The Russo–Ukrainian War is an ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine that began in February 2014. It started when Russia took over Crimea and invaded the Donbas region.
It is believed President Vladimir Putin wishes to conquer the whole of Ukraine and rebuild the Soviet Union. The number of soldiers that have been wounded or killed is a half million (as of 2023), according to U.S. authorities.
History
War in Donbas
On 20 February 2014, Russian soldiers invaded and took control of Crimea. Russia also supported separatists in the Donbas region, who took control of the Donetsk Oblast and the Luhansk Oblast and declared them as independent countries.
In August 2014, Ukraine attacked the separatist oblasts. A ceasefire, the Minsk Protocol, was agreed on but both sides continued fighting. The fighting slowed down and became a frozen conflict.
Invasion of Ukraine
In 2021, more and more Russian soldiers and weapons arrived near the border with Ukraine. There was fear of a possible invasion.
On 17 January 2022, Russian troops and weapons began arriving in Belarus for a 'military exercise', that [started or] was going to start in February; Its name is Allied Resolve. The following month, Russia officially recognised the separatist regions in Donetsk and Luhansk as independent countries (separate from Ukraine). Russian soldiers then began appearing in the regions.
On 24 February 2022, President Vladimir Putin announced the invasion of Ukraine. Most other countries declared their support for Ukraine, especially the countries of the NATO military alliance. Many other countries began sanctioning Russia (such as stopping trade, participation in events and the travel of Russian politicians) as a way to fight Russia without using soldiers.
Russia's attempt to invade Kyiv (capital of Ukraine) failed and many Ukraine forces began to re-capture territory that Russia had taken. In September 2022, four Russian-controlled separatist regions of Ukraine became member states of Russia
Related pages
List of ongoing armed conflicts
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
The Long Breakup, a film about the relationship between Ukraine and Russia.