Russia struck a theatre in the strategic port city of Mariupol, where civilians had been sheltering, killing hundreds of people in one of the war’s deadliest attacks. Conflict initially began in February 2014 when Russian troops covertly invaded and took control of the Ukrainian autonomous republic of Crimea and subsequently seized territory in the Donbas region of Eastern Ukraine. Russia pulled out of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, effectively collapsing the deal. Immediately after the collapse of the deal, Russia started targeted attacks on ports in southern Ukraine. Ukraine and Russia on Sept. 21, 2022 conducted the biggest prisoner swap since the start of the full-scale war. A total of 215 defenders were released from captivity, including 108 Azov fighters, five Azovstal commanders, and 10 foreign fighters.

Ukraine withdraws from Avdiivka

The Russo-Ukrainian conflict has also included elements of hybrid warfare using non-traditional means. The territories that make up modern-day Russia and Ukraine have been contested throughout history, so in the past, parts of Ukraine were part of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union. Other parts of Ukraine were once part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, the Republic of Poland, among others. During the Russian imperial and Soviet periods, policies from Moscow pushed the Russian language and culture in Ukraine, resulting in a largely bilingual country in which nearly everyone in Ukraine speaks both Ukrainian and Russian.

As we approach the grim anniversary of the war, here is a look at some of the conflict’s major incidents. In a recent speech, Putin has blamed Western governments for the war and said Ukraine and the West started the war and Russia was “using force to stop it”. His biggest issue surrounds the West and Ukraine joining forces under the Nato agreement which will give them a defensive alliance of 30 countries – a prospect he fundamentally stands against.

March 16

After being released from Russian captivity, they were originally supposed to stay in Turkey until the end of the war under the personal guarantees of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. A revised version of the Minsk Protocol, dubbed Minsk II, was signed following a successful Russian military campaign in February 2015 and huge losses on the Ukrainian side in the Battle of Debaltseve. The agreement did little to change the situation, with both sides fundamentally disagreeing on interpretations of the text. It was highly criticized for being convoluted and too similar to Minsk I.

Russian campaigns and Ukrainian Kursk offensive (2023–present)

In early June 2023, the Ukrainian military launched its long-awaited counteroffensive aimed at pushing toward the Sea of Azov to cut Russia’s land corridor to Crimea. Failing to reach its goals, it was limited to the liberation of a few villages in Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk oblasts, significantly slowed down by Russian minefields and a lack of air superiority and equipment. Ukraine did carry out a series of surprising operations in occupied Crimea and destroyed a number of Russian Black Sea Fleet’s vessels. Wagner Group boss Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed he was launching a “march for justice” against Russian military leaders after alleging that a missile strike on his mercenary forces in Ukraine had caused substantial casualties. Ukrainian troops entered Kherson on Nov. 11, 2022, the only regional capital that Russia had managed to capture since the start of the full-scale invasion. Locals took to the streets to celebrate liberation from Russian occupation wrapped in Ukrainian flags.During the extended counteroffensive launched in late August 2022, Ukrainian soldiers recaptured dozens of settlements on the west bank of the Kherson region.

Russian public opinion

Russia launched a missile strike against the village of Hroza in Kharkiv Oblast, killing 59 people in what was the deadliest attacks on civilians since the start of the full-scale invasion. Those killed had gathered in a cafe to commemorate fallen soldier Andriy Kozyr when a Russian Iskander-M ballistic missile smashed into the building full of civilians. Beginning in 2021, there was a massive Russian military buildup near Ukraine’s borders, including within neighbouring Belarus.

Kyiv handed over 56 people to Moscow, including the high-profile pro-Kremlin Ukrainian politician Viktor Medvedchuk. Mariupol, a city in Donetsk Oblast with a pre-war population of about 500,000 people, came under siege at the end of February 2022, becoming synonymous with Russian crimes against Ukraine. After 86 days of defending the encircled city under heavy bombardment, about 2,500 Ukrainian fighters surrendered from the Azovstal steel plant – their last stronghold — after Ukrainian commanders ordered the defending garrison to lay down their arms.

Ukraine’s Armed Forces launched an unexpected, lightning counteroffensive in Kharkiv Oblast on Sept. 6, 2022. Russian ships opened fire at three Ukrainian Navy boats as they tried to cross the Kerch Strait on their way to the Ukrainian port of Mariupol in the Azov Sea. It was the first time that Russia attacked Ukraine openly, under its own flag, without hiding behind its proxies.Moscow claimed that the vessels had “violated the prohibited area” despite the fact that the sea was commonly used by both countries. After the attack, Russia seized the Berdiansk and Nikopol military ships and the Yany Kapu tug and captured 24 Ukrainian sailors, six of whom were wounded. President Petro Poroshenko introduced martial law in 10 of Ukraine’s oblasts for 30 days in response.

Russia and Ukraine swapped allegations that the opposing side had shot down the Ilyushin-76 plane, wildsino casino official app which was allegedly carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war. Russia launched a massive drone strike on Kyiv, damaging several buildings and injuring at least two people. Ukraine announced it had suffered its most extensive Russian artillery bombardment of 2023 in 24 hours. Data from Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko showed about 118 settlements were shelled across 10 regions. Russia reapplied to join the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHCR) over a year after the country was suspended due to its invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainian forces take responsibility for a new attack on a crucial Crimean bridge.