Russia’s war upon Ukraine has entered its ninth month since its unprovoked invasion on February 24, 2022. From the beginning, its intentions of terrorizing communities and destroying civilian infrastructure were made clear so that the conflict was not merely to be a limited military incursion and confrontation between combatants but the subjugation of a people. With this strategy came a humanitarian crisis that has become well known, prompted by the massive displacement of civilians within the country and across neighboring borders.
More than 14 million Ukrainians have been displaced. As of October 2022, 7.6 million have crossed the country’s borders with 2.85 million into Russia, some out of fear and many involuntarily. By early summer, 6.9 million had been internally displaced with about a third of the nation’s entire population finding itself somewhere other than home. Another 13 million are incapable of escaping for lack of safe transport routes and live under threatening circumstances. Ukrainian officials have indicated that over 8,000 children have been brought to Russia from Ukraine, most unaccompanied and placed for adoption. To be clear, this is a violation of Article 50 of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 which prohibits the changing of a child’s status, including nationality. The psychological impact upon Ukrainian families has become emblematic of the accumulated grief that has befallen this nation.
A recent report from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) dated 2 October 2022 verified 6,114 civilian deaths, including 390 children and, altogether, 9,132 injured. These estimates undoubtedly fall far short of the actual numbers. Most perhaps can be accounted for by indiscriminate cluster bombing, as well as cruise missile and heavy artillery attacks. There are, however, widespread reports of hands-on atrocities committed by the Russian military in familiar places such as Bucha, Izium, Lyman, Melitopol and Mariupol. More recent widespread remote targeting of civilian infrastructure will continue to add to these numbers.
Alongside this has come the targeting of the nation’s health care infrastructure – hospitals, maternity wards, oncology facilities, clinics, nursing homes, blood banks, addiction treatment centers. By early August, 746 medical facilities are reported to have been damaged and a further 123 entirely destroyed, 50 medical personnel wounded and 18 killed. Monitoring by the World Health Organization continues to assess the growing medical crisis.
The coming winter cold will be accentuated now by Russia’s very intentional targeting of energy infrastructure within Ukraine. Mean winter temperatures in Ukraine range from -4.8°C to 2°C. The ability to withstand the added deprivation will be harder on the elderly, the very young and those already disabled by underlying medical conditions. The gathering of larger numbers into compact spaces, reduced hygiene, and the lack of food and water will enhance opportunity for communicable diseases to take hold, particularly in a setting of an immunization strategy that is severely challenged by lack of facilities and distribution.
These are not new features of the sort of war conducted by Putin. They are strongly reminiscent of the conflicts in Chechnya and Syria and match the brutality of Stalinist Russia when it turned its military, secret police and other governmental operatives upon its own people and those of its neighboring states resulting in widespread famine, mass executions and displacement of large numbers of their populations to remote areas. Ukraine, again, had been a key target of this terror throughout the 1930s when tens of thousands of ‘political prisoners’ were murdered and buried in mass graves. These are the policies of hatred and political agendas promoted by false claims of entitlement made by authoritarian regimes. The aftermath is the same – the physical and psychological degradation of a people that will require years to heal.
It is a commonly held tenet that the perpetrator of a humanitarian crisis must be held accountable for restitution for the injuries sustained. This and the several atrocities committed by the Russian military for which there is sufficient preliminary evidence would argue that guilt can be laid directly and entirely upon the Russian regime. The willful destruction of homes, medical institutions and public works including energy facilities requires immediate attention and cannot be left to extended deliberation. Related materials, supplies and equipment must be replaced and the ability to provide warmth to a beleaguered people in the coming winter must be restored. The financing of such an undertaking is daunting and yet must be attended. The ready solution is not to look yet again to the West for relief but to release the funds and assets seized from Russian oligarchs who have profited from their association with Putin and supported him in his unprovoked war upon Ukraine. The justification for such an action seems self-evident and the importance of quick action is apparent. Once more, winter is coming.
Copyright @Kost Elisevich, MD, PhD 2022. All rights reserved. Any illegal reproduction of this content will result in immediate legal action.
