Russo-Ukrainian war
The Russo-Ukrainian war is an ongoing conflict that began in February 2014. It started after Ukraine’s Revolution of Dignity, when Russia occupied and then annexed the Crimean peninsula following an illegitimate referendum. Russia subsequently backed separatist armed groups in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, who proclaimed the Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic as independent states, sparking the Donbas war. Russia covertly supplied these separatists with troops, tanks, and artillery, preventing Ukraine from fully reclaiming the territory. The International Criminal Court classified the conflict as both a national and international armed conflict involving Russia, while the European Court of Human Rights determined that Russia controlled the separatist republics from 2014 onward. The Minsk II agreements, signed in 2015, were never fully implemented, and the Donbas war became a static, trench-warfare-like conflict with repeatedly broken ceasefires.
In 2021, Russia amassed a large military force near Ukraine’s borders, including in Belarus, while its officials denied plans to attack. Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed expansionist views, challenged Ukraine’s right to exist, and demanded that Ukraine be barred from joining NATO. In early 2022, Russia recognized the separatist republics as independent. On 24 February 2022, Putin announced a “special military operation” to “demilitarize and denazify” Ukraine, claiming no plans to occupy the country. The full-scale invasion was widely condemned, leading to sanctions against Russia and military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine. After fierce resistance, Russia abandoned its attempt to seize Kyiv in April 2022. Ukrainian forces then began liberating territories in the northeast and south. Russia later declared the annexation of four partially occupied provinces, a move condemned internationally. Since then, offensives and counteroffensives have yielded only small territorial gains. The invasion has included attacks in Russia by Ukrainian and Ukrainian-backed forces, including a cross-border offensive into Russia’s Kursk region in August 2024. Russia has conducted deliberate and indiscriminate attacks on civilians far from the front. The UN Human Rights Office reported severe human rights violations in occupied Ukraine, and the ICC opened a war crimes investigation, issuing arrest warran
- type
- International armed conflict
- location
- Ukraine (Crimea, Donbas, and other regions)
- parties
- Russia and Russian-backed separatists vs. Ukraine
- status
- Ongoing
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
The conflict began in early 2014 after Ukraine’s Revolution of Dignity, when unmarked Russian troops occupied Crimea, which Russia then annexed following an illegitimate referendum. Simultaneously, Russian-backed militants seized towns in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region, proclaiming the Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic as independent states, starting the Donbas war. Russia covertly supported the separatists with troops, tanks, and artillery, preventing Ukraine from fully retaking the territory. The International Criminal Court judged the war to be both a national and international armed conflict involving Russia, while the European Court of Human Rights found that Russia controlled the separatist republics from 2014 onward. The Minsk II agreements, signed in 2015, were never fully implemented, and the Donbas war became a static conflict resembling trench warfare, with repeated ceasefire violations but little frontline movement. In February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion, the largest conflict in Europe since World War II, after a massive military buildup near Ukraine’s borders and in Belarus. Russian forces initially attempted to seize Kyiv but abandoned that effort in April 2022. Ukraine later began liberating territories in the northeast and south. Russia declared the annexation of four partially occupied provinces in September 2022, a move widely condemned. The war has involved deliberate and indiscriminate attacks on civilians far from the frontlines, with the UN documenting severe human rights violations in occupied areas. The International Criminal Court opened an investigation into war crimes and issued arrest warrants for Russian officials. The conflict has also seen cross-border attacks into Russia, including a Ukrainian-backed offensive into Russia’s Kursk region in August 2024. Russia has repeatedly refused calls for a ceasefire.
Reader's Guide
The Russo-Ukrainian war is the largest conflict in Europe since World War II, marked by a prolonged and evolving nature. It began in 2014 after Russia occupied and annexed Crimea, then supported separatist forces in the Donbas region, leading to a static war resembling trench warfare. Despite a 2015 agreement, ceasefires were repeatedly broken. The war escalated dramatically in 2022 with a full-scale Russian invasion, which was internationally condemned. The conflict has involved naval incidents, cyberwarfare, and deliberate, indiscriminate attacks on civilians far from frontlines. The UN Human Rights Office reported severe human rights violations in occupied areas, and the International Criminal Court opened an investigation, issuing arrest warrants for Russian president Vladimir Putin and other officials. Russia has refused calls for a ceasefire. The war has caused a refugee crisis and hundreds of thousands of deaths, while also prompting international sanctions against Russia and the provision of humanitarian and military aid to Ukraine.
Did You Know?
- The International Criminal Court opened an investigation into war crimes and issued arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and several other Russian officials.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the Russo-Ukrainian war considered so important in the broader post-Cold War conflicts canon?
It represents the most significant direct military confrontation between a major power and a sovereign European state in the post-World War II era, fundamentally reshaping alliances and security architecture across the continent. Its ongoing status keeps it among the most consequential active conflicts in modern history.
More in Cold War Conflicts 1-24
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