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]
The Olympic spotlight has allowed Ukraine to capture global attention and fight war fatigue
Ukraine’s Olympic house stands out for its somber atmosphere, with fewer celebrations and parties than the other fan clubhouses that countries set up to tout their athletes and culture. It has moments of silence for war victims and screens documentaries about...
Russia’s year of brutality against Ukraine has purged critics at home and inspired a surge of nationalism
Moscow’s nights display few signs of a nation at war. Cheerful crowds packed restaurants and bars in the Sretenka neighborhood on a recent Saturday night, watched by officers marked as “tourist police.” Nearby, a top-hatted guide led about 40...
Russia alters aerial terror tactics on civilians by swarming Ukraine’s air defenses with decoy missiles
Russia has switched its aerial strike tactics to fool Ukraine’s air defenses, using decoy missiles without explosive warheads and deploying balloons, a senior Ukrainian official said recently. “The Russians are definitely changing tactics” as the war...
One year later: Why Ukraine must fight and peace advocates should stop collaborating with Putin
“Calls for peace that suggest Ukraine should give up its territory simply to end the war will condemn Ukrainians in occupied territories to what will likely be unspeakable horrors, and will provide a precarious foundation for lasting peace.” – Oleksa...
Latest tragedy for war refugees: Ukrainians experience catastrophic disaster in their new home
When war broke out in Ukraine, Aydin Sisman’s relatives there fled to the ancient city of Antakya, in a southeastern corner of Türkiye that borders Syria. They may have escaped one disaster, but another found them in their new home. They were staying with...
Theological Propaganda: Why Orthodox Ukrainians are protesting churches with allegiance to Russia
As war rages across Ukraine, Mykhaylo Tereshchenko is locked in his own spiritual battle that risks tearing his parish apart. The priest is at a loss. He is a cleric of the Moscow branch of Ukraine’s Orthodox Church, which formally pledges allegiance to Russia’s...
A pariah state: Approach to isolate and contain Russia follows strategy long used against Soviet Union
By Alastair Kocho-Williams, Professor of History, Clarkson University The U.S. and its European allies recently said they planned to take a new approach in their relations with Russia: They would isolate and contain the country in the aftermath of its invasion of...
Bogus Holy Wars: What a cathedral dedicated brutal authoritarianism symbolizes about Putin’s Russia
By Lena Surzhko Harned, Assistant Teaching Professor of Political Science, Penn State May 9, 2022, marked the 77th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany. Victory Day has traditionally been a day to honor veterans and hold an enormous parade in...
From oil embargoes to gas cutoffs: Why Putin’s weaponization of energy resources could backfire
By Michael E. Webber, Josey Centennial Professor of Energy Resources, University of Texas at Austin In December 2006, “The Economist” magazine published a cover drawing of Russian president Vladimir Putin, dressed like a 1930s gangster in a dark suit and...
The Great Resignation: Multinationals are leaving Russia faster than they did Apartheid-era South Africa
By Steven Kreft, Clinical Professor of Business Economics and Public Policy, Indiana University; and Elham Mafi-Kreft, Clinical Associate Professor of Business Economics, Indiana University Companies across the globe are fleeing Russia in an unprecedented display of...
Life returns to Irpin: Repairing vital infrastructure has happened quickly but healing still a slow process
It is a gloomy April morning. My hands are freezing but they share due to emotion and not temperature. I am preparing to see with my own eyes what I have only watched on TV and internet video. I am visiting the Hero City of Irpin. I arrived in Irpin by a new route...
Members of legendary band U2 perform solidarity concert in Kyiv metro before visiting Irpin and Bucha
“Today in Irpin we received guests from Ireland. Paul Hudson, Bono, and The Edge – soloist and guitarist for the legendary U2 band, came by with words of support and an offer of help. Discussed the possibility of holding charity concerts of the band to...
Ukraine’s LGBTQ soldiers rally for legal rights in hope that their military service is changing public attitudes
Several hundred LGBTQ Ukrainian servicemen and their supporters marched in central Kyiv on June 16 to demand more rights and highlight their service to their country in its war with Russia. The service members — many wearing rainbow and unicorn patches on their...
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.
