Ukrainian military operatives launched a two-front counterassault against the invading forces of the Russian Federation. So far, according to foreign and United States intelligence, Ukraine has recaptured approximately 1,000 square miles of territory from the Russians since the latest counteroffensive began a few weeks ago.
The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington think tank dedicated to charting, tracking and predicting military conflicts, said that the most intense fighting is occurring in the South (near the Kherson Oblast), where Ukrainian forces are disrupting ground lines of communication, material movement and troop transports. In the East, Ukrainians have gained back substantial swaths of territory, liberating small villages and contesting larger regions held by Russia, such as Luhansk Oblast. These initial surprising counteroffensives have enlivened the hopes of Ukraine’s proponents and supporters. However, the conservative estimate of civilian deaths has reached nearly 6,000 people with another approximately 8,000 injuries reported by the U.N. The latest combatant death toll comes from Aug. 24, six months after the beginning of the conflict, and sits at an estimated 9,000 Ukrainian combatant deaths and as many as 25,000 Russian deaths.
Vladimir Putin, despite the West’s pressures through sanctions, condemnations and military support for Ukraine, shows no signs of giving up the military struggle. Hank Berrien, reporting for the Daily Wire, made note that the President of the Russian Federation is supporting his Defense Minister, Sergei Shoigu, in calling for the partial-mobilization of 300,000 military reservists in Russia. Putin likewise continued threatening nuclear war with NATO saying, “NATO will be reminded that our country also has various weapons of destruction and with regard to certain components they are even more modern than the NATO ones.”
This followed his remarks about NATO attempting to “blackmail” Russia with activation of nuclear weapons. Since the initial weeks of the war, Putin has been alluding to the possibility of tactical nuclear weapon use in Ukraine or against NATO should the alliance mobilize troops within Ukraine or fly fixed-wing aircraft from NATO airfields. While speaking to the U.N., President Joe Biden denounced Putin’s actions and rhetoric.
Perhaps more concerning than the escalatory rhetoric and procedural partial-mobilization efforts are the pseudo-referenda that will be held in Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine. In Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhia Oblasts, the Russian-backed occupation leaders are poised to hold referenda as early as Sept. 23in order to “democratically” demonstrate these Ukrainian regions’ commitment to possession by Russia. In 2014, these same measures were taken to predicate the annexation of Crimea. The Institute for the Study of War explicitly doubts the legitimacy of these elections. Moreover, these referenda will likely be used by Putin to justify an increased ground assault on these regions under guise as a “liberation” of Russia-sympathetic Ukrainians desperate to be under Russia’s control.
So far, the Biden administration has been much more robust in their response via congressional and executive action than the Obama administration was in 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine. It’s unclear, however, how much support the administration is willing to provide. The administration has refused to provide equipment that has the capacity to strike in Russian territory (such as long-range, guided missiles with ranges up to 200 miles), but has continually supplied HIMAR-missiles, ammunitions, financial support and Howitzer heavy artillery in support of the military efforts. President Biden fears that providing weapons that can be used against Russian territory will be unnecessarily and dangerously escalatory.
While the Russian-Ukraine conflict is across the globe from JBU, students are not untouched by its effects. Josh Human, senior Biblical and Theological Studies student at John Brown University, is part of JBU’s new ministry of reconciliation program. On Wednesday, Sept. 21, Josh and other students from the new ministry initiative hosted a vigil and day of prayer for the International Day of Peace. They were encouraging students to notice the diverse issues affecting our world, as well as to pray—even when it feels like we can’t make any difference from our community.
Reflecting on the recent developments in Ukraine, Josh said, “It may sometimes feel like the conflict in Ukraine has no real impact on us, but there are students here at JBU that are from the area, so we must consider ways to support those who are feeling affected by the conflict more than others.”
If students find themselves in community with those students who have had families displaced, he suggested that students be open to hard conversations, sympathizing with their pain and joining in prayer with them.
Finally, he said, “And prayer is important. We may not see the effects on an international scale, but we can pray for peace in the hearts of those that are affected by the conflict.”
For students seeking ways to tangibly help displaced people from the war in Ukraine, they can reach out to Arkansas’ largest refugee assistance program, Canopy of Northwest Arkansas. Since March, Canopy has been providing temporary housing and services for several families from Ukraine. They accept volunteers at their Fayetteville office. Students can support with administrative tasks, English language tutoring or organizing and distributing supplies as needed.
Photo courtesy of Bernd Dittrich