RUSSIAN INVASION 2022

➡️ RUSSIAN INVASION OF UKRAINE - Comprehensive Guide From the Perspective of Peace

This must-have peace resource on the 2022 Russia-Ukraine war provides an essential peace perspective on this imperialist war, which is not only unjustifiable but also illegal under international law.

Relations between Ukraine, Russia, and NATO have been entangled for decades. NATO Eastern expansion, support for Ukraine's sovereignty, and posturing from all sides merely ignited old sparks.

Europe's biggest war since World War II has reshaped the global economy. Numbers on casualties are murky, but estimates state the figure for both soldiers and civilians on both sides amounts to roughly 2 million. Approximately 5.9 million Ukrainians have fled the country, and a further 3.7 million are displaced internally.

Jump straight to our resources on the ➡️ Russian Invasion of Ukraine with 10,000 resources.

Explore our comprehensive guides on -

• Must-Read & Must-Watch

• Expert Geopolitical & Military Analysis

• Voices of Reason & Voices for Peace

• Peace Negotiations

• The Political Situation in Ukraine & Russia

• Weapons Exports into Ukraine Escalate the Conflict & Feed Arms Industry Profits

• NATO 5% GDP Goal – Pro-War

• The Nuclear War Threat & Zaporizhzhia

• International Solidarity & Protests

• War Crimes in Ukraine

• Human Rights Issues – Repression & Conscientious Objection

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How is the Conflict Between Russia and NATO Evolving?

In late 2021, U.S. President Biden refused to respect Putin's 'red lines' on Ukraine by denying security assurances regarding his concerns surrounding NATO, thus 'provoking' Putin's illegal invasion of Ukraine on February 24. Then, at the Madrid 2022 summit in June, NATO added pressure on member countries to commit to a minimum of 2% of GDP in defence spending. The Russian invasion has since turbo-charged NATO's military expenditure to 5% of GDP. All member states have consequently increased their military budgets, even countries once considered neutral, except Spain, which refused.

The U.S. alone has pumped well over $175 billion into Ukraine in the form of weapons, equipment, training, intelligence and security assistance, and they are certainly not alone in their rampant military support. Ukraine has received about $410 billion in military aid from around the world. This type of 'aid' helps Ukraine to defend itself, but also aims to weaken Russia decisively in a kind of 'proxy war'. It serves to make the conflict more deadly and longer, and it is a huge distraction from possible diplomatic solutions.

Of note, exactly zero of this funding effort was committed to talks, peacebuilding, or negotiations.

Today, Western mainstream media, dominated by the U.S. and NATO narrative, place Putin and Russia firmly as the enemy while critical voices are silenced. Russian media has become even more heavily censored, and all sides have committed to a confrontational approach - jumping directly to military' solutions'.

High Numbers of Casualties for Minimal Gains

A report from January 2026 by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said, "These numbers are extraordinary. No major power has suffered anywhere near these numbers of casualties or fatalities in any war since World War II."

They estimate that Russia had suffered 1.2 million casualties and Ukraine up to 600,000 casualties. The numbers from different sources vary widely, and in many cases, sides downplay their own losses and amplify the other side's. Either way, the consensus is that the scale of death and destruction is catastrophic. With a total of almost 2 million lives lost and still no resolution, when is the world going to come to its senses?

Current Situation in Ukraine

After four full years of fighting, estimates put the total civilian death toll of Ukrainians at just over 53,000, and thousands more have been injured. This doesn't include the number of medics, activists, and soldiers who have also lost their lives. Infrastructural damage inflicted by the war has resulted in a rebuild cost of more than 1 TRILLION Euros.

Civilians, as always, are the biggest losers, as we witness yet again destruction by giant war machines, and the humanitarian crisis that inevitably follows.

Almost 6 million refugees have been created as a direct result of Putin's invasion. This, of course, has resulted in unimaginable suffering, and human rights organisations have expressed concerns for a serious risk of genocide. More than 10 million people are in dire need of humanitarian assistance.

For the Ukrainians who stayed, at least a million are without electricity or heating and face harsh winter temperatures below zero.

108,000 allegations of war crimes by Russian and Ukrainian forces are currently being investigated as deliberate attacks on civilians and vital infrastructure persist. The discovery of mass graves, the use of illegal weaponry, and human rights issues regarding prisoners of war on both sides are of grave concern.

As of February 2026, Russia still occupies 20% of Ukraine's territory, as Ukraine has been able to recapture parts of the Russian-occupied territory. Russian early momentum has proved unsustainable, and supported by massive Western military aid, Ukraine has succeeded in sweeping counteroffensives. These efforts, however, have slowed, and Russia has strengthened its hold in the east. Ukrainian cities endure daily bombardment, and their ports remain blocked.

According to ACLED, in 2025, drone attacks rose from 6,000 in 2023 to 29,000 in 2025. The most devastating of which were in the densely populated areas of Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odesa.

Current Situation in Russia

Repression within Russia has been an ongoing theme since the beginning of Putin's brutal invasion of Ukraine. Russia's war on information has led to the closure of independent media outlets, anti-war protesters are being persecuted, and peace activists are being jailed, stripped of their citizenship, and forced to flee the country.

Since the start of the Ukraine war, almost one million Russian citizens have left the country in fear of forced military service and breaching strict laws that were introduced regarding the publishing of 'fake' information. 10,000 cases have been made against individuals, and potential 15-year prison sentences await journalists, politicians, and anti-war advocates who speak out against the invasion and the Russian Armed Forces.

Learn more about the human rights situation in Russia, including internet censorship and NGO gag laws. Find an excellent collection of Russian conscientious objection groups who say no to military service on moral or religious grounds.

Global Implications

The war in Ukraine is having severe global ramifications. Harsh Western sanctions have transformed the Russian and the global economy. Bans on Russian gas and oil imports have failed to stop the war and have dramatically driven up energy costs in Europe and around the world.

Nuclear posturing, attacks at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, and the Nord Stream Pipelines Sabotage have put not only Ukraine, but the whole of Europe on high alert for disaster.

Coupled with issues surrounding inflation, grain and fertiliser shortages, and the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, countries are still being devastated by a global food and cost-of-living crisis.

Due to severe droughts - some of the worst in 40 years, many African countries have become dangerously reliant on imported grains. With unaffordable food prices and worsened conditions due to climate change, an unprecedented wave of hunger has swept across many parts of the world.

The Russo-Ukrainian War has intensified human suffering far beyond its borders, and Western energy sanctions have also slowed the fight against climate change.

How can we Achieve Peace in Ukraine?

So far, peace talks have failed on both sides. Hopes that arose after the Istanbul negotiations in late March 2022 were dashed when Ukraine withdrew from the negotiating table following Boris Johnson's intervention on behalf of the U.S. Government. Russian President Putin repeatedly confirmed, as recently as February 8, 2024, in the Tucker Carlson interview, that he is open to continuing negotiations based on the Istanbul agreement. Sadly, the majority of international support and funding has not only helped Ukraine to defend itself, but also contributed to further prolonging this brutal war of attrition.

Dozens of countries at the so-called International Summit for Peace in Switzerland agreed in June 2024 that Ukraine should enter dialogue with Russia and discuss terms on ending the war. A declaration was created to ensure the territorial integrity of both states, a full exchange of prisoners of war, a total avoidance of nuclear disaster, a focus on ensuring food security, and the safe return of deported children.

The document was supported by 82 delegations, notably not by India, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Thailand, Indonesia, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates. Reasons cited were Russia's absence from the talks and the presence of Israel.

In June 2024, Putin laid out his terms for peace, which included a complete and immediate ceasefire following the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the South and East, and assurances that Ukraine would not join Nato. A more recent success came in May 2025, with the mediation of Türkiye, which resulted in a prisoner exchange but nothing further.

Peace efforts have been reignited after the release of Trump's 28-point plan for peace in November 2025. The plan was criticised as heavily one-sided in Russia's favour, and has since been revised multiple times after European and Ukrainian involvement. To date, there has been no consensus. There have now been more than a dozen rounds of peace talks and multilateral summits, most of which have excluded Russia.

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Better World Info aims to inform citizens and amplify peace voices during this conflict. With this unique and comprehensive resource, they fight the spread of disinformation, ignorance, and propaganda. It is an excellent tool for campaigners, protesters, and NGOs who should also explore our platform for peace activists.

Unions, mindful politicians, citizens, and voters can all use this educational toolbox to inform themselves and spread the demand for de-escalation and diplomacy. Unfortunately, peace work remains massively underfunded, whilst military budgets bloat and line the pockets of multi-millionaire war profiteers.

Better World Info invites you to be part of a peace-first approach, where open dialogue is given a chance, where enemies are not created to justify the build-up and use of more weapons, and where armament companies do not profit from conflicts and the destruction of lives and entire countries.

As an open platform, we welcome experts and peace activists to share their knowledge and help spread the word for a better world.

Finally, this excellent guide is also available in German at Bessere Welt Info, with over 4,000 links, you can check out categories on the Russische Invasion and Ukraine.

Author: Rachael Mellor, 21.02.23 licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (Updated 24.02.26)

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