#Russian aggression

When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, one of the Kremlin’s first targets was Mariupol. While the Ukrainian army tried to hold back the Russian advance, the city was being obliterated—tens of thousands of civilians were killed, and almost all residential buildings were reduced to rubble. Now, Moscow is attempting to convince the world that life in Mariupol has improved, portraying the destroyed city as “better than it was under Ukraine.”

In Kharkiv, a city battered by relentless Russian attacks, artists, curators, and performers refuse to leave their home. They won’t let the war silence them. Their studios double as bomb shelters, their exhibitions continue even amid blackouts, and their theaters adapt to missile alerts. 

“Breaking the Beijing-Moscow alliance” is a clear goal behind the recent US-Russia thaw. But with China and Russia’s economies tightly intertwined, any tactical concessions to Russia are unlikely to weaken their bond without backfiring on U.S. interests.

When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Heorhii—now a UNITED24 Media project manager—joined the territorial defense and later volunteered in the army. Three years later, he shares the moments he captured when it all began: war’s raw reality—resilience, camaraderie, and defiance—with a middle finger raised to the invading force.

Russia invaded Ukraine in 2014 and escalated to a full-scale war in 2022. With Russian troops advancing on Ukrainian soil and Russian missiles striking Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, it would be absurd to even ask this question. Yet in 2025, U.S. President Trump started “echoing Russian disinformation,” by pointing the finger at Kyiv for Russia’s war in Ukraine.