Russian invasion of Ukraine

"Russian invasion of Ukraine" redirects here. For previous invasions of Ukraine, see List of invasions and occupations of Ukraine.

2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
Part of the Russo-Ukrainian War
Military situation as of 28 December 2024    Controlled by Ukraine    Occupied by Russia and pro-Russian forces (See also: Detailed map of the Russo-Ukrainian War)
Date 24 February 2022 (2022-02-24) – present (2 years, 10 months and 4 days) Location Ukraine (with spillover into Russia) Status Ongoing (list of engagements · control of cities · timeline of events) Russian Ground Forces enter Ukraine from Russia, Crimea, and Belarus Russian air and missile strikes target major cities across Ukraine, including the capital Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Odessa
Belligerents
Russia Donetsk Republic Luhansk Republic Supported by:  Belarus	Ukraine Supported by:  NATO (indirect defensive military aid and ISR support)
Commanders and leaders
Vladimir Putin Mikhail Mishustin Sergey Shoygu Sergey Lavrov Valery Gerasimov Ramzan Kadyrov Denis Pushilin Vladimir Pashkov Leonid Pasechnik Sergey Kozlov	Volodymyr Zelenskyy Denys Shmyhal Oleksii Reznikov Dmytro Kuleba Oleksii Danilov Valerii Zaluzhnyi Serhiy Shaptala Ruslan Khomchak
Strength
Russia: ~175,000–190,000 Donetsk PR: 20,000 Luhansk PR: 14,000	Ukraine: 209,000 (armed forces) 102,000 (paramilitary) 900,000 (reserves)
Order of battle for the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
Casualties and losses
According to Russia: 2 civilian ships bombed (several casualties onboard) 1 Su-25 crashed 1 An-26 crashed (crew killed) According to Ukraine: 3,500 killed 200 captured 102 tanks destroyed 536 armored vehicles destroyed 14 aircraft shot down 8 helicopters shot down 2 Ilyushin Il-76 planes shot down According to the United Kingdom: 450+ soldiers killed	According to Ukraine: 40+ soldiers killed 1 transport aircraft shot down (five onboard killed) 1 Su-27 shot down According to Russia: 150+ soldiers surrendered 7 combat aircraft shot down 7 combat helicopters shot down 9 drones shot down 67 tanks/combat vehicles destroyed 87 other military vehicles destroyed 8 navy vessels destroyed According to the United Kingdom: 137 soldiers killed
Per Ukraine: 198 Ukrainian civilians killed, 1,115 wounded Per UN: 100,000 civilians displaced 1 Japanese-owned vessel damaged 1 Turkish-owned vessel damaged 1 Moldovan-flagged vessel sunk

On 24 February 2022, Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine, its neighbor to the southwest, marking a dramatic escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War that began in 2014.

The invasion was preceded by a Russian military build-up that started in early 2021, during which Russian president Vladimir Putin criticized NATO's post-1997 enlargement as a threat to his country's security and demanded that Ukraine be legally prohibited from joining the military alliance; he also expressed irredentist views. On 21 February 2022, Russia officially recognised the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic, two self-proclaimed states in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, and sent troops to the territories. The following day, the Russian Federation Council unanimously authorised Putin to use military force outside Russia's borders.

Around 05:00 EET (UTC+2) on 24 February, Putin announced a "special military operation" in eastern Ukraine; minutes later, missiles began to hit locations across Ukraine, including the capital, Kyiv. The Ukrainian Border Service said that its border posts with Russia and Belarus were attacked. Two hours later, Russian ground forces entered the country. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded by enacting martial law, severing diplomatic ties with Russia, and ordering general mobilisation. The invasion received widespread international condemnation, including new sanctions imposed on Russia, while anti-war protests in Russia were met with mass arrests.

Background

Main articles: Russo-Ukrainian War and Historical background of the Russo-Ukrainian War

See also: Enlargement of NATO, Ukraine–NATO relations, and Second Cold War

Post-Soviet context and Orange Revolution

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Ukraine and Russia maintained close ties. In 1994, Ukraine agreed to abandon its nuclear arsenal; it signed the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances on the condition that Russia, the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States (US) would provide assurances against threats or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Ukraine. Five years later, Russia was one of the signatories of the Charter for European Security, which "reaffirmed the inherent right of each and every participating State to be free to choose or change its security arrangements, including treaties of alliance, as they evolve".

In 2004, Viktor Yanukovych, then prime minister, was declared the winner of the presidential elections, which had been largely rigged, according to a Supreme Court of Ukraine ruling. The results caused a public outcry in support of the opposition candidate, Viktor Yushchenko, who challenged the outcome. During the tumultuous months of the revolution, candidate Yushchenko suddenly became gravely ill, and was soon found by multiple independent physician groups to have been poisoned by TCDD dioxin. Yushchenko strongly suspected Russian involvement in his poisoning. All of this eventually resulted in the peaceful Orange Revolution, bringing Yushchenko and Yulia Tymoshenko to power, while casting Yanukovych in opposition.

In 2008, Russian president Vladimir Putin spoke out against Ukraine's potential accession to NATO. In 2009, Romanian analyst Iulian Chifu and his co-authors opined that with regard to Ukraine, Russia has pursued an updated version of the Brezhnev Doctrine, a Cold War policy of Soviet intervention in the countries of the Soviet sphere of influence during the late 1980s and early 1990s. In 2009, Yanukovych announced his intent to again run for president in the 2010 presidential election, which he won.

Ukrainian revolution and the Donbas war

Main articles: Revolution of Dignity and War in Donbas

Euromaidan protests in Kyiv, December 2013.

