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 •

European leaders meet in Albania to debate security concerns against Russia-Ukraine war backdrop • May 16, 2025, 5:06 AM ET (AP)

Putin spurns Zelenskyy meeting but lower-level Ukraine-Russia talks are still on • May 15, 2025, 5:17 PM ET (AP)

The diplomatic road seeking peace in Ukraine has had twists and turns • May 15, 2025, 2:05 AM ET (AP)

As eyes turn toward Turkey, here's what to know about Russia-Ukraine peace talks • May 14, 2025, 5:30 PM ET (AP)

Zelenskyy says he will be waiting for Putin in Ankara on Thursday for talks • May 13, 2025, 10:08 PM ET (AP)

Facts

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

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