The Ukrainian forces have begun pushing the conflict zone into Russian-occupied Crimea with a relentless number of drone strikes. According to The New York Times, this strategic move is to cut off vital Russian military supply lines in order to put a dent in any future plans for the Russian military to push further into the Ukrainian mainland. Ukraine’s strategy has been clear and strategic, targeting defense systems, fuel reserves, radar systems, and the energy grid, as reported by The New York Times. In 2013 and 2014, Ukraine protested its Russian influenced government, specifically then-President Viktor Yanukovych who fled to Russia in February of 2014.

During that same month in February of 2014, Russia invaded Crimea and illegally annexed Crimea in March. The continued distancing from Russia and shift towards freedom and democracy in Ukraine, especially following the 2019 election of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, have contributed largely to what is happening today regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. As reported in previous weeks, however, Ukraine has pushed further into Moscow, and Ukraine has begun using drone strikes in order to take the war to Russia’s front door.

According to the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, there has been an increasing domestic souring of Russian approval on the war. This has been a notable shift when considering past years, including stark changes in Russian allies, such as Belarus’ involvement in the war. Belarus, which many consider a satellite state of Russia with its current leader Alexander Lukashenko, has begun repeatedly denying its involvement in the war, with President Zelenskyy accusing Belarus of letting Russia use its satellite sites. Belarus has since turned off those sites after this push from Zelenskyy. What is apparent is that there seems to be a notable shift in the way the war is playing out, with Ukraine now slowly breaking down the morale of Russia in many ways; however, the core goal that we must preserve is ensuring citizen safety. This war has now gone on for many years, with many towns being destroyed across Ukraine and families’ lives upended. With much of the war now being fought by unmanned drones and bombs from afar, the immense damage being caused has further blurred the lines between machine and man. Yet, the deadly consequences of the war are always experienced by the humans living in these places, humans whose lives need to be prioritized.