New Delhi

Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, gave the order to invade Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Not only was this catastrophic for Ukraine but changed the course of history for Russia and the rest of the world. The war has claimed lives on both sides, destroyed cultural landmarks in Ukraine, wrecked its national economy, and has had ramifications for the entire world. 

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WION explains the cost of this war in the following charts. 

HUMAN COST OF THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR: CIVILIAN CASUALTIES 

The most recent estimates of civilian casualties since Russia invaded Ukraine over a year ago are a bare clue of the vile human cost of this war.

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Throughout the previous 12 months of violence in Ukraine, at least 8,006 civilians have died and 13,287 have been injured, according to the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

“These numbers, which we are publishing today, lay bare the loss and suffering inflicted on people since Russia’s armed attack began on 24 February last year,” said Volker Türk, UN human rights chief, speaking in Geneva.

The monitoring mission's head, Matilda Bogner, warned that the statistics her team collected were far lower than the real numbers, “as we have not been able to fully verify many cases, due to limited information and lack of access to key areas of Ukraine that saw some of the most intense fightings.”

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Data source: OHCHR 

*Hover over the visualisation to get the figures*

GLOBAL FOOD AND ENERGY CRISIS

The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has disrupted supplies for both developing and developed countries since the two nations are the two main producers of commodities including petroleum, food, and fertiliser.

The world is currently experiencing its first-ever global energy crisis, a situation that has never before occurred and is being caused by the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, according to the International Energy Agency's most recent study, Global Energy Outlook 2022. 

The research also highlighted the rising cost of energy due to restrictions on oil and gas exports, which has resulted in unaffordable energy bills.

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Data source: BDEW

*Hover over the visualisation to get the figures*

Food prices had already reached their highest point in a decade prior to Russia's invasion of Ukraine as a result of disrupted supply chains and severe weather conditions, such as the worst drought in over a century in central and southern Brazil. 

Ukraine typically exports the most sunflower oil and around 45 million metric tonnes of grain to the world market each year. It contributed nearly a fifth of all wheat shipments worldwide in 2019 together with Russia. The already stressed food system received yet another shock as Russian forces blockaded the nation's ports, making it even more difficult to bear.

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The Food Price Index, created by the UN's Food and Agricultural Organization, increased by more than 14 per cent from 2021 to reach its highest yearly level on records dating back to 2005. The number of people with severe food insecurity, or those whose access to food was so limited that it endangered their lives and livelihoods, increased from 135 million in 2019 to 345 million in 2022.

FUELLING A REFUGEE CRISIS?

Around thirteen million people, or roughly a third of Ukraine's pre-war population, have reportedly been displaced since the invasion, according to the UN refugee agency. Almost five million of them are internally displaced, while over eight million of them are refugees who are residing in nearby nations. During the 2015 wave of migration from Africa and the Middle East, the continent received about one million migrants; during the Yugoslav Wars of the 1990s, it received up to four million.

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Data source: UNHCR

THE NEW IRON CURTAIN: SHIFTING GLOBAL ALLIANCES 

Russia is now an outcast in the West due to the war. International big brands like McDonald's and Ikea have completely withdrawn from the nation. To counter this international boycott, Putin has strengthened his military ties with North Korea and Iran, two international pariahs that provide Russia with the weaponised drones it uses to attack Ukrainian infrastructure. 

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Data source: Yale University

*Hover over the visualisation to get the figures*

THE NEW REALM OF UNCERTAINTY

The Russia-Ukraine war is a stark reminder to mankind that people have little control over the course of history. The 8 million Ukrainians who have been uprooted and forced to start their lives anew across Europe and beyond are a testament to it. 

Even for people who haven’t been displaced, the sudden blowout of Europe’s peace and stability has brought about great uncertainty and anxiety.

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