The Euromaidan protests began in 2013 over the Ukrainian government's decision to suspend the signing of the European Union–Ukraine Association Agreement, instead choosing closer ties to Russia and the Eurasian Economic Union. Following weeks of protests, Yanukovych and the leaders of the Ukrainian parliamentary opposition signed a settlement agreement on 21 February 2014 that called for an early election. The following day, Yanukovych fled from Kyiv ahead of an impeachment vote that stripped him of his powers as president. Leaders of the Russian-speaking eastern regions of Ukraine declared continuing loyalty to Yanukovych, causing the 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine. The unrest was followed by the annexation of Crimea by Russia in March 2014 and the War in Donbas, which started in April 2014 with the creation of the Russia-backed quasi-states of the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics.

On 14 September 2020, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy approved Ukraine's new National Security Strategy, "which provides for the development of the distinctive partnership with NATO with the aim of membership in NATO." On 24 March 2021, Zelenskyy signed the Decree No. 117/2021, approving the "strategy of de-occupation and reintegration of the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol."

In July 2021, Putin published an essay titled On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians, in which he re-affirmed his view that Russians and Ukrainians were "one people". American historian Timothy Snyder described Putin's ideas as imperialism. British journalist Edward Lucas described it as historical revisionism. Other observers have described the Russian leadership as having a distorted view of modern Ukraine and its history.

Russia has said that a possible Ukrainian accession to NATO and the NATO enlargement in general threaten its national security. In turn, Ukraine and other European countries neighboring Russia accused Putin of attempting Russian irredentism and of pursuing aggressive militaristic policies.

Prelude

Russian military build-ups

Main article: 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis

US paratroopers of 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment depart Italy for Latvia, 24 February 2022. Thousands of US troops were deployed to eastern Europe amid Russia's military build-up.

From March to April 2021, Russia commenced a major military build-up near areas that border Ukraine. A second phase of troop expansion took place from October 2021 to February 2022. During the second build-up, Russia issued demands to the US and NATO for what it referred to as "security guarantees". Russia advanced two draft treaties that included a legally binding promise that Ukraine would not join NATO, as well as a reduction in NATO troops and military hardware stationed in Eastern Europe. In addition, Russia threatened an unspecified military response if NATO continued to follow an "aggressive line".

Russian denials of plans to invade

Despite the military build-ups, Russian officials over months repeatedly denied that Russia had plans to invade Ukraine. In mid-November 2021, Dmitry Peskov, the spokesman for Putin, told reporters that "Russia doesn’t threaten anyone. The movement of troops on our territory shouldn’t be a cause for anyone’s concern". In late-November 2021, Peskov stated that "Russia has never hatched, is not hatching and will never hatch any plans to attack anyone ... Russia is a peaceful country, which is interested in good relations with its neighbors".

In mid-January 2022, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that Russia has "do not want and will not take any action of aggressive character. We will not attack, strike, invade, quote unquote, whatever Ukraine." On 12 February 2022, Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov described discussion about the "so-called planned Russian invasion" as "hysteria". On 20 February 2022, Russia's ambassador to the U.S., Anatoly Antonov, said that Russian forces "don’t threaten anyone ... There is no invasion. There is no such plans".

Russian accusations

See also: Humanitarian situation during the war in Donbas, Disinformation in the 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis, and Neo-Nazism § Ukraine

On 9 December 2021, president Putin spoke of discrimination against Russian speakers outside Russia, saying: "I have to say that Russophobia is a first step towards genocide. You and I know what is happening in Donbass. It certainly looks very much like genocide." On 15 February 2022, Putin told the press: "What is going on in Donbass is exactly genocide." Russian claims of genocide have been widely rejected as baseless. Several international organizations, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, and the Council of Europe, announced they were unable to find evidence supporting the Russian claims. The European Commission has also rejected the allegations as "Russian disinformation". The US embassy in Ukraine called the Russian genocide claim a "reprehensible falsehood". A spokeman for the US State Department, Ned Price, said that Moscow was making such claims as an excuse for invading Ukraine.

Russia also condemned the Ukrainian language law. On 18 February, the Russian Ambassador to the US, Anatoly Antonov, accused the US of condoning the forced assimilation of Ukrainian Russians.

In a speech on 21 February, president Putin accused Ukrainian society of having become neo-Nazi, adding that Russia's aim was to demilitarise and "de-Nazify" Ukraine. According to press reports, Putin was using a "false 'Nazi' narrative" to justify Russia's attack on Ukraine, although there is no widespread support for far-right ideology in the government, military, or electorate, and no far-right candidate won a single seat in the Rada, the national legislature, during the 2019 parliamentary elections. Both President Zelenskyy and former Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman are Jewish, making Ukraine one of two countries in the world to have simultaneously had both a Jewish head of state and head of government, the other being Israel. Addressing the Russian claim specifically, Zelenskyy stated his grandfather served in the Soviet Army fighting against the Nazis; he also lost three family members in the Holocaust. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum condemned the invasion and Putin's abuse of Holocaust history as a justification for war.

Alleged clashes

Fighting in Donbas escalated significantly on 17 February 2022. While the daily number of attacks over the first six weeks of 2022 ranged from two to five, the Ukrainian military reported 60 attacks on 17 February. Russian state media also reported over 20 artillery attacks on separatist positions the same day. The Ukrainian government accused Russian separatists of shelling a kindergarten at Stanytsia Luhanska using artillery, injuring three civilians. The Luhansk People's Republic said that its forces had been attacked by the Ukrainian government with mortars, grenade launchers, and machine gun fire.

The next day, the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic ordered mandatory evacuations of civilians from their respective capital cities, although observers noted that full evacuations would take months to accomplish. Ukrainian media reported a sharp increase in artillery shelling by the Russian-led militants in Donbas as attempts to provoke the Ukrainian army. On 21 February, Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) announced that Ukrainian shelling had destroyed an FSB border facility 150 metres from the Russia–Ukraine border in Rostov Oblast. The Luhansk thermal power station in the Luhansk People's Republic was also shelled by unknown forces. Ukrainian news stated that it was forced to shut down as a result.

