Russia launched a massive invasion on Ukraine, sparking Europe’s first land war in decades and plunging the world into an international crisis with far-reaching consequences, especially for California and the Bay Area.
Latest news out of Ukraine
According to Ukrainian sources, at least 137 people had been murdered on the Ukrainian side as of Friday morning, Pacific Standard Time. They further alleged that hundreds of people were killed on the Russian side. Russian officials did not reveal casualty estimates, and the Associated Press said that it was impossible to verify the fatalities.
According to UN officials, 100,000 people are reported to have fled their homes, with up to 4 million expected to escape if the war develops.
On Friday, Russian troops pounced on Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, with gunfire and explosions echoing increasingly closer to the government sector. According to the UK Ministry of Defence, Russian troops launched missiles and artillery fire from the air and sea, especially targeting Ukraine’s military assets.
The aggression includes a surge of cyberattacks against Ukraine in an attempt to undermine crucial infrastructure, demonstrating how combat has transformed in the internet era.
President Joe Biden strongly condemned Russia’s “unprovoked and unjustified attack” on Ukraine. He stated that the United States and its allies will “act in a united and decisive manner.”
In a statement, Biden stated, “The world will hold Russia accountable.”
On Thursday, Biden imposed harsh new penalties, ordering the deployment of thousands of more troops to NATO partner Germany. Biden stated that the US will restrict assets of large Russian banks, implement export bans directed at the country’s high-tech needs, and sanction its business oligarchs in order to target Russia’s financial system.
However, Biden has stated that US forces will not be directly involved in the Ukrainian conflict.
California and Bay Area response
The Ukrainian diaspora in the Bay Area voiced outrage and anxiety for their relatives, with some expressing displeasure that the United States should have done more to end the war.
According to 2019 American Community Survey statistics, more than 13,700 persons born in Ukraine live in the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. The diaspora is concentrated in San Francisco, Fremont, northern San Jose, and the Peninsula, and many people were shocked by the sudden growth.
Hundreds of Bay Area Ukrainians gathered at Civic Center Plaza in San Francisco on Thursday afternoon in a passionate display of patriotism and solidarity, gravely singing their country’s national hymn. Many people were holding Ukrainian flags and signs, and tears streamed down their cheeks. They urged world powers to expel Russia from SWIFT, a global financial transaction network, as well as to sever diplomatic ties with Russia.
Earlier Thursday, members of Congress from the Bay Area issued immediate and forceful condemnations.
While addressing at a Postal Service reform event in San Francisco on Thursday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi referred to Russian President Vladimir Putin as “an horrible guy who is doing bad things.”
“The United States stands with Ukraine,” Fremont Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna said on Twitter. “We will hold Putin accountable for his despicable, unjustified, and unlawful war on Ukraine’s innocent people.” He is committing a crime against humanity while also flagrantly breaking international law.”
Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., said he spoke with Dmytro Kushneruk, Ukraine’s consul general in San Francisco, to “reaffirm our support” for Ukrainians.
Senator Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said the United States “stands shoulder-to-shoulder” with its allies and that Congress “must join together to make… absolutely clear” that any action by Putin against the United States and NATO “would be met with an overwhelming response.”
Cutting ties with Russia?
Ukraine’s digital transformation minister has asked Apple to prohibit Russia from using the App Store and to stop supplying the country with products. Apple did not react immediately to The Chronicle’s request for comment. On Thursday, Apple CEO Tim Cook stated that the business was “supporting local humanitarian efforts” and that he “joins all those asking for peace.”
