2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine

On 24 February 2022, Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine, marking a major escalation of the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War. The campaign was preceded by a prolonged Russian military buildup since early 2021, and demands by Russia to legally prohibit Ukraine from joining NATO. In the days prior to the invasion, Russia recognised the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic, followed by the incursion of the Russian Armed Forces to the Donbas region of Eastern Ukraine on 21 February 2022.

At about 03:00 UTC (06:00 Moscow time, UTC+3) on 24 February, Russian president Vladimir Putin announced a military operation in eastern Ukraine; minutes later, missile strikes began at locations across the country, including Ukraine's capital Kyiv. The Ukrainian Border Service stated that its border posts with Russia and Belarus were attacked. Multiple countries condemned the attack and imposed sanctions on Russia.

24 February
Shortly before 04:00 Moscow Time (UTC+3) on 24 February, Putin announced that he had made the decision to launch a military operation in eastern Ukraine. In his address, Putin claimed there were no plans to occupy Ukrainian territory and claimed 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 CNN called "baseless"—and urged the Ukrainian service people 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 has been 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 landed troops in Mariupol 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 around 6:48 a.m. local time. Video captured Russian troops entering Ukraine from Russian-annexed Crimea.

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 at 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 Russian forces captured the villages of Horodyshche and Milove in Luhansk. The Ukrainian Centre of strategic communications and strategic security 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 claimed that it had shot down five planes and one helicopter in Luhansk. Shortly before 07:00 (UTC+2), President 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. Russian missiles targeted Ukrainian infrastructure, including hitting the Kyiv Boryspil airport. 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 invaded Ukraine from the north (up to 5 km deep). Russian troops were said to be active in Kharkiv Oblast, Chernihiv Oblast, near Sumy. Zelenskyy's press service also reported that Ukraine 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. It was reported that 6 Russian planes, 2 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). Russian airborne troops seized the Antonov International 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.

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 pm, Russian troops moved towards the city of Nova Kakhovka in Kherson oblast. Later on Thursday, Russian troops entered Kherson city and took control of the North Crimean Canal to secure water supply for Crimea.

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) President 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 7:00. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi estimated that more than 100000 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. Seventeen civilians were confirmed killed, including 13 killed in Southern Ukraine, three in Mariupol and one in Kharkiv.

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.

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 the 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 kilometers (5.5 miles) from the Ukrainian Parliament. The Defence Ministry also announced that all Ukranian civilians were eligible to volunteer for military service regardless of their age.

Ukraine said that radiation exceeding control levels had been detected at Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, after Russian troops had occupied the area. Russia claimed that it was "protecting" the plant from nationalistic and terrorist groups, and that staff were monitoring radiation levels at the site.

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

Condemnations and sanctions
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 United Kingdom, the United States, 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.

G7 countries
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 bloc. 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".

US president Joe Biden announced restrictions against four Russian banks, including V.E.B., as well as on "corrupt billionaires" close to Putin. He also mentioned that there would be export blocks on technology, and additional deployments of NATO troops to help adjacent NATO countries.

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.

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

French president Emmanuel Macron had a "frank" phone call to Putin, the first world leader to do so since the invasion. The Kremlin stated that Putin gave an "exhaustive explanation of the reasons and circumstances behind the decision to conduct a special military operation".

International and intergovernmental organizations
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 invasion of Ukraine by Russia. He also said that Russia's attack was "reckless" and "puts at risk countless civilian lives.

The Organization of American States issued a statement condemning the attack as "unquestionably [an attack] on the peace and security of mankind, as well as on civilised relations between states".

The United States and Albania jointly called for a UN vote on 20:00 GMT Friday the 25th to condemn the invasion of Ukraine and demand a withdrawal of Russian troops, with the stated aim of forcing Russia into using its veto, thus showing its "isolation".

Foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) expressed grave concern over Russia-Ukraine tensions and urged maximum restraint and dialogue. "We call on all parties concerned to exercise maximum restraint, to pursue dialogue through all channels, including diplomatic means to contain the situation, to prevent it from further escalation and to see peaceful resolution in accordance with international law and the United Nations Charter," said the draft statement of ASEAN chair from Cambodia.

Other countries
China's UN Ambassador Zhang Jun said that "We believe that all countries should solve international disputes by peaceful means in line with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.". The Chinese government stated on 24 February that the conflict was not an invasion and accused the United States of agitating for war. The Associated Press reported that the PRC would increase its imports on Russian wheat, effectively easing Western sanctions against Russia.

