What is happening in Ukraine?
Russia began an invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War that began in 2014. It is the largest military attack in Europe since World War II.
Kyiv, Ukraine. Missale-hit building
Following the Ukrainian Revolution of Dignity in February 2014, Russia annexed Crimea and Russian-backed separatists seized part of south-east Ukraine, starting the war in Donbas.In 2021, Russia began a large military build-up along its border with Ukraine, leading to an international crisis.
During this period, Russia's president Vladimir Putin espoused Russian irredentist views,questioned Ukraine's right to statehood,and accused NATO of threatening Russia's security, demanding that Ukraine be barred from ever joining the alliance. Putin also baselessly accused Ukraine of committing genocide against its Russian speakers.The United States and others accused Russia of planning to attack or invade Ukraine, which Russian officials repeatedly denied as late as 20 and 23 February 2022.
On 24 February, about 5 am EET (UTC+2), Putin announced a "special military operation" to "demilitarise and denazify" Ukraine. Minutes later, missiles and airstrikes hit places across Ukraine, including the capital Kyiv, shortly followed by a large ground invasion from multiple directions. Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyy enacted martial law and general mobilisation.
Chirnigiv oblast, Ukraine 02/28/22
Multi-pronged assaults were launched from Russia proper, Belarus, and the two occupied territories of Ukraine (Crimea and Donbas). There are four war theatres: the Kyiv offensive, the Northeastern Ukraine offensive, the Eastern Ukraine offensive, and the Southern Ukraine offensive. Russian forces approached or besieged a number of key settlements, such as Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Kherson, Kyiv, Mariupol, and Sumy, but met stiff military and local resistance, and began to experience logistical and other challenges that hampered their progress.
People spend days in bomb shelters
The invasion received widespread international condemnation, including by the United Nations General Assembly, which adopted Resolution ES-11/1. Many countries imposed new sanctions, triggering a financial crisis in Russia.
Various countries have given humanitarian and military aid to Ukraine. Citing the new sanctions and "aggressive statements", Putin placed Russia's nuclear forces on higher alert on 27 February, increasing fears of nuclear war. Protests occurred around the world; those in Russia have been met with mass arrests and increased media censorship, including banning the terms "war" and "invasion". Some companies began to boycott Russia and Belarus. Over two million people have fled their homes as part of the Ukrainian refugee crisis, the world's fastest-growing refugee crisis since World War II, as well as the first major humanitarian crisis in Europe since the Yugoslav Wars of the 1990s.
The International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court have opened legal proceedings against the Russian Federation for war crimes, crimes against humanity and violation of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.