Two and a half million people lost their lives in two years of Russia-Ukraine war

- World Window

- It has been two years since the Russia-Ukraine war that started in February-2022, yet the war does not stop. The fires of war are still killing hundreds of people. Five lakh people have been injured in this war

Ever since the US started the exercise of making Ukraine a member of NATO, Russia and the US have been facing each other. Russian President Vladimir Putin has made a statement considering the US action as unjustified: if the US reaches the border of Russia, Russian citizens will be in danger day and night. It is not at all appropriate for American troops to be stationed near the Russian border. Since Russia has not deployed near American borders, America should stop disturbing regional peace.

On the other hand, American President Joe Biden argued: Ukraine is an ally of America and Russia should not interfere in the process of joining NATO to protect it. It is Ukraine's decision. Ukraine is an independent nation. The NATO military is the responsibility of a NATO member country. If necessary, NATO will build a military base in Ukraine. If Russia intervenes, we will take necessary action.

While such rhetoric was going on, the world did not imagine that there would actually be a war between Russia and Ukraine. The US assumed that global sanctions were in place when Russia sent troops to seize Crimea in 2014. Even though Crimea seceded from Ukraine and formed a separate government there in defense of Russia at the behest of Putin, Putin will not do it a second time.

Russia did not expect that the United States always raised its voice against countries less powerful than itself. Even after the trade war against China, the trade has to be resumed by giving concessions. Many Chinese apps run freely in the US. China is far away, countries like North Korea and Iran also do not clash with America, so America will not risk going to war with Russia.

In those days, Russian President Putin started threatening America one after another. After the US announced that if Russia invades Ukraine, the US will step in to protect it, there were fears that war would break out at any time. Finally what was feared happened. On February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. Russian military officers were arrogant that it would take Russia 24 or 48 hours to take over Ukraine. Ukraine's relatively small military force against Russia's vast capabilities was also a challenge. Against Russia, Ukraine can last 24-48 hours or up to a week.

But it's been twenty-two years since Russia invaded, and Ukraine is fighting right back against Russia. Citizens of Ukraine joined the war in Deshdaz. Used technology, used social media. Citizens living abroad came to help in the war. He provided financial support to those who could not come. In addition to America, NATO member countries provided financial assistance to help Ukraine fight the war. America sent weapons. All efforts were made to stop the war in two-four months by banning Russia. France and Germany brokered a truce, but the war did not stop.

Two years later, the situation has changed: 12,000 Ukrainian citizens have died and more than 30,000 have been injured. Half of them have permanent loss of body. More than 70 thousand military personnel of Ukraine have died. Not long ago, Ukrainian President Zelensky said that 31 thousand soldiers have died in the last one year. These are the official figures of the Government of Ukraine. Russia claims that 1.2 million Ukrainian soldiers were killed.

The death toll is similar in Russia. According to the United Nations, 45 thousand Russian soldiers have been killed. Apart from that, 23 thousand soldiers of paramilitary forces have been killed. All together, Russia has lost about 70 thousand soldiers. Russia denies this claim and admits that 400,000 soldiers died. However, private reports suggest that between two and a half to four lakh people were killed on both sides. According to the report of the American think tank, by January-2024, one and a half lakh soldiers of Russia have died and more than two lakh have been injured. So it was said that 1.20 lakh soldiers of Ukraine were consumed in the war.

Civilian deaths have decreased in Russia. Ukraine has not carried out as many attacks targeting colonial buildings as the Russian military has. The Russian army has not spared the hospitals either. Incidents of attacks on soldiers and civilians in hospitals have also occurred in Ukraine. According to American estimates, five to seven lakh people have been injured in this war and two million houses have been destroyed in Ukraine. As a result of the war, eight million people have fled Ukraine and become refugees in other countries. Six to seven lakh soldiers of both the countries are deployed in the battlefield.

The World Bank estimates that it will take 10 years for Ukraine to emerge from this war and it will require an amount of 486 billion dollars. That is, Ukraine will need such a large amount to reach the status of February-2022. Earlier, the World Bank said that Ukraine lost 400 billion dollars. Ukraine has suffered a blow of 48 billion dollars in the field of agriculture. Farms have been lying empty for the past two years as farming has not been possible in the war-torn country.

So this war has cost Russia 211 billion dollars. Russia's bilateral trade has declined significantly as trade with Europe has stalled. However, Russia has succeeded to some extent in offsetting crude exports through trade deals with countries like India and China. But the figure lost in the war is huge. In short, 600-700 billion dollars have been wasted by both the parties. And how can the account of those who have lost their relatives be put? It is said that war story is funny, but war itself is not beautiful. The Russia-Ukraine war is a recent example.