As a first generation American, I take great pride in my ethnicity. By being the single child to two Ukrainian parents, I grew up heavily accustomed to Ukrainian culture with it being my first language and to this day, being the language I speak at home. I always felt a deep rooted connection to my Ukrainian heritage despite being born in the United States. Whenever people ask where I’m from, I always mention that I am part Ukrainian. I like to think of Ukraine as my second home, the home which contains the people I love, my whole family. That being said, what is happening there now is not just an injustice for the citizens but for the greater world as well. In this day and age, such atrocities should not exist.

On February 24 2022, Russia began its full scale invasion on Ukraine. A “special military operation” was launched by President Putin which led to Russian missiles and airstrikes to be sent out, attacking various Ukrainian cities and military sites across the country. Subway stations became impromptu bomb shelters, homes of citizens soon became scraps, traffic noises soon became air raid sirens, and what was once a society where people were able to go to bed feeling safe every night, soon became a society of constant fear and terror. This ongoing war in Ukraine caused by Russia is considered one of the largest and deadliest wars in Europe since World War II. As of this day, thousands of military and civilians have perished under the extreme brutalities presented by the Russian military. Following this initial attack in Kyiv, NATO triggered Article 4. This allows any member country to initiate a formal consultations with NATO when it feels its territorial integrity, political independence, or security is threatened. Along with this, economic sanctions were placed against Russia, demands were voiced for immediate withdrawal, military aid was provided to Ukraine, and Russia was expelled from the Council of Europe. However, despite all the actions taken, Ukrainian citizens were still living in fear day to day with constant bomb threats, electricity being cut off at random times in the day, air raid sirens, destruction of homes, and constant violence. This injustice to the people needs to be recognized. For simply being a Ukrainian person, these innocent citizens are being wrongly killed, injured, starved, and harmed by the Russian military. Prior to this invasion, Ukraine did not show Russia any hostility. So why must they pay the price of immense suffering? 

Since the full scale invasion began in 2022 to now, Ukrainian soldiers are continuing to fight for their country. They refuse to allow Ukraine to crumble under the violence presented at them. The immense morale and strong pride for national defense is something that must be appreciated and deeply respected. With the help of effective integration of western military aid, large mobilized forces, and strategic tactical successes, Ukraine has managed to stand strong against all the violence. This comes as surprising given the history of the Russian military being notably very capable as well as the significant difference between the sizing of the Russian military compared to the Ukrainian. It’s astonishing to witness how Ukraine's use of brute force outdid Russia’s standoff approach in the initial phases of the war. Over the past three years, the Ukrainian military evolved dramatically to become one of Europe’s biggest and most effective fighting forces. With approximately one million soldiers fighting on the front lines, the Ukrainian Armed Forces is credited with setting the standard for other military groups to follow with their extensive knowledge of the twenty-first century battlefield. Along with this, Ukraine’s domestic military-industrial complex also deserves recognition in keeping Ukraine standing tall in front of a full scale invasion by harnessing Ukraine’s prewar tech sector. With the Ukrainian military being clearly very strong and capable, the Russian military has been noted to have underperforming air and ground forces. The massive nuclear arsenals contained by Russia is what’s keeping their invasion to be so deadly and damaging. But overall, with all the observations made comparing the military between the two nations, this all provides strong encouragement and hope that there will be a conclusion to this conflict that doesn’t involve Russian victory over Ukraine. 

As the war continues between these two nations, it’s important to recognize the legal implications instilled that have ultimately helped Ukraine to be able to withstand Russia’s extreme acts of aggression. 

