Kyiv: Ukraine remains calm throughout the country as the war enters its fifth year. Ukrainians observed a minute of silence to mourn those who died in the war with Russia, which began four years ago today and is about to enter its fifth year with no sign of peace. The image of the entire country coming to a standstill, with vehicles and people moving about, occurs every morning in Ukraine when the loudspeakers announce 9:00 AM. This has become a tradition since Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ordered it on March 16, 2022, almost a month after Russia launched its military operation against Ukraine on February 24 of the same year.

According to Thai News Agency, on February 11, the Ukrainian parliament passed a law making a one-minute moment of silence for war victims mandatory across all sectors of society. Local and national authorities are responsible for ensuring that the time of silence is announced across all media, including government agencies. The stated rationale for the law is to strengthen Ukrainian social cohesion and foster a national identity.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a US-based policy research institute, published data on January 27th of this year stating that since the latest Russo-Ukrainian war four years ago, Russia and Ukraine have suffered nearly 1.2 million casualties combined, and this number could rise to 2 million by this spring if the war does not end.