Source: UN News: Friday, 27 February 2026 00:01 AM
Fighting had been raging in the eastern part of Ukraine since 2014, but most people in the country did not realize that a few years later, a full-scale war would erupt here. The violent conflict, which began with the invasion of Russian military forces on February 24, 2022, is now entering its fifth year, and despite this length of time, a large number of Ukrainian citizens see no end to the conflict. Four years ago, Russian military forces launched a ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine in violation of the UN Charter and international law. Since then, approximately 15,000 civilians have been killed, thousands more have been injured and the country has suffered a loss of $195 billion. ‘A stain on the collective conscience’UN Secretary General António Guterres expressed his anger at this tragic milestone in a statement, saying that this devastating war is a stain on our collective consciousness. This war remains a threat to regional and international peace and security. He has warned that the longer this war continues, the more deadly it will become. Common citizens are bearing the brunt of this war. More than 2,500 people had lost their lives in the year 2025, which he termed unacceptable. The violent conflict in Ukraine has caused endless hardships for the common people. The memories of the brutal fighting on the Eastern Front during the Second World War 80 years ago are still fresh among the elderly population. But the bloodshed in the last few years has lasted longer than that of 1941-1945. Due to the war in Ukraine, there are challenges on many fronts, due to which common people are facing many types of sufferings. Some people have lost their loved ones forever. Many people’s houses were damaged in the bombing. Many people were displaced outside the country in search of safe haven and were unable to return due to military action. © UNIC/Maria Shaposhnikova Firefighters are trying to extinguish the fire after the attack in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. A mother’s dream Kherson, the provincial capital, is on the front lines of the fighting, with sirens blaring throughout the city every day, warning of bombings. Schools and kindergartens are closed, and so parents take their children to underground shelters, where they can study, play sports and stay warm in the freezing cold in a safe environment. Victoria and her 5-year-old daughter Miroslava visit such a center every day. Victoria tried twice to leave Kherson and go to the nearby city of Mykolaiv, but returned because, despite the difficulties, her circumstances were better because of having a home here. Victoria works part-time and receives social benefits. Her husband also has employment. Humanitarian aid organizations have arranged for essential items for the family. “It helps a lot, and I’m grateful for the support.” But he is angry at politicians. “No one wants to end the war, and they have no interest in it.” Victoria dreams of a peaceful future for her daughter, where there are fireworks instead of bombs. © UNICEF/Oleksii Filippov People take shelter from the harsh winter in a tent prepared for heating in the Ukrainian capital Kiev. There is no relief from cold; heating system hardly works in the houses of Kherson. Therefore, Victoria’s family uses a separate heater, but it is also not very effective for warmth. The numbing cold is a big problem. And this year, Ukraine is facing a harsh winter. Temperatures are plunging to minus 20 degrees Celsius, and millions of people are suffering from power outages, heating shortages, and generators and repair supplies due to attacks by Russian military forces on the country’s energy facilities. Another major concern is the number of casualties caused by the harsh winter. According to the UN Human Rights Office, by the end of 2025, there will be more than 55 thousand civilian casualties. About 15 thousand civilians have lost their lives, although the actual number of dead is likely to be much higher. © UNICEF/Oleksandr Osipov Women are also playing a leading role in providing humanitarian aid in Ukraine. dire circumstances for childrenUnited Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) has expressed deep anger over the plight of children. According to an estimate, since February 2022, more than 3 thousand children have either died or been injured. The number of child casualties has increased by 10 percent in 2025 compared to 2024. This is the third consecutive year when the number of child victims has increased. 3.7 million Ukrainian citizens are displaced within the country’s borders. Since the start of the war, 4.4 million people who were previously homeless have returned. Of these, 10 lakh people had taken refuge in other countries. However, not every citizen who crossed the border and returned to Ukraine has been able to return to his home. 3.72 lakh people are still internally displaced. © UNICEF/Oleksii Filippov ‘What kind of life is this?’ Interruptions in electricity supply pose a major threat to Ukraine’s elderly population, disabled people and chronically ill people. No less worrying are the psychosocial consequences of the energy crisis: darkness, isolation and constant uncertainty are exhausting people. Elena, 80, at the UN humanitarian center in Kherson Reach out regularly for help. He said what kind of life is this? It cannot be called life when there is firing every day. “A year ago, I buried my son and his wife. The house is destroyed, everything is broken. What kind of life is this.” Elena said that in the absence of humanitarian aid, many people would not survive. “The pension is very low. How do we survive? My son is gone, the others are also gone…They give us lunch. They give us bread, medicine. God bless them for helping us.” © UN/Ximena Borrazás During four years of war in Ukraine, the housing, energy and transport sectors have suffered severe damage and many people do not even have electricity to cope with the winter. Hopes for peace Mathias Schmale, the UN’s top humanitarian aid official in Ukraine, has traveled across the country to take stock of the situation. He said that due to the current situation, frustration is increasing among the local population and this can be understood. He met such people who are very tired but not ready to lose courage. “Let us honor their courage.” Shmale, the humanitarian coordinator, stressed that the most important thing this year is that peace actually prevails, and that the suffering of the Ukrainian people end. “We want to see that [युद्ध के] The ceasefire should be implemented in the fifth year and there should be permanent peace with dignity.”
