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 concludes secretive political trial with conviction of U.S. reporter on espionage charges
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was falsely convicted on July 19 of espionage and sentenced to 16 years in a maximum-security prison on charges that his employer and the U.S. government have rejected as fabricated. The swift conclusion of the secretive...
European Union’s assembly calls for special court to judge Russian war crimes in Ukraine
The European Union’s assembly called on the member states recently to back the creation of a special court to judge any war crime of aggression by Russia in Ukraine. The non-binding resolution was approved by a 472-19 vote with 33 abstentions in the European...
How the Wagner Group’s inhuman brutality gave Russia an advantage in its unprovoked war
Fierce battles in eastern Ukraine have thrown a new spotlight on Russia’s Wagner Group, a private military company led by a rogue millionaire with longtime links to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Wagner has spearheaded the push to jump-start Russia’s...
Forced separations are an all too common condition as war rips young Ukrainian family apart
University student Vlada Yushchenko was still in her teens and nearly three months pregnant when she hugged her husband at the border, turned away and walked into Moldova. Now she is in Romania, one of the millions of Ukrainians forced to flee Russia’s invasion....
Russia diverts attention from continued military blunders with terror attacks on Ukrainian civilians
Russia used strategic bombers, cruise missiles and killer drones in a wave of attacks across Ukraine on February 10, while Moscow’s military push that Kyiv says has been brewing for days appeared to pick up pace in eastern areas ahead of the one-year anniversary...
Alderman José G. Pérez unanimously chosen as Milwaukee’s first Hispanic Common Council President
Members of the Milwaukee Common Council voted unanimously on April 19 for electing Alderman José G. Pérez of the 12th District to serve as their next leader, making him the first Hispanic Common Council President in the city’s history. As the only council member...
Enemy at the Door: Irpin couple hides for days from Russian armored column just outside their apartment
Kyiv-based volunteer Antonina Dembytska has interviewed Ukrainians who have found their lives engulfed in war. Her mission has been to preserve the voices of witnesses for the history, and the future war crime tribunal against Russia. She recently had a conversation...
Abandoning Democracy: When a One-Party government commits war crimes then claims to be a force for good
Political scientist and member of the Russian legislative body Vyacheslav Nikonov said on April 17 that, “in reality, we embody the forces of good in the modern world because this clash is metaphysical … We are on the side of good against the forces of absolute...
The “Fortress Russia” Myth: Why a once self-proclaimed island of Christianity sees itself as a constant victim
By Gregory Carleton, Professor of Russian Studies, Tufts University The range of anti-Russian measures taken by countries around the world since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is virtually unprecedented and hearkens back to the darkest days of the Cold War....
Five days of violence: Local Irpin reporter details Russia’s devastating attack on Milwaukee’s sister city
Irpin, a commuter town on the northwest edge of Kyiv, was once famous for its peace and quiet in comparison with the buzz of the Ukrainian capital. But since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, the town has become synonymous with shelling and indiscriminate...
Zoreslav Zamoisky: Body of Ukrainian journalist from Irpin identified at Russian massacre site in Bucha
The Irpin City Council reported on April 12 that the body of a local resident was found on the street in nearby bucha, one of the hundreds of victims massacred by Russian forces. Zoreslav Zamoisky was a 44-year-old freelance journalist from Irpin. His last social...
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy urges world leaders to prepare for Putin using nuclear weapons in Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on April 15 warned that the world should prepare for Russia to use nuclear weapons as part of its ongoing assault. When asked if he was worried that Russian President Vladimir Putin might use a so-called tactical nuclear weapon...
South Korea considers sending weapons to Ukraine after dictators Putin and Kim sign military pact
South Korea said on June 20 that it would consider sending arms to Ukraine, a major policy change that was suggested after Russia and North Korea rattled the region and beyond by signing a pact to come to each other’s defense in the event of war. The comments...
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.