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed for an immediate cessation of violence in Ukraine in a phone call to Putin on 24 February. He also raised concern for the safe exit and return of 18000 Indian students in Ukraine. India, like China, has refrained from taking a stand on the issue. Earlier that day, India's Ministry of External Affairs had announced that "India is closely following the development of events in the region". Igor Polikha, Ukraine's envoy to India, expressed deep dissatisfaction regarding the stance adopted by the India's ministry of external affair.

The spokesperson for the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Le Thi Thu Hang, stated Vietnam "calls on parties concerned in the Ukraine crisis to exercise self-restraint, enhance dialogue efforts and step up diplomatic measures to peacefully settle differences with respect for the United Nations Charter and fundamental principles of international law, thus contributing to ensuring peace, security, and stability in the region and the world."

President Maia Sandu of Moldova condemned the act of war by Russia against Ukraine, saying, "a blatant breach of international law and of Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity." She added that Moldova was ready to accept tens of thousands of people fleeing Ukraine after the Russian attack and vowed to keep the borders open to help.

The Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Mexico Marcelo Ebrard, on behalf of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, issued a statement on Twitter, rejecting and condemning the Russian invasion. He demanded a cessation of hostilities to achieve a peaceful resolution.

Other individuals
Gerhard Schröder, former chancellor of Germany, chairman of Russian energy company Rosneft, and friend of President Putin, called for an end of the hostilities, stating that "the war and the associated suffering for the people in Ukraine must be ended as soon as possible." He blamed both sides for past errors, but said that "even Russia's security interests do not justify the use of military means." In response to the invasion, German football club Schalke 04 announced that it would remove the logo of Gazprom, its main sponsor, from its uniforms. Formula One team Haas announced the removal of the Uralkali sponsorship during the third day of pre-season testing in Barcelona.

Religious institutions
A communiqué from the Vatican Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, without naming Putin, said that "the tragic scenarios that everyone feared are unfortunately becoming reality" but "there is still time for goodwill, there is still room for negotiation, there is still room to exercise a wisdom that prevents partisan interests from prevailing, that protects the legitimate aspirations of all and spares the world the folly and horrors of war". The previous day Pope Francis urged politicians to make an exercise of conscience before God for their actions over Ukraine and declared 2 March, Ash Wednesday, as an international day of fasting and prayer for peace.

The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I condemned the invasion, expressing deep sorrow, as well as his support for Ukraine and stated that "he prays to the God of love and peace to enlighten the leadership of the Russian Federation, in order to understand the tragic consequences of its decisions and actions".

While not directly addressing the invasion, on 23 February Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus' (Russian Orthodox Church), praised President Putin's "high and responsible service to the people of Russia", saying that the Russian Orthodox Church viewed the country’s armed forces as "actively manifesting evangelical love for neighbours, and fidelity to high moral ideals of truth and goodness".

In a joint statement, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and the Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell defined the invasion as "an act of great evil", calling for a public decision to choose the path to peace and an "international conference to secure long term agreements for stability and lasting peace" while supporting the Pope's proposal for a global day of prayer and fasting for peace.

The Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine Epiphanius I (Orthodox Church of Ukraine) condemned the invasion and exhorted Ukrainians to fight against the Russian aggression, stating that "with God's help, we will win this fight". The Major Archbishop of Kyiv and Halych Sviatoslav Shevchuk (Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church) also condemned the invasion and stated in the Ukrayinska Pravda that "the protection of the Motherland is our natural right and our civic duty".

Other reactions
The Russian media watchdog, Roskomnadzor, ordered the media in the country to "use only information and data from official Russian sources", warning that failure to comply could result in fines and blocks. Russian state media personalities supported the invasion, and one correspondent has said that she felt "safe for the first time" in Luhansk, according to The New York Times.

The invasion has affected sporting events scheduled to be held in the region. UEFA announced that the 2022 UEFA Champions League Final will be moved from Saint Petersburg. The situation has also affected the 2022 Russian Grand Prix for the 2022 Formula One Championship. The Formula One organizing committee has stated it is closely monitoring the situation in Russia. Red Bull Racing driver and reigning champion Max Verstappen stated that "it is not right to race" in Russia during the invasion, while Aston Martin driver and four-time champion Sebastian Vettel has stated that he will boycott the race in Sochi. The invasion has also affected Ukraine's participation at the 2022 Winter Paralympics in Beijing, China, with International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons describing transporting the Ukrainian team to Beijing as being a "mammoth challenge".