Separately, the press service of the Southern Military District announced that Russian forces had in the morning that day killed a group of five saboteurs near the village of Mityakinskaya, Rostov Oblast, that had penetrated the border from Ukraine in two infantry fighting vehicles, the vehicles having been destroyed. Ukraine denied being involved in both incidents and called them a false flag. Additionally, two Ukrainian soldiers and a civilian were reported killed by shelling in the village of Zaitseve, 30 kilometres (19 mi; 16 nmi) north of Donetsk. Several analysts, including the investigative website Bellingcat, published evidence that many of the claimed attacks, explosions and evacuations in Donbas were staged by Russia.

Escalation (21–23 February)

Putin's address to the nation on 22 February 2022

On 21 February, following the recognition of the Donetsk and Luhansk republics, President Putin directed the deployment of Russian troops (including mechanised forces) into Donbas in what Russia referred to as a "peacekeeping mission". Russia's military said it killed five Ukrainian "saboteurs" who crossed the border into Russia, a claim strongly denied by Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba. Later that day, several independent media outlets confirmed that Russian forces were entering Donbas. The 21 February intervention in Donbas was widely condemned by the UN Security Council and did not receive any support. Kenya's ambassador, Martin Kimani, compared Putin's move to colonialism and said: "We must complete our recovery from the embers of dead empires in a way that does not plunge us back into new forms of domination and oppression."

On 22 February, US president Joe Biden stated that "the beginning of a Russian invasion of Ukraine" had occurred. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau said that "further invasion" had taken place. Ukrainian foreign minister Kuleba stated: "There's no such thing as a minor, middle or major invasion. Invasion is an invasion." The European Union foreign policy head Josep Borrell stated that "Russian troops [had arrived] on Ukrainian soil" in what was "[not] a fully-fledged invasion". On the same day, the Federation Council unanimously authorised Putin to use military force outside Russia. In turn, Zelenskyy ordered a conscription of Ukraine's reservists, while not committing to general mobilisation yet.

"Mixed Feelings on the Russian Side of the Ukraine Border Over Potential War", a video news report from Voice of America

On 23 February, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine proclaimed a 30-day nationwide state of emergency, excluding the occupied territories in Donbas, which took effect at midnight. The parliament also ordered the mobilisation of all reservists of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. On the same day, Russia began to evacuate its embassy in Kyiv and also lowered the Russian flag from the top of the building. The websites of the Ukrainian parliament and government, along with banking websites, were hit by DDoS attacks.

Another UN Security Council meeting was convened on 23–24 February. Russia invaded Ukraine during a UN Security Council emergency meeting aiming to defuse the crisis. Secretary-General António Guterres stated: "Give peace a chance." Russia invaded while holding the presidency of the UN Security Council for February 2022, and has veto power as one of five permanent members. In the early hours of 24 February, Zelenskyy made a televised speech in which he addressed the citizens of Russia in Russian and pleaded with them to prevent war. In the speech, Zelenskyy refuted claims of the Russian government about the presence of neo-Nazis in the Ukrainian government and stated that he had no intention of attacking the Donbas region.

Invasion

Further information: Timeline of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and List of military engagements during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine

See also: Cities and towns during the Russo-Ukrainian War and Timeline of the war in Donbas (2022)

Animated map of the invasion

24 February

Structure in Kyiv hit by a missile fragment, 24 February

Shortly before 06:00 Moscow Time (UTC+3) on 24 February, Putin announced that he had made the decision to launch a "special military operation" in eastern Ukraine. In his address, Putin claimed there were no plans to occupy Ukrainian territory and claimed that he supported the right of the peoples of Ukraine to self-determination. Putin also stated that Russia sought the "demilitarisation and denazification" of Ukraine—the latter a claim that news outlets CNN and NBC called "baseless" and "false" and which was condemned by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum—and urged the Ukrainian military to lay down their arms and go to their homes. In light of a request by the Russian Ministry of Defence asking air traffic control units of Ukraine to stop flights, airspace over Ukraine was restricted to non-civilian air traffic, with the whole area being deemed an active conflict zone by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

Within minutes of Putin's announcement, explosions were reported in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odessa, and the Donbas. Ukrainian officials said that Russia had landed troops in Mariupol and Odessa and launched cruise and ballistic missiles at airfields, military headquarters, and military depots in Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Dnipro. Military vehicles entered Ukraine through Senkivka, at the point where Ukraine meets Belarus and Russia, at around 6:48 am local time. A video captured Russian troops entering Ukraine from Russian-annexed Crimea. The Kremlin planned to initially target artillery and missiles at command and control centres and then send fighter jets and helicopters to quickly gain air superiority. The Center for Naval Analyses said that Russia would create a pincer movement to encircle Kyiv and envelop Ukraine's forces in the east, with the Center for Strategic and International Studies identifying three axes of advance: from Belarus in the north, from Donetsk, and from Crimea in the south. The US said it believed that Russia intended to "decapitate" Ukraine's government and install their own, with American intelligence officials believing that Kyiv would fall within 96 hours given circumstances on the ground.

According to Ukrainian Minister of State Anton Herashchenko, just after 06:30 UTC+2, Russian forces were invading via land near the city of Kharkiv and large-scale amphibious landings were reported in the city of Mariupol. At 07:40, the BBC cited other sources in saying that troops were also entering the country from Belarus. The Ukrainian Border Force reported attacks on sites in Luhansk, Sumy, Kharkiv, Chernihiv and Zhytomyr, as well as from Crimea. The Russian Ministry of Defence claimed no resistance by Ukrainian border forces. The Ukrainian interior ministry reported that Russian forces captured the villages of Horodyshche and Milove in Luhansk. The Ukrainian Centre for Strategic Communication reported that the Ukrainian army beat off an attack near Shchastia (near Luhansk) and took back control of the town, claiming nearly 50 casualties from the Russian side.

