The war between Ukraine and Russia began on February 24th 2022. Since then, Putin has made many attacks and crime’s against Ukraine.

Russia attacks Ukraine power plant

On September 19th, 2022 Russia struck the Pivdennoukrainsk Nuclear power plant or PNPP. There wasn’t any significant damage to the powerplant itself,  all three of the reactors are still in working order. The blast took place only 300 yards away from the reactors which can be compared to three football fields in length. There were no casualties when the attack happened. If the attack on the PNPP were successful, it would be another Chernobyl casualty that would take away millions of lives.

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine stated on Monday, “The invaders wanted to shoot again, but they forgot what a nuclear power plant is. Russia endangers the whole world. We have to stop it before it’s too late.”

September 21st, 2022

President Vladimir Putin of Russia declared a partial mobilization meaning that Russians that have already gone through military training will be sent to Ukraine to fight. The defense minister of Russia Sergei Shoigu said that 300,000 additional troops would be called to battle. 

Russian war crimes

In Izyum, Ukraine on September 22nd, 2022 mass burials were being dug up and searched by investigators. They found more than 450 bodies in the grave. Upon their findings it became clear that the Russians weren’t just killing civilians, they were torturing them. The bodies they found showed broken limbs and bones with ropes around their necks and their hands tied behind their backs. This wasn’t all that they have done to the civilians. They bombed their homes and committed numerous executions and horrific sexual violence. This site that was captured by the Russians previously has since withdrawn from the area, It’s the largest mass burial site that has been discovered in Ukraine with more than 400 graves. The United Nations (UN) concluded that these are war crimes. 

Dozens of workers wearing bulletproof vests and helmets under their hazmat suits were drenched in sweat exhuming bodies from the mass grave while listening to bombs exploding in the distance. “More than 10 torture chambers have already been found in the liberated areas of Kharkiv region, in various cities and towns,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine said.

Putin threatens nuclear weapon attack on Ukraine

On Wednesday, September 21st, along with announcing the partial mobilization, President Vladimir Putin accused the West of threatening to use nuclear weapons although they deemed that claim illegitimate. Russian public figures have though made threats as the war in Ukraine continued.

This isn’t the first time Putin talked about a nuclear attack. When the war first began in February between Ukraine and Russia, he also raised suspicions of the use of nuclear weapons.

Ukraine and Russia’s first POWs deal

You may be asking yourself, “What is a POW?” Well, POW stands for prisoner of war and Russia just released 250 Ukrainian POWs, 10 foreigners including 2 Americans, and 215 Ukrainian fighters back to Ukraine. On September 22nd, the POWs were believed to have surrendered to the Russians four to three months ago fighting in Mariupol. In trade, Ukraine released 55 Russian soldiers and an ally to Putin, Viktor Medvedchuk, Putin’s right-hand man.

The man seen in the photo at the top of the page is Mykhailo Dianov, he is one of many soldiers who were defending Mariupol, Ukraine. He was so badly hurt that the doctors who took care of him said that he lost 4 cm of bone. He is one of many soldiers who held back the Russians for four months. He has been recovering from his injuries in a city hospital in Chernihiv, Ukraine, and has since been reunited with his loved one. He, among others, is a true war hero.

Something good happening for Ukraine

In happier news, McDonald’s re-opened in Ukraine on September 20th with hundreds of people from everyday civilians to government officials. They began to fill the streets trying to get a taste of their favorite foods that have been gone for months. On February 24th when Russia first attacked, the McDonald’s franchise temporarily closed more than a hundred of its stores because of their concern for their employee’s safety. Now, 7 months later, three of their stores have opened back up to the public and they couldn’t be happier to be back.