ICYMI: 9 developments Canadians should know about the Ukraine situation

The country of Ukraine is currently under a Russian attack and invasion.

It began on Thursday morning. Missiles, shells, and airstrikes are raining down on Ukrainian cities, and Russia has surrounded them by land, air, and sea.

Canada’s Ukrainian community — an estimated 1.5 million people — is in mourning; many have families back in Ukraine. NATO allies are putting out statements one after the other, and Canada has announced that it’s ready to help out Ukraine against Russia’s illegal invasion.

The news is overwhelming and is updating rapidly, and since you can’t read every single thing that comes up, here are some things Canadians should know about Russia’s assault on Ukraine to stay caught up:

Justin Trudeau condemns Russia’s “egregious” attack

In a statement released late Wednesday night — one day before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine — Trudeau called the attack “unprovoked” and a violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty.

“Canada calls on Russia to immediately cease all hostile and provocative actions against Ukraine and withdraw all military and proxy forces from the country,” he stated. “Russia’s actions will be met with severe consequences.”

Read more here.

Canadian Armed Forces members are ready to aid Ukraine

Thousands of Canadian Armed Forces members are ready to be deployed to help Ukraine. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Canada is sending an additional 460 personnel to aid Ukraine. Nearly 800 Canadian troops with NATO are already deployed in Eastern Europe.

He also said that another 3,400 members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) are at the ready and authorized to be deployed should the NATO Response Force require them.

Read more here.

Canada imposing sanctions on Russian elites in bid to stop Putin

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced sanctions will be imposed on 58 people and entities including members of the Russian elite and their family members.

The Wagner Group, a Russian paramilitary organization, and major Russian banks are also being targeted by these sanctions.

“These sanctions are wide-reaching. They will impose severe costs on complicit Russian elites and they will limit President Putin’s ability to continue funding this unjustified invasion,” said Trudeau during a press conference.

Read more here.

You might also like:
• "This is not a meme": Ukraine tweets Hitler-Putin cartoon as country is invaded
• https://dailyhive.com/toronto/canada-sanctions-russia-ukraine

Oil skyrockets past $100 a barrel as Russia attacks Ukraine

The Russian war on Ukraine is already impacting the world’s economy. Oil prices soared on Thursday to $105 a barrel for the first time since 2014.

This is also causing gas prices in Toronto to go up by nearly 7 cents.

Read more here.

Canada to prioritize immigration applications for Ukrainians

Canada has announced that it’ll prioritize applications for Ukrainians, as many hope to flee the violence caused by the Russian invasion.

“We want to make sure that you can get to safety. We’ve arranged for safe passage for you and your families at the land borders with Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Moldova,” Trudeau said.

Read more here.

Protests erupt across Europe after Russian attack on Ukraine

Shocked by Russia’s attack on Ukraine, people around the world are protesting. Many are marching on the streets, chanting slogans, and raising placards with important messages.

Videos of people protesting have surfaced on Twitter, with demonstrations reportedly occurring across Europe, including in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Tbilisi, Georgia, London, and Warsaw.

Read more here.

Here’s what it looks like on the ground as Russia invades Ukraine

As people in Canada read about Ukraine from the safety of our homes, scenes on the battleground are looking grimmer by the hour.

Citizens, photographers, TikTokers, and journalists in Ukraine are sharing frightening footage of what’s really taking place around them.

Read more here.

Here’s how Canadians can help Ukraine amid Russia’s invasion

Canadians may have seen videos of the dire situation on the ground in cities like Kyiv and Kharkiv, where civilians are evacuating and sheltering from explosions.

You may be wondering how you can help from across the pond. Thankfully, Ukrainians have put together a list of reputable resources on ways foreigners can help.

Read more here.

Telus waives charges for long-distance calls and texts from Canada to Ukraine

Telus has announced that it is waiving all additional charges for long distance calls and texts from Canada to Ukraine.

So far, Telus is the only phone company in Canada that has announced a waive in charges.

Some people are calling on other major telecommunications companies like Rogers and Bell to follow suit.

Read more here.

Want to know more about what’s happening in Ukraine?

Daily Hive has put together a short explainer on the situation in Ukraine. It’s not just an update about current news; it also provides historical context into what’s been called the Ukraine-Russia conflict.

How does NATO factor into all of this? How long has this been going on? What prompted the attacks?

Read more here.