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Ukrainian troops quickly mobilised at the time, vowing to fight back against invading Russia and defend not just their own country, but the broader frontiers and values of Europe.
Fast forward to today, and the brutal war wages on despite the international community’s efforts to bring an end to the bloodshed and devastation.
Earlier this month, peace talks in Geneva abruptly ended without much sign of progress, casting further uncertainty on the prospects for peace in the region.
The price has been high: some two million people are thought to have died since 2022, and countless lives and livelihoods have been shattered.
From a geopolitical standpoint, the fighting has also raised tensions across Europe and the U.S. and tested NATO alliances at a crucial moment for regional defence.
Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
As the world observes the grim milestone of four years of war in Ukraine, we take a look at the figures.
1. Almost 2 million military casualties
Neither Russia nor Ukraine release their military fatality figures, but four years of brutal and grinding war have resulted in a devastating loss of life on all sides.
According to The Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Russia may have suffered some of the heaviest losses since World War II, with around 1.2 million casualties since 2022.
Ukraine’s military fatalities are thought to be considerably lower, with an estimated 600,000 deaths.
The think tank states: “At current rates, combined Russian and Ukrainian casualties could reach 2 million by the spring of 2026.”
REUTERS
2. At least 6.9 million Ukrainian refugees
Since 2022, a number of countries have shown support for Ukrainians fleeing the war, helping to provide safe passage to other countries.
According to European Union figures, EU countries have provided temporary protection to around 6.9 million people fleeing Ukraine so far.
Some of the highest numbers of Ukrainian refugees are now found in Germany, the Czech Republic and Poland.
According to the House of Commons, 230,000 Ukrainians had arrived in the UK as of September 2025 under two new asylum routes.
(Ben Birchall/PA)
PA Wire
3. 3,000 children killed or injured
The human cost of Russia’s invasion has been devastating for Ukraine.
According to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, at least 766 children have been killed in Ukraine since 2022, out of a total of 15,172 civilian fatalities since the war broke out.
One of the most recent incidents saw a Russian overnight strike kill two twin two-year-old boys and their one-year-old sister in Ukraine’s north-eastern Kharkiv region. Days earlier, a 10-year-old and an 11-year-old also died in deadly strikes.
Alongside the bombing of civilian infrastructure, including homes, hospitals, trains and buses, the UN report says “civilians across the country suffered the dire consequences of sustained and systematic attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.”
Russia has been accused of kidnapping Ukrainian children (Jane Barlow/PA)
PA Archive
4. $524 billion to reconstruct Ukraine
In 2025, the United Nations estimated that around $524 billion would be needed over the next decade to reconstruct Ukraine.
Throughout the last four years, pretty much all parts of Ukraine have been impacted by the war in some way, including civilian infrastructure.
It’s understood that around 13 per cent of all housing in the country has been damaged or destroyed, alongside 70 per cent of the country’s energy infrastructure.
What’s more, according to the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR), the total cost of Russian aggression could be in the realm of $2.4 trillion; however, this “likely understates the full scale of economic harm.”
It will likely be difficult to gauge the full financial cost of this war, but the impacts will be felt for decades to come.
AFP via Getty Images
5. At least 41 countries involved
According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, at least 41 countries have contributed to Ukraine’s war efforts.
This has mainly been in monetary terms, but has also included providing weapons and equipment, as well as humanitarian aid.
In financial terms, Ukraine received approximately 309 billion euros in aid through August 2025.
The UK, in particular, has helped to deliver hundreds of missiles to Ukraine as well as tanks and long-range precision strike missiles.
According to the UK Parliament, the UK has also trained Ukrainian fast jet pilots,but will not provide combat fighter aircraft.
It’s understood that most countries involved are part NATO; there are also a number of non-NATO members who have also contributed to Ukraine’s war efforts, including Australia and the Republic of Ireland.
Meanwhile, a number of countries have also supported Russia, including North Korea and Belarus.
6. At least 139,000km² of contaminated land
According to the Landmine and Cluster Munitions Monitor, roughly a quarter of Ukraine’s territory could be contaminated with unexploded bombs and landmines.
Like many places experiencing war, the risk of being killed by such deadly weapons continues long after fighting ends due to unexploded ordnance.
Although cluster munitions are internationally banned, many organisations say that Russia has used the indisciminate explosives during its campaign in Ukraine.
Landmines are equally as dangerous, often going undetected for years to come after fighting has ended, and jeopardising local communities and access to land.
Alarmingly, neighbouring countries have also recently pulled out of the Ottawa Convention banning anti-personnel landmines over concerns regarding Russian aggression.
It’s estimated that Ukraine may be the most heavily contaminated country on earth.
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