat of using atomic weapons
Since Russia launched its unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the brutal dictator Vladimir Putin and other Kremlin voices have frequently threatened the West with its nuclear arsenal. On Day 1 of the war, Putin said “whoever tries to impede us,...
Why Ukraine’s spring offensive has yet to begin even with summer rapidly approaching
For months, Western allies have shipped billions of dollars worth of weapons systems and ammunition to Ukraine with an urgency to get the supplies to Kyiv in time for an anticipated spring counteroffensive. Summer is now just around the corner. While Russia and...
Remains of U.S. Marine veteran killed a year ago defending Ukraine finally brought home
The remains of a U.S. Marine veteran who was missing in Ukraine for more than a year returned to the United States on May 19, and headed to his hometown in eastern North Carolina. A Turkish Airlines plane flying from Istanbul with the remains of retired Marine Captain...
From invasion to liberation: Sergi Mykhalchuk earns 2 Milwaukee Press Club awards for his images in Irpin
Somewhere in Ukraine, at an undisclosed location along the frontlines, Sergi Mykhalchuk received a Facebook message from Milwaukee that his work documenting Irpin’s evacuation and later liberation had won two journalism awards. On May 12, the Milwaukee Press...
Milwaukee Independent earns 3 of its 11 Gridiron Awards for first-hand reporting of Ukraine War
The Milwaukee Independent earned eleven top distinctions on May 12 from the Milwaukee Press Club for Excellence in Wisconsin Journalism, during the 2023 Gridiron Awards at the Pfister Hotel. The journalism honors follow multiple years of double-digit recognition for...
A Colonial War: How Ukrainians are resisting the centuries-old ambitions of Russia’s imperialism
By Ronald Suny, Professor of History and Political Science, University of Michigan The war being waged by Russia in Ukraine has been described in many ways – an attempt to recreate the USSR, a militant attempt to create a new Eurasia civilization, or a proxy war...
Unhealed Wounds: Russia’s aggression against Ukraine prompts Baltic states to remove Soviet memorials
By Dmitrijs Andrejevs, PhD candidate in Russian and East European Studies, University of Manchester Estonia is to remove all of its Soviet-era war monuments, the latest in a line of eastern European countries to go down this path. There are reportedly 200 to 400...
State-sponsored Antisemitism: Kremlin’s threat to close Jewish emigration service echoes Soviet era
By Shaul Kelner, Associate Professor of Sociology and Jewish Studies, Vanderbilt University Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 sparked a surge of refugees fleeing the war zone, but political repression and economic uncertainty have also prompted emigration...
Irpin is my home: Art project uses drawings by local children to produce t-shirt collection of solidarity
Deputies of Milwaukee’s Sister City showed their community spirit and national resilience during a public City Council meeting on August 22, by wearing T-shirts from the art project “Irpin – My Home.” The idea behind the patriotic apparel came...
Bravery as a brand: When Ukraine turned adverting its national image into an effective weapon of war
By Nadia Kaneva, Associate Professor, University of Denver When a preview of Vogue’s October 2022 cover story on Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska hit Twitter on July 26, 2022, reactions on social media were swift and polarized. Some critics said that a photo shoot...
Crimea’s significance: Understanding the new tactics by Ukraine to liberate its strategic territory
By Christoph Bluth, Professor of International Relations and Security, University of Bradford Russian president Vladimir Putin has reportedly replaced the commander of his Black Sea fleet just three days after an attack on the Russian Saki airbase in Crimea, as...
Under conditions of war: Friendships and family ties in Ukraine have been both shattered and strengthened
By Greta Uehling, Lecturer, Program in International and Comparative Studies, University of Michigan War does more than displace civilians, or kill them. When wars are waged in residential areas, they become part of the calculus of simply getting through the day....
Battlefield challenges: Ukraine fights for survival against Russia as political winds shift in U.S.
After almost 30 months of war with Russia, Ukraine’s difficulties on the battlefield are mounting even as its vital support from the United States is increasingly at the mercy of changing political winds. A six-month delay in military assistance from the U.S.,...
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.
