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]
A 98-year-old Ukrainian woman escaped Russian occupation by walking in slippers for miles to safety
A 98-year-old woman in Ukraine who escaped Russian-occupied territory by walking almost 6 miles alone, wearing a pair of slippers and supported by a cane has been reunited with her family days after they were separated while fleeing to safety. Lidia Stepanivna...
Ukrainians have demonstrated for three hundred days that a free democracy is worth the investment to save
Three hundred days ago, Russian president Vladimir Putin launched a new assault into Ukraine, where his troops had been fighting since 2014. Apparently, he expected that a new strike would bring a quick victory that would enable him to break away the eastern regions...
2022 Notebook: Journalists share experiences of reporting on the front lines as Russia invades Ukraine
After a year of Russian troop buildup, diplomatic wrangling, and months of consternation of will he or won’t he, on February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a military invasion of Ukraine. Despite the buildup, the move shocked the world, and...
Months after doctors escaped from occupied Mariupol they reassembled to open a hospital in Kyiv
A nurse wounded by a Russian sniper was spirited out wrapped in sheets. Another, sickened by the thought of working for the people who destroyed his home, sneaked out a side door and walked out through Mariupol’s shattered streets. Doctors shed their scrubs for...
A battle of attrition: Stalemate in Ukraine sets stage for possible winter escalation
With the war in Ukraine grinding through its 10th month, both sides are locked in a stalemated battle of attrition, which could set the stage for a new round of escalation. Many observers see the current deadlock as beneficial to Ukraine, allowing it to receive more...
Community Solidarity: Faith leaders come together in support of the people of Ukraine at Milwaukee rally
Following the example of Ukraine’s interfaith community, faith leaders in Milwaukee joined together with members of the public to show their solidarity and support for the people of Ukraine as they defend their independent nation and democracy from unprovoked Russian attacks.
A short history of nationalism: Why Russia’s attack on Ukraine is literally a war against Ukrainian statehood
By Dominique Arel, Professor and holder of the Chair of Ukrainian Studies, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa Almost a month has passed since since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his violent, unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. While his stated...
Self-Inflicted Wounds: The damage we allow at home by applauding Tucker Carlson’s glorification of Putin
Russia continued its offensive against Ukraine on March 14, striking hard at civilians in Kyiv and Mariupol. The Russian army is gaining ground, but it appears to be sustaining massive losses of personnel and equipment which, in turn, is making leaders focus on...
The guilt of safety: Ukrainian woman finds temporary peace away from war with her Milwaukee family
In the early days of Putin’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, I spoke with many members of Milwaukee’s Ukrainian American community. I learned about their personal connections to the war, so that their voices could be shared with the public. During one of the...
President of Ukraine invokes memory of 9/11 terror attacks in appeal for help from U.S. Congress
Russia’s war on Ukraine has given us a penetrating snapshot of democracy and autocracy. Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky addressed a joint session of Congress virtually on March 16. His speech was live streamed to the American people. Looking tired, he wore a...
A freefall into poverty: UN report estimates that war has destroyed $100B worth of Ukraine’s infrastructure
While peace talks and humanitarian aid for civilians remain top global priorities amid Russia’s ongoing assault of Ukraine, a United Nations report released on March 16 estimates that over $100 billion in damage has already been done to the country’s...
Ukrainian identity has only grown stronger in the century since young men gathered to defend Kyiv
By Matthew Pauly, Associate Professor of History, Michigan State University This is not the first time residents of Kyiv have fought to defend the city from an encroaching, larger army. On January 30, 1918, a force made up primarily of military cadets and hastily...
Billions of frozen Russian assets and other profits are slowly being redirected to help Ukraine
European Union nations have decided to approve an outline deal that would keep in reserve the profits from hundreds of billions of dollars in Russian central bank assets that have been frozen in retaliation for Moscow’s war in Ukraine, an EU official said. The...
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.
