On 24 February 2022 Russia invaded Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin had been threatening the independence of the nation for over a decade. Ten years earlier Russian forces took Crimea, then part of Ukraine, and annexed it.
In 2022 there was widespread support for the people of Ukraine in Orkney and across Scotland. Three years on that support continues to this day.
As well as vigils in support of Ukraine there were many fundraising events including Blue Door UNICEF Fund Raiser for #Ukraine, covered on the day by our late colleague Nick Morrison.
The attack on Ukraine was described as the biggest attack on a European country and the first full-scale war in Europe since the Second World War, and was Russia’s largest combined arms operation since the Soviet Union‘s Battle of Berlin in 1945.
Ukraine did not capitulate.
According to President Volodymyr Zelensky on Feb. 16, over 46,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed on the battlefield since February 2022.
As of February 1, 2025, Russian combat losses amount to 839,040 troops, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. 9,902 tanks and 20,653 lost armoured personnel vehicles. 28 Russian warships and boats, including the infamous “Moskva”, the flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, as well as one submarine. 369 Russian planes and 331 helicopters were shot down by February 2025. In addition, Russian combat losses include more than 3 thousand cruise missiles and more than 23 thousand UAVs.
As of December 31, 2024, 12,456 civilian deaths in Ukraine were reported by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). OHCHR specified that the real figures could be significantly higher.
War is costly. Not for two old white men sitting by their phones enjoying a chat whilst in a protected enclosure. It is not their lives and communities that are being ripped apart by their ambitions to subjugate free people.
6,346,300 Ukrainians have been forced to flee their homes. UNHCR. You can read more about that in this report:
Scotland has welcomed over 28,000 Ukrainian refugees. Under the Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme Scotland received 18% of all those successfully applying.
The Scottish Government has sent medical supplies and in Scotland it has supported those choosing to live here, including with language classes.
On receiving the £800,000 in medical aid from NHS Scotland in December last year Ambassador of Ukraine to the United Kingdom General Valerii Zaluzhnyi said:
“The act of generosity and solidarity demonstrated by NHS Scotland in extending a helping hand to Ukraine in its time of need exemplifies the true spirit of humanity and compassion.
“It serves as a powerful reminder that, in the face of adversity, solidarity and cooperation can transcend borders and make a meaningful impact on the lives of those in war.
“The Ukrainian people are deeply grateful for the support and assistance provided by NHS Scotland, knowing that these supplies will make a difference between life and death for many.
“The bonds of friendship and solidarity forged through this act of kindness will not be forgotten and will serve as a beacon of hope for a brighter future beyond the shadows of Russia’s war against Ukraine.”
And the stories of those who have fled are a reminder of the real impact Putin’s aggression has on the lives of ordinary people.
Fiona Grahame