Beginning domestically, the Ukrainian government has repeatedly extended martial law as well as general mobilization. To be in a state of martial law means to replace civil governments with military authority. In other words, this grants the military special authority over civil affairs, oftentimes these authorities being restrictions. Examples may include curfews, movement control, property confiscation for military needs, and military trials. Due to Ukraine being in a state of martial law for over 2 years causes this period of time to be known as extended martial law. Moving onto general mobilization, this is the process of assembling a nation’s military and civilian resources for active service. This grants the Ukrainian government to call up able-bodied citizens of military age (18-60) to serve their time on active duty. With Russia’s extreme acts of aggression using bombs, missiles, chemical weapons, drones, and other warfare equipment against Ukrainians, many lives are lost and many people in the military get gravely injured. To compensate for this, the Ukrainian government needs to be able to recruit as many people as they can, therefore leading to the enacted policy of general mobilization. Along with enacting policies of extended martial law and general mobilization, Ukraine has also strengthened its legal framework. In March 2022, the Ukrainian government added Article 111-1 to the Criminal Code. This code establishes collaborative activity with an aggressor state as a crime and punishable upon prosecution. This specifically targets Ukrainian individuals who are involved with any form of activity that can be seen as working alongside Russia. This prevents those people from having any position of power in the future. Following this, on April 23 2022, Ukraine’s Criminal Code was updated to add Article 111-2 which allows criminalization of those that are deemed as “accessories” to aggression. This aims to hold those responsible for the ongoing aggression against the country accountable as well as address the wide range of actions that may facilitate the war. Moving on from changes in Ukraine’s Criminal Code, there have also been notable changes to cybersecurity laws since the start of Russia’s full scale invasion. In April 2025, President Zelensky signed a cybersecurity bill aimed at increasing protection of state networks and critical infrastructure. This is all to combat an ongoing surge of cyberattacks linked to Russia. This also enhances Ukraine’s ability to respond to threats in government systems and other vital services. Along with the bill, the National Cyber Incident Response System was created which introduces a crisis response protocol that permits the government to quickly activate emergency measures when dealing with any type of large scale cyberattacks. By enhancing cyber defenses, Ukraine is able to protect vital services, maintain national security, and facilitate international cooperation with technology companies and governments. All which play a major role in keeping Ukraine strong against Russian forces. 

Steering away from the domestic aspect, there have also been notable international legal regulations which have all helped Ukraine’s battle against Russia’s full scale invasion. During 2022, the same year where Russia first began its first scale invasion of Ukraine, there were numerous United Nations General Assembly Resolutions that have all provided diplomatic and political support to Ukraine. On March 2, 2022, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution in an emergency session titled "Aggression against Ukraine”. This resolution’s text includes the demand for Russia’s immediate withdrawal from Ukraine, deplored aggression, and affirmed Ukraine's sovereignty. Following this, in November 2022, the United Nations General Assembly then adopted another resolution which called for Russia to pay war reparations to Ukraine. Unfortunately, this resolution wasn’t legally binding meaning however it is still significant as it reflects strong international condemnation of Russia's actions and provides a basis for future legal actions against the country. These resolutions have all condemned Russia’s illegal annexation of Ukrainian territories and have also suspended Russia from the United Nations Human Rights Council.  Not only has the United Nations taken action against Russia’s invasion, but so has the International Court of Justice. Two days after the full scale invasion in 2022, Ukraine filed a lawsuit claiming that Russia had violated and misused the Genocide Convetion. Russia had claimed that their reason for invading Ukraine was on the premise that genocide was occuring in Luhansk and Donetsk. In response to this claim by Russia, Ukraine argued that this was a fabricated genocide claim as a pretext for the war and which henceforth, is a violation of the convention. With all of this, the International Court of Justice voted 13 to 2 for Russia to suspend its military operations and to ensure that anyone under its control did not continue the operations. Despite this order however, Russia refused to comply with the binding order and although the International Court of Justice is legally binding, the court has no independent means of enforcement. That being said, Russia did receive reprimands by disobeying this order with diplomatic isolation, reputational damage, and formal refutation of Russia’s rationale for the invasion under international law. But not only has there been a formal legal case taken to the International Court of Justice, there have also been numerous cases taken under the International Criminal Court.  Specifically, these cases cover any war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide committed in the country. Regarding the Ukrainian conflict, there have been many arrest warrants issued for high-ranking Russian military as well as political officials based on evidence gained by investigators. This all benefits Ukraine in the end as it formally recognizes the crimes committed against Ukraine as well as acts as a morale boost for Ukrainian prosecutors and Ukraine people. Along with court cases and United Nation General Assemblies, there are also state-imposed sanctions emplaced. After Russia’s full scale invasion, the US, EU, and others imposed extreme economic sanctions against Russia.  Central bank assets are frozen, large deposits are banned, Russian banks from the SWIFT international payment messaging system are disconnected, a price cap on Russian oil and petroleum products is implemented, new investments in Russia's energy sector is prohibited, and access to critical advanced technology and dual-use goods is blocked. With all these actions taken, it’s clear that Russia is facing significant weakening in their economy as well as military capabilities which aid Ukraine in the fight. 

All in all, it’s clear that with the numerous legal systems emplaced as well as the actions taken in response to the full scale invasion domestically and internationally, Ukraine has been able to successfully withstand Russian aggression. That being said, there is still a war taking place with many lives harmed day to day. The atrocities occurring to the innocent people in Ukraine is something that cannot be put down and needs to be handled with proper legislation to put a formal end to this conflict. With Ukraine being a key component to my identity as well as being the home to my whole family, I pray for the day that peace is restored and for the day when ordinary citizens don’t need to fear for their lives day to day.