After being offline for an hour, the Ukrainian Defence Ministry's website was restored. The Ministry declared that it had shot down five planes and one helicopter in Luhansk. Shortly before 07:00 (UTC+2), Zelenskyy announced the introduction of martial law in Ukraine. Later, he ordered the Ukrainian Army to "inflict maximum losses" to the invaders. Zelenskyy also announced that diplomatic relations with Russia were being severed, effective immediately. Later in the day, he announced general mobilisation. Russian missiles targeted Ukrainian infrastructure, including Ukraine's largest airport, Boryspil International, 29 km (18 mi) east of Kyiv. Ukraine closed its air space for civilian flights.

A military unit in Podilsk was attacked by Russian forces, resulting in six deaths and seven wounded. Nineteen more people were also reported missing. Another person was killed in the city of Mariupol. A house in Chuhuiv was damaged by Russian artillery; its occupants were injured and one boy died. Eighteen people were killed by Russian bombing in the village of Lipetske (Odesa Oblast).

At 10:00 (UTC+2), it was reported during the briefing of the Ukrainian presidential administration that Russian troops had invaded Ukraine from the north (up to 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) south of the border). Russian troops were said to be active in Kharkiv Oblast, Chernihiv Oblast, near Sumy. Zelenskyy's press service also reported that Ukraine had repulsed an attack in Volyn Oblast. At 10:30 (UTC+2), the Ukrainian defence ministry reported that Russian troops in Chernihiv Oblast had been stopped, a major battle near Kharkiv was in progress, and Mariupol and Shchastia had been fully reclaimed. The Ukrainian military claimed that six Russian planes, two helicopters, and dozens of armoured vehicles were destroyed. Russia denied having lost any aircraft or armoured vehicles. Ukrainian commander-in-chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi published photos of 2 captured Russian soldiers saying they were from the Russian 423rd Guards Yampolsky Motor Rifle Regiment (military unit 91701). Russia's 74th Motorized Rifle Brigade recon platoon surrendered near Chernihiv.

In the Battle of Antonov Airport, Russian airborne troops seized the Hostomel Airport in Hostomel, a suburb of Kyiv, after being transported by helicopters early in the morning; a Ukrainian counteroffensive to recapture the airport was launched later in the day. The Rapid Response Brigade of the Ukrainian National Guard stated that it had fought at the airfield, shooting down three of 34 Russian helicopters.

Scenes in Eastern Ukraine during the invasion

Belarus allowed Russian troops to invade Ukraine from the north. At 11:00 (UTC+2), Ukrainian border guards reported a border breach in Vilcha (Kyiv Oblast), and border guards in Zhytomyr Oblast were bombarded by Russian rocket launchers (presumably BM-21 Grad). A helicopter without markings reportedly bombed Slavutych border guards position from Belarus. At 11:30 (UTC+2) a second wave of Russian missile bombings targeted the cities of Kyiv, Odessa, Kharkiv, and Lviv. Heavy ground fighting was reported in the Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts. Civil rights activists in Poland reported an increase in the crossing of migrants from Belarus to Poland. Belarus is considered by observers to be taking orders from Russia and using migrants at the Polish-Belarus border as a weapon (see also 2021–2022 Belarus–European Union border crisis). By 12:04 (UTC+2), Russian troops advancing from Crimea moved towards the city of Nova Kakhovka in Kherson Oblast. Later that day, Russian troops entered the city of Kherson and took control of the North Crimean Canal, which would allow them to resume water supplies for the peninsula.

At 13:00 and 13:19 (UTC+2), Ukrainian border guards and Armed Forces reported two new clashes—near Sumy ("in the direction of Konotop") and Starobilsk (Luhansk Oblast). At 13:32 (UTC+2), Valerii Zaluzhnyi reported four ballistic missiles launched from the territory of Belarus in the southwestern direction. Several stations of Kyiv Metro and Kharkiv Metro were used as bomb shelters for the local population. A local hospital in Vuhledar (Donetsk Oblast) was reported to have been bombed with four civilians dead and 10 wounded (including 6 physicians). Ukrainian border guards reported that two Russian ships, Vasily Bykov (Project 22160 patrol ship) and Moskva, attacked and tried to capture the small Snake Island near the Danube Delta.

At 16:00 (UTC+2), Zelenskyy said that fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces had erupted in the ghost cities of Chernobyl and Pripyat. By around 18:20 (UTC+2) the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant was under Russian control, as were the surrounding areas. According to the Verkhovna Rada deputy Maryana Bezuhla, Russian troops threatened to attack Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.

At 16:18 (UTC+2), the mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, proclaimed a curfew lasting from 22:00 to 07:00. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi estimated that more than 100,000 Ukrainians had left their homes, with thousands of these crossing into Moldova and Romania. At 22:00 (UTC+2), Ukrainian State Border Guards announced that Russian forces had captured Snake Island following a naval and air bombardment of the island. All thirteen border guards on the island were killed in the bombardment, after refusing to surrender to a Russian warship; a recording of the guards refusing an offer to surrender went viral on social media. President Zelenskyy announced that the slain border guards would be posthumously granted the title of Hero of Ukraine, the country's highest honor. Seventeen civilians were confirmed killed, including thirteen killed in Southern Ukraine, three in Mariupol, and one in Kharkiv. Zelenskyy stated that 137 Ukrainian citizens—both soldiers and civilians—died on the first day of the invasion.

Shortly after 23:00 (UTC+2), President Zelenskyy ordered a general mobilization of all Ukrainian males between 18 and 60 years old; for the same reason, Ukrainian males from that age group were banned from leaving Ukraine.

25 February

"Kyiv Tense as Russian Forces Advance" – video news report from Voice of America

Apartment block in Kyiv (Oleksandr Koshyts Street) after shelling, 25 February

By 01:24 (UTC+2), Zelenskyy had ordered the full mobilisation of the Ukrainian military for 90 days. Around 04:00 (UTC+2) local time, Kyiv was rocked with two explosions. Ukrainian Interior Ministry official Anton Herashchenko relayed via text message that those explosions were cruise and ballistic missiles being targeted at Kyiv. The Ukrainian government said that it had shot down an enemy aircraft over Kyiv, which then crashed into a residential building, setting it on fire. It was later confirmed that the aircraft was a Ukrainian Su-27.

Independent military analysts noted that Russian forces in the north of the country appeared to have been heavily engaged by the Ukrainian military. Russian units were attempting to encircle Kyiv and advance into Kharkiv, but were bogged down in heavy fighting, with social media images suggesting that some Russian armored columns had been ambushed. In contrast, Russian operations in the east and south were more effective. The best trained and equipped Russian units were positioned outside Donbas in the southeast and appeared to have maneuvered around the prepared defensive trenches and attacked in the rear of Ukrainian defensive positions. Meanwhile, Russian military forces advancing from Crimea were divided into two columns, with analysts suggesting that they may have been attempting to encircle and entrap the Ukrainian defenders at Donbas, forcing the Ukrainians to abandon their prepared defenses and fight in the open.

On the morning of 25 February, Zelenskyy accused Russia of targeting civilian as well as military sites in a televised address. Ukraine government spokesperson Vadym Denysenko said that 33 civilian sites had been hit in the previous 24 hours. Ukraine's Defence Ministry stated that Russian forces had entered the district of Obolon, Kyiv, and were approximately 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) from the Ukrainian Parliament. The Defence Ministry also announced that all Ukrainian civilians were eligible to volunteer for military service regardless of their age.

Ukrainian authorities reported that a non-critical increase in radiation exceeding control levels had been detected at Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant after Russian troops had occupied the area, saying that this was due to the movement of heavy military vehicles lifting radioactive dust into the air. Russia claimed that it was defending the plant from nationalistic and terrorist groups, and that staff were monitoring radiation levels at the site.

Zelenskyy indicated that the Ukrainian government was not "afraid to talk about neutral status." On the same day, President Putin indicated to Chinese president Xi Jinping that "Russia is willing to conduct high-level negotiations with Ukraine."

As Russian troops approached Kyiv, Zelenskyy asked residents to prepare Molotov cocktails to "neutralise" the enemy. Putin meanwhile called on the Ukrainian military to overthrow the government. Ukraine distributed 18,000 guns to Kyiv residents who expressed a willingness to fight and deployed the Territorial Defense Forces, the reserve component of the Ukrainian military, for the defense of Kyiv. Some Russian forces had entered northern Kyiv, but had not progressed beyond that. Russia's Spetsnaz troops infiltrated the city with the intention of "hunting" government officials.

By the evening, The Pentagon stated that Russia had not established air supremacy of Ukrainian airspace, which US analysts had predicted would happen quickly after hostilities began. Ukrainian air defense capabilities had been degraded by Russian attacks, but remained operational. Military aircraft from both nations continued to fly over Ukraine. The Pentagon also said that Russian troops were also not advancing as quickly as either US intelligence or Moscow believed they would, that Russia had not taken any population centres, and that Ukrainian command and control was still intact. The Pentagon warned, however, that Russia had sent into Ukraine only 30 percent of the 150,000–190,000 troops it had massed at the border.

A Ukrainian missile attack was launched against the Millerovo air base in Russia.

A Russian tank from a military column was filmed crushing a civilian car in northern Kyiv, skidding across the road over it. The driver, an elderly man, survived and was helped out by locals.

26 February

Apartment block in Kyiv (Valeriy Lobanovskyi Avenue) struck by a Russian missile, 26 February

At 00:00 UTC, heavy fighting was reported to the south of Kyiv, near the city of Vasylkiv and its air base. The Ukrainian General Staff claimed that a Ukrainian Su-27 fighter had shot down a Russian Il-76 transport plane carrying paratroopers near the city. Vasylkiv mayor Natalia Balasinovich said her city had been successfully defended by Ukrainian forces and the fighting was ending.

Around 03:00, more than 48 explosions in 30 minutes were reported around Kyiv, as the Ukrainian military was reported to be fighting near the CHP-6 power station in the northern neighbourhood of Troieshchyna. The BBC reported the attack may be an attempt to cut off electricity to the city. Heavy fighting was reported near the Kyiv Zoo and the Shuliavka neighbourhood. Early on 26 February, the Ukrainian military said it had repelled a Russian attack on an army base located on Peremohy Avenue, a main road in Kyiv; it also claimed to have repelled a Russian assault on the city of Mykolaiv on the Black Sea. American officials said a second Russian II-76 transport plane had been shot down by Ukrainian forces near Bila Tserkva, about fifty miles south of Kyiv.

Hundreds of casualties were reported during overnight fighting in Kyiv by the Associated Press, which said shelling had destroyed an apartment building, bridges, and schools. The Russian defence ministry said it had captured Melitopol, near the Sea of Azov, although British minister James Heappey questioned this claim.

By the afternoon, most of the Russian forces that had amassed around Ukraine were fighting in the country. Mayor Klitschko of Kyiv imposed a curfew from 5 p.m. Saturday until 8 a.m. Monday, warning that anyone outside during that time would be considered enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups. Reuters reported that internet connections were disrupted in parts of Ukraine, particularly in the south and east.

A US Defense Official reported that Russian forces began to suffer logistical issues, particularly shortages of gasoline and diesel, leading to tanks and armoured vehicles stalling. Videos also emerged online of Russian tanks and armoured personnel carriers (APCs) stranded on the roadside.

Foreign military support to Ukraine

NATO started delivering defensive weapons during the invasion build-up. After the start of the war, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Estonia, France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom announced that they would send more arms, in addition to those sent by NATO, to support and defend the Ukrainian military and government. On 26 February, in a reversal of a long-standing policy, Germany approved the sending of 400 rocket-propelled grenades to Ukraine via a third country (Netherlands).

Humanitarian impact

Refugees

Due to the continued military build-up along the Ukrainian border, many neighboring governments and aid organizations have been preparing for a potential mass displacement event for weeks prior to the actual invasion. The Ukrainian Defense Minister estimated in December 2021 that an invasion could potentially force between three and five million people to flee their homes.

On 24 February, the Government of Latvia approved a contingency plan to receive and accommodate approximately 10,000 refugees from Ukraine, and two days later the first refugees began arriving, assisted by the Latvian Samaritan Association.

Ana Revenco, the Interior Minister of Moldova, said on February 25 that over 15,800 Ukrainian citizens had crossed the border into Moldova. Romania's Interior Ministry stated that around 10,000 Ukrainians had crossed into the country since the start of the invasion, but only 11 of them had applied for refugee status in the country.

Poland is preparing for an influx of refugees, although no significant numbers were reported on the first day of the invasion. To facilitate border crossings, Poland lifted COVID-19 entry rules. Following preparations before the war started, Ukrainian refugees started crossing into Romania as well. Most of them entered through Siret in Suceava County. Romania also exempted Ukrainian refugees from mandatory quarantine upon entry into the country imposed in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On 26 February, Polish minister Paweł Szefernaker said that approximately 100,000 people had crossed into Poland since the start of the invasion.

War crime allegations

Main article: War crimes in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine

The invasion of Ukraine violated the UN Charter and constitutes a crime of aggression according to international criminal law. On 25 February, Amnesty International said that it had found irrefutable evidence that Russia had violated international humanitarian law, and that some of its attacks may amount to war crimes. Amnesty and Human Rights Watch said that Russian forces had carried out indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas and strikes on hospitals, including firing a 9M79 Tochka ballistic missile with a cluster munition warhead towards a hospital in Vuhledar, which killed four civilians and wounded ten others, including six healthcare staff.

Economic ramifications

Volodymyr Zelenskyy meeting with Boris Johnson on 1 February 2022

The invasion triggered almost immediate economic sanctions from international powers. The Russian stock market fell 39% on the first day of the invasion, as measured by the RTS Index, despite a two-hour suspension of trading at the Moscow Exchange. The Saint Petersburg Stock Exchange also suspended trading until further notice. The ruble fell to a record low against the US dollar on 24 February. The Central Bank of Russia announced its first market interventions since the 2014 annexation of Crimea to stabilise the market. Analysts expected Russian markets to continue bracing for anticipated Western sanctions and the central bank to raise the key interest rate to counteract inflationary pressures from the falling ruble. The National Bank of Ukraine suspended currency markets, announcing that it would fix the official exchange rate. The central bank also limited cash withdrawals to 100,000 hryvnia per day and prohibited withdrawal in foreign currencies by members of the general public. The PFTS Stock Exchange stated on 24 February that trading was suspended due to the emergency events. As a result of the invasion, Brent oil prices rose above $100 a barrel for the first time since 2014.

Wheat prices surged to their highest prices since 2008 in response to the attack. Ukraine is the fourth-largest exporter of corn and wheat and the world's largest exporter of sunflower oil, with Russia and Ukraine together exporting 29% of the world's wheat supply and 75% of world sunflower oil exports. The benchmark Chicago Board of Trade March wheat futures contract reached its highest price since 2012 on 25 February, with the prices of corn and soybean also spiking. The American Bakers Association president warned that the price of anything made with grain would begin rising as all the grain markets are interrelated. The chief agricultural economist for Wells Fargo stated that Ukraine will likely be severely limited in their ability to plant crops in spring 2022 and lose an agricultural year, while an embargo on Russian crops would create more inflation of food prices. Recovering crop production capabilities may take years even after fighting has stopped. Surging wheat prices resulting from the conflict have strained countries such as Egypt, which are highly dependent upon Russian and Ukrainian wheat exports, and have provoked fears of social unrest.

British prime minister Boris Johnson announced that all major Russian banks would have their assets frozen and be excluded from the UK financial system and some export licenses to Russia will be suspended. The UK also banned Russian state airline Aeroflot and Russian private jets from UK airspace. On 25 February, Poland, Bulgaria, and the Czech Republic announced that they would close their airspace to Russian airlines; Estonia followed suit the next day. In response, Russia banned British airplanes from its airspace. Russia's largest domestic carrier, S7 Airlines, announced that it was cancelling all flights to Europe and US carrier Delta Air Lines announced that it was suspending ties with Aeroflot.

The foreign ministers of the Baltic states called for Russia to be cut off from SWIFT, the global intermediary for banks' financial transactions. Other EU member states had been reluctant, both because European lenders held most of the nearly $30 billion in foreign banks' exposure to Russia and because China has developed an alternative to SWIFT called CIPS; a weaponisation of SWIFT would provide greater impetus to the development of CIPS which in turn would weaken SWIFT as well as the West's control over international finance. Other leaders calling for Russia to be stopped from accessing SWIFT include Czech President Miloš Zeman and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Germany, in particular, had resisted calls for Russia to be banned from SWIFT, citing the effect it would have on payments for Russian gas and oil; however, on 26 February the German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Economy Minister Robert Habeck made a joint statement backing targeted restrictions of Russia from SWIFT.

UEFA, the European governing body for football, decided to relocate the Champions League final from Saint Petersburg to Saint-Denis, France after a meeting of the body's Executive Committee. The national football teams of Poland, the Czech Republic and Sweden refused to play any matches with Russia. Formula One called off the Russian Grand Prix for this year in the wake of the crisis, with world champions Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen calling it 'wrong' to race in the country. The IOC called upon international sporting federations to either move or cancel any sports events planned in Russia or Belarus.

The Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgieva, warned that the conflict poses a substantial economic risk for the region and internationally and added that the Fund could help other countries impacted by the conflict, complementary to a $2.2 billion loan package being prepared to assist Ukraine. Similarly, President of the World Bank Group David Malpass said that the conflict would have far-reaching economic and social effects and reported that the bank was preparing options for significant economic and fiscal support to Ukrainians and the region.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz indefinitely blocked the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in response to the Russian invasion of Donbas.

Sanctions

Main article: International sanctions during the Russo-Ukrainian War

President Biden's statements and a short question and answer session on 24 February 2022

On the morning of 24 February, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen announced "massive" EU sanctions to be adopted by the union. The sanctions targeted technological transfers, Russian banks, and Russian assets. High Representative Josep Borrell stated that Russia would face "unprecedented isolation" as the EU would impose the "harshest package of sanctions [which the union has] ever implemented." He also said that "these are among the darkest hours of Europe since the Second World War". President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola called for "immediate, quick, solid and swift action" and convened an extraordinary session of Parliament for 1 March.

US president Joe Biden announced restrictions against four Russian banks, including V.E.B., as well as on "corrupt billionaires" close to Putin. He mentioned that there would be additional deployments of NATO troops to help adjacent NATO countries. The US also instituted export controls, a novel sanction focused instead on restricting Russian access to high tech components, both hardware and software, that are made with any parts or intellectual property from the US. The idea for this originally came from the Trump administration's fight with Huawei. The sanction requires that any person or company that wants to sell technology, semiconductors, encryption software, lasers or sensors to Russia request a license, which by default is denied. The enforcement mechanism is sanctions against the person or company. The focus of the sanction is on the shipbuilding, aerospace and defense industries. The effect is reckoned to be two fold: the export ban on encryption software, ie any software produced which contains, has been modified by, or produced with an encryption program that contains code from the US will be banned creating an immediate effect in regard to all software updates, and patching of security vulnerabilities; exceptions have been made for Google and Apple smart phone updates to impact average Russians less. The hardware ban is thought to have an effect that builds over time, as any broken components will not be able to be replaced, and no new acquisitions will be possible causing a gradual degradation of technological infrastructure.

British prime minister Boris Johnson announced a range of sanctions in response to the invasion. These included asset freezes on 100 new individuals and entities, a deposit limit for Russians in UK bank accounts, and the exclusion of all major Russian banks from the UK financial system, including VTB Bank. The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan called for the seizure of properties and assets in London owned by Russians believed to have links with Putin and the Russian government.

On 26 February, the French Navy intercepted Russian cargo ship Baltic Leader in the English Channel. The ship is suspected of belonging to a company targeted by the sanctions. The ship was escorted to the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer and was being investigated.

One of the most severe potential punishments in the western sanctions against Moscow for invading Ukraine is cutting Russia off from the SWIFT global interbank payments system. The main reason for opposition has been the concern over the discontinuation of gas and other raw materials needed from Russia. On 26 February, Germany, the last EU nation holding out on removing Russia from SWIFT, consented to a "targeted" removal of Russia from SWIFT.

Boycott movement

A boycott movement against Russian and Belarusian products spread in some countries, most notably in the Baltic states. In Estonia, many supermarket chains removed Russian food and drinks from shelves. In Latvia, most supermarkets removed Russian and Belarusian products such as food, drinks, magazines, and newspapers, with Coop, Rimi, Maxima, and Barbora being the most notable supermarket chains to have joined the boycott.

A similar boycott movement was also seen in some Canadian provinces. Ontario Premier Doug Ford urged the Liquor Control Board of Ontario to remove Russian liquor from stores across Ontario in response to the invasion. The provincial government of Quebec also made the same move, ordering the Société des alcools du Québec to remove Russian liquor from its shelves. The Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Corporation and Manitoba Liquor Marts also removed Russian liquor from their shelves.

In the United States, many bars and liquor stores also removed Russian vodka from shelves.

Reactions

Further information: International reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine

See also: Reactions to the 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis

United Nations

A UN Security Council resolution to require Russia to withdraw from Ukraine was vetoed by Russia on 25 February.

---

  Voted in favor

  Voted against

  Abstained

  Not UN Security Council members

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres urged Russia to immediately end aggression in Ukraine, while the French and US ambassadors announced that they would present a resolution to the UN Security Council on 25 February 2022. The UK, the US, Canada, and the European Union have labelled the attack as unprovoked and unjustified, and promised harsh sanctions on Russian individuals, businesses, and assets. The attack has also been condemned by France, Spain, Japan, Italy, Norway, and Georgia. On 25 February, Russia vetoed a Security Council resolution to require Russia to withdraw from Ukraine, as expected. Eleven countries voted in favor, and three abstained: China, India, and the United Arab Emirates.

NATO

Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at a conference regarding a potential Russian invasion, 10 January 2022.

Poland, Romania, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia triggered NATO security consultations under Article 4. The Estonian government issued a statement by Prime Minister Kaja Kallas: "Russia's widespread aggression is a threat to the entire world and to all NATO countries, and NATO consultations on strengthening the security of the Allies must be initiated to implement additional measures for ensuring the defense of NATO Allies. The most effective response to Russia's aggression is unity." Jens Stoltenberg, the Secretary General of NATO, vowed at a press conference in Brussels to send NATO troops to Poland in a matter of days following the Russian invasion. On 24 February, Stoltenberg announced new plans that "will enable us to deploy capabilities and forces, including the NATO Response Force, to where they are needed". Following the invasion, NATO announced plans to increase military deployments in the Baltics, Romania, and Poland.

