24 February marks the third anniversary of the beginning of the terrible war in Ukraine, although some might argue it began in 2014, with the annexation of the Crimea by Russia. The outbreak of the war saw an outpouring of sympathy and support for Ukraine from many in this country, while it also saw Ukrainians coming to live in our region. So, what is the situation now? And what is it like being a Ukrainian refugee in the North East?
When Putin launched the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, he must have thought that it would be a relatively easy task to subdue his smaller neighbour. It hasn’t turned out that way.
The toll of the war
It was reported in January that British military intelligence had assessed in its latest estimate of the conflict that Russian forces sustained 252,940 casualties in 2023. As many as 429,660 were killed or wounded in the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2024, according to Ukrainian general staff reports.
Meanwhile, in December 2024 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that 43,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed since Russia’s full-scale invasion began. The Ukrainian president also “said 370,000 injuries had been reported, though this figure included soldiers who had been hurt more than once and some of the injuries were said to be minor.”
During the war the Ukrainian people have suffered terribly, being displaced and struggling through three brutal winters. They have won the admiration of many people in this country, but it has been at a terrible price.
The United Nations High Commission on Refugees noted in early 2025 that unprecedented civilian casualties and the destruction of vital infrastructure had been caused by the massive escalation in the Russian war against Ukraine since February 2022. This in turn has forced “millions of people to flee their homes seeking safety, protection and assistance. Millions of refugees from Ukraine have crossed borders into neighbouring countries, in addition to those displaced inside the country. They are in urgent need of protection and support”.
There are more than 3.6 million people internally displaced by the full-scale war and they are numbered among the over 12.7 million people in Ukraine currently requiring urgent humanitarian support. It was also said that, “as of January 2025, some 6.8 million refugees from Ukraine were recorded globally”.
Meanwhile, “the security situation continues to be extremely precarious, especially in the east and south of the country where the rise in hostilities between May and October 2024 resulted in some 160,000 people being displaced from frontline areas, and an increase in evacuations”.
Prospects for peace
The war has long been a deadly stalemate. So what are the prospects for peace? It has been reported that US President Trump has talked to Putin about a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine., but many consider this to be a dangerous situation for Ukraine, as it is thought that Trump may have given in to Putin and made many concessions. Meanwhile other fear that Ukraine will not be given a proper position within peace talks, even though it is their country where the war has largely been fought and that some kind of Munich 1938-style stitch up may occur.
In response to this Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been reported as saying “we must make sure Ukraine is at the heart” of negotiations for a peace deal with Russia, while Zelensky has made it clear that any agreements which do not include Kyiv in talks would not be accepted.
Consequently, the situation at present is very confusing and strangely is somehow both fast moving and at the same time static. The killing, and the suffering and the pain go on.
A Ukrainian perspective
I asked Anya Nemesh, a Ukrainian now living in North East England, for her thoughts on the third anniversary. She said:
“I appreciate the opportunity to share my thoughts on the third anniversary of the terrible and unprovoked Russian invasion and the current situation regarding Ukraine.
“I used to travel often and visited the United Kingdom as a tourist. Today, like more than eight million of my compatriots, I am a war refugee. One in five Ukrainians has been forced to leave the country, and 90% of us are women with children.
“I remember the confusion and despair three years ago when, in the middle of the night, my mother’s voice woke me: ‘The war has begun.’ In minutes, we grabbed only essential documents and left downtown Kyiv, stepping into the unknown.
“I remember millions of Ukrainians, lost and terrified, stranded on the roads. I remember military convoys heading toward the warzone we were fleeing. Endless nights in bomb shelters. The deafening roar of missiles overhead, even after we escaped to western Ukraine, hoping for safety.
“I remember the horror in the voices of friends, colleagues and clients trapped in Bucha and Irpin – civilians pleading for help, executed in cold blood, not knowing if evacuation would ever come.
“I remember families walking toward unknown fates, children in their arms, uncertain if they’d see another dawn.
“After arriving in County Durham through the Homes for Ukraine scheme and with the incredible support of our hosts and neighbours, both my son and I were able to rebuild a sense of ‘normalcy’. However, we will always remember the suffering and devastation that people in Ukraine continue to face every day.
“The war that is destroying my country day by day is not a war between two states – it is a global confrontation between democracies and dictatorships. And Ukraine is the country that first found itself at the centre of this confrontation. The outcome of this struggle will determine the world in which our children and grandchildren, and their children and grandchildren, will live. It will decide whether it will be a democracy – for the Ukrainians and the British people, for everyone. I believe that the world of the future will be democratic. But unfortunately, such processes do not happen in a year or two and require the whole democratic world to consolidate its efforts and get involved.
“Over the past few days and months, we have witnessed significant political developments and shifts in the situation regarding the security landscape in Europe. Unfortunately, we must acknowledge that Russia is unlikely to abandon its plans to destroy Ukrainian statehood. One of Putin’s closest associates, former Director of the Federal Security Service (FSB) and former Secretary of the Russian Security Council, General Nikolai Patrushev, has stated that Ukraine will no longer exist on the political map of the world by the end of this year. I do believe that Putin is using negotiations with the American side not to genuinely end the war, but to break out of international isolation and find ways to destabilise Ukraine, which is desperately defending itself, by undermining it from within through discussions about elections and depriving it of support from reliable partners. In this situation, the issue of national unity is far more critical than in any other country in the world that is not experiencing such a devastating war. Both the military and the Ukrainian opposition reject even the possibility of discussing elections while active combat is ongoing.
“Queues at polling stations would be easy targets for Russian forces. Russia is not only fighting the Ukrainian army but also targeting children, women, and the elderly. Moreover, according to the Constitution of Ukraine, elections are not possible under martial law. Therefore, the solution lies in the creation of a national salvation government.
“If we don’t want repetition of what Russia did in Bucha, Irpin and other occupied cities, we have no right to surrender or capitulate, remembering the hundreds of thousands of people who sacrificed their lives and health to protect their families, their homes, their freedom and independence. In the current situation, there is no other way for Ukrainians to survive except by living in a fortress-like state.
“Ukrainians have felt the reliable support of the UK from the first days, seconds and minutes of full-scale war.
“You, the British people, understand us well because 85 years ago, just as we do today, you did not want to lose your home – your islands – when Hitler planned to conquer you by starting a battle for your great state, the Battle of Britain.
“I wish to thank every British family who appreciates the warmth of their home and wishes to extend the same warmth to others. I am grateful to the British Government and especially to Durham County Council for their invaluable help. I am grateful to the citizens who supported Ukraine, who hosted and continue to host our people, who hang our flags in their windows, and who help us.
“One of my favourite writers, Erich Maria Remarque, said that bright people are clearly visible in dark times. I have met many such people in the United Kingdom.”
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