Russia-Ukraine War

Table of Contents

Introduction & Top Questions
The toppling of the Yanukovych government and the invasion of Crimea
The war in the Donbas
- The Russian proxy war and the Poroshenko administration
- Minsk II and the election of Volodymyr Zelensky
The Russian invasion of Ukraine
- The Russian buildup and Putin’s “special military operation”
- The Battle of Kyiv and the initial Russian advance
- The refugee crisis and evidence of Russian war crimes
International support for Ukraine
- Zelensky appeals to the West, the sinking of the Moskva, and the fall of Mariupol
- The isolation of Russia and the expansion of NATO
- Russian disinformation and the meme war
The Ukrainian counterattack
- The Ukrainian summer counteroffensive and the liberation of Kharkiv oblast
- Putin’s “partial mobilization” and the expanding role of the Wagner Group
- The attack on the Kerch Strait bridge and the liberation of Kherson
The war in 2023 and 2024
- The Battle of Bakhmut and Prigozhin’s rebellion
- Ukraine’s Western arsenal grows and Putin faces war crimes charges
- Ukraine’s 2023 counteroffensive and the destruction of Kakhovka Dam
- Russian advances in the Donbas and Ukraine’s offensive in Kursk
- The war in the Black Sea
Costs and casualties: the price of Putin’s war

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Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

News •

Putin visited Russia's Kursk region for first time since Moscow said it drove out Ukrainian forces • May 21, 2025, 4:18 PM ET (AP)

What to know about the battle for Russia's Kursk region • May 21, 2025, 4:17 PM ET (AP)

With little progress after phone calls and talks, Ukraine's allies hit Russia with new sanctions • May 20, 2025, 11:15 AM ET (AP)

New EU and UK sanctions target Russia's shadow fleet of tankers illicitly transporting oil • May 20, 2025, 8:01 AM ET (AP)

Trump says Russia-Ukraine ceasefire talks will begin immediately following call with Putin • May 19, 2025, 7:20 PM ET (AP)

Facts

Also Known As	2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
Date	2022 - present
Location	Ukraine
Participants	Russia • Ukraine

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