Today, June 22, marks the anniversary of Nazi Germany’s attack on the Soviet Union in 1941. That day began a new stage of World War II, one that directly affected the territory of Ukraine.
Ukrainian lands were among the first to come under attack by the Nazi army. The war brought Ukraine occupation, mass destruction, millions of deaths and countless broken lives.
Decades later, Ukraine is once again living through a major war. This time, the aggressor is Russia, which began its war against Ukraine in 2014 and launched its full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022.
As during World War II, Ukrainian cities are again enduring air attacks, the destruction of homes, strikes on civilian infrastructure and the deaths of civilians. Russian missiles, drones and aerial bombs attack energy facilities, railways, ports, hospitals, schools and residential areas on a daily basis.
This looks especially cynical given that Moscow has spent decades using the memory of World War II as part of its own state propaganda. At the same time, Russia itself is now waging a war of conquest against a neighboring state, trying to destroy its independence and dictate the future of Ukrainians.
For Ukraine, June 22 is not only a date from history. It is a reminder that aggression, imperial claims and disregard for civilian life have the same nature regardless of the era.
Ukrainians remember the tragedies of the past, but today they are forced not only to remember war, but also to resist a new one every day. As more than 80 years ago, the question being decided on Ukrainian soil is not only the survival of the country, but also the future of Europe.