After the 25 February UN Security Council meeting, Stoltenberg announced that parts of the NATO Response Force would be deployed, for the first time ever, to NATO members along the Eastern border. He stated that forces would include elements of the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF), currently led by France.

Stoltenberg further stated that some NATO members are supplying weapons to Ukraine, including those for air defense. The US had announced on 24 February that it would be deploying 7,000 troops to join the 5,000 already in Europe. NATO forces include the USS Harry S. Truman's Carrier Strike Group 8, which entered the Mediterranean Sea the previous week as part of a planned exercise. The carrier strike group was placed under NATO command, the first time this had occurred since the Cold War.

Also on 25 February, a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson threatened Finland and Sweden with "military and political consequences" if they attempted to join NATO, which neither were actively seeking. Both countries had attended the emergency NATO summit as members of NATO's Partnership for Peace and both had condemned the invasion and had provided assistance to Ukraine. The previous day, Prime Minister Sanna Marin commented on Finland's potential membership after the invasion, noting, "It is also now clear that the debate on NATO membership in Finland will change", while noting that a Finnish application to NATO would require widespread political and public support.

Other countries and international organizations

International reaction to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine

---

  Countries that have condemned the invasion

  Countries that have maintained a neutral stance

  Countries that have blamed the invasion on NATO provocation

  Unknown

---

  Russia

  Ukraine

The Czech Republic, Latvia, and Lithuania have stopped issuing visas to Russian citizens. Micronesia severed diplomatic relations with Russia following the invasion.

Following its intervention in protests against the government earlier in 2022, Moscow requested that Kazakhstan send troops to assist in the offensive, but Nur-Sultan refused the request, reiterating that it does not recognize the Donetsk and Luhansk separatists.

In a call with Putin, Chinese president Xi Jinping said China supports efforts to resolve the dispute through dialogue; Putin stated he was open to holding high-level talks with Ukraine. In a statement released on 25 February, China said that Ukraine's territory and sovereignty should be respected and urged talks between Ukraine and Russia as soon as possible. Shortly after, Chinese Foreign Minister and State Councilor Wang Yi stated that China has a clear position respecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all countries, including Ukraine.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed for an immediate cessation of violence in Ukraine, though he has refrained from taking a stand on the issue and did not condemn the Russian invasion. India is reportedly preparing a mechanism to trade with Russia using rupees to avoid the impact of Western sanctions.

Serbia is among the few European countries that opposes sanctions on Russia. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said that his country supports Ukraine’s sovereignty but that he will look after its own interests. Vučić also said that he will condemn Russia’s recognition of the independence of separatist regions in eastern Ukraine only if Zelenskyy condemns the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999 on public television.

The Russian media watchdog, Roskomnadzor, ordered the country's media to only employ information from Russian state sources or face fines and blocks. Russian state media personalities supported the invasion, and one correspondent stated that she felt "safe for the first time" in Luhansk, according to The New York Times.

Facebook allowed Ukrainian users to lock their pages after the US warned that Russia was creating death lists of Ukrainians to be targeted for execution or sent to camps following an invasion. On 25 February, Russia announced that it was limiting access to Facebook; Russia’s Foreign Ministry and the Prosecutor General’s office announced that Facebook violates the rights of citizens of the Russian Federation. The company stated it had refused a Russian demand to stop fact-checking posts by four state-owned media organizations: Zvezda, RIA Novosti, Lenta.ru, and Gazeta.Ru. On 26 February, Facebook announced that it would ban Russian state media from advertising and monetizing content on its platform.

Twitter paused post recommendations for unfollowed accounts in Russia and Ukraine, as well as temporarily halting operations of its advertising platform within the two regions. The social media platform would later be blocked in Russia on the same day.

The hacking collective Anonymous declared cyberwar on Russia and successfully targeted the RT website and later the website of the Russian Ministry of Defense.

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) excluded Russia from participating in the Eurovision Song Contest 2022, with the organisers saying that its inclusion could "bring the competition into disrepute".

In response to Putin's accusations on 22 February, Come Back Alive, a charitable organization which supports Ukrainian soldiers, received more donations the next day than the previous year combined.

Protests

Main article: Protests against the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine

See also: 2022 anti-war protests in Russia

The Brandenburg Gate lit up in the colours of the Ukrainian flag during a solidarity protest in Berlin, Germany, on 24 February 2022

Over 1,800 Russians in 51 cities across Russia were detained by police on 24 February for protesting against the invasion, according to OVD-Info. Russia's interior ministry justified these arrests due to the "coronavirus restrictions, including on public events" that continue to be in place. Russian Nobel Peace Prize winner Dmitry Muratov announced that the Novaya Gazeta newspaper would publish its next edition in both Ukrainian and Russian. Muratov, journalist Mikhail Zygar, director Vladimir Mirzoyev, and others signed a document stating that Ukraine was not a threat to Russia and calling for Russian citizens to denounce the war. Elena Chernenko, a journalist at Kommersant, circulated a critical open letter signed by 170 journalists and academics. Russian State Duma deputy Mikhail Matveev voted in favor of the recognition of the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics but later condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Pro-Ukrainian protests have occurred at several Ukrainian and Russian embassies abroad, including in Armenia, Australia, Bulgaria, Belgium, Canada, Estonia, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Moldova, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Turkey, the UK, and the US. In the Czech Republic, some three thousand people protested in the Wenceslas Square in Prague.

See also

• List of invasions and occupations of Ukraine
• Post-Soviet conflicts – Armed conflict taking place in former territories of the Soviet UnionPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
• Russo-Georgian War – 2008 conflict between Russia and Georgia
• Second Cold War – Term referring to heightened tensions in the 21st century
• Transnistria War – 1990–1992 conflict between Moldova and Russian-backed self-proclaimed Transnistria

External links

• Part of Putin's national address pre-invasion, comments archived at archive.today, video archived at ghostarchive.org