Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022, marking a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014 following the Ukrainian Revolution of Dignity.
The invasion triggered Europe’s largest refugee crisis since WW2, with millions leaving the country and millions more displaced.
In 2014, at the start of the Russo-Ukrainian war, Russia annexed Crimea and Russian-backed separatists seized part of the south-eastern Donbas region of Ukraine, sparking a regional war there.
In 2022, Russia began a large military build-up along its Ukrainian border – over 190,000 armed troops. Russia’s President Vladimir Putin had continued to deny Russia was planning an invasion until shortly before the invasion.
In a broadcast shortly before the invasion, Putin espoused irredentist views, questioned Ukraine’s right to statehood and falsely claimed the country was being governed by neo-Nazis. Putin also claimed NATO constitutes a threat to Russia’s national security by expanding eastward since the early 2000s, which NATO disputed. Russia demanded NATO cease expansion and bar Ukraine from ever joining. The UK, USA and allies all accused Russia of planning to attack or invade Ukraine, Russian officials and state media continued to deny it up until 23 February 2022.
The invasion began on 24 February – Putin announced it was a “special military operation” to “demilitarise and denazify” Ukraine. Russia then started missiles and airstrikes across Ukraine as well as a large ground invasion from multiple directions.
The invasion has been widely condemned by the international community.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine hasn’t gone entirely to plan as the Russians underestimated the Ukrainian people’s will to fight for their country.
China’s top diplomat Wang Yi will begin a four-day visit to Russia for security talks on Monday, his foreign ministry said, the latest in a series of high-level visits and phone calls between the two countries. Read our liveblog for all the latest developments on the war in Ukraine. All times are Paris time (GMT+2).
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have banned vehicles with Russian license plates from entering their territory, a joint move in line with a recent interpretation of the European Union’s sanctions against Moscow over its war on Ukraine.
Brits have been sending donations for drones used by a Ukrainian team on the frontline of their homeland’s counter-offensive.
The pair feasted on some of the finest cuisine.
Putin made the comments at an event in Russia, just days after the Twitter/X boss said he refused to activate Starlink for a Ukrainian attack in Crimea.
The cruelty of Putin’s troops has been laid bare.
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‘A young woman committed to human rights, a woman who represents the best of our country.’
Ukraine managed to foil the attack.
Rising star Kateryna Diachenko died on a day that her mum remembers as ‘hell on Earth’.
The 31-year-old travelled to the war-torn country to ‘support freedom’, his mother said.
The ‘damage and suffering’ inflicted by Russia on Ukraine’s civilian population is being tracked on a live map.
Warning: this article contains sensitive material which may make upsetting reading for some people
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Footage shows a giant fireball erupting in Rostov-on-Don, home to the headquarters of the southern military district command.
At least 16 people have been killed by Russian shelling in Kostyantynivka, Donetsk region (Picture: Twitter)
While sharing details of Ukrainian losses, Sergei Shoigu embarrassingly claimed 6+6=11.
Ukraine war: Deadly new Russian attack reported on Izmail port area A Ukrainian port facility in the Izmail area on…
The massive explosion was captured on video.
‘No f***ing ammunition, nothing… Shall we use our fingers as bayonets?’
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A view of damage at a site in Odesa that was hit amid Russian drone attacks (Picture: reuters)
Ukraine has claimed a Russian drone fell and detonated on the territory ofRomania on Monday during an overnight attack on Ukrainian port infrastructure on the Danube river.
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His day off ended in tragedy.
Between 10 and 20 drones reportedly hit an airport in the Pskov region of Western Russia.
‘He intends to take revenge on people who were intending to destroy him, and destroyed people close to him.’
Copyright WTX News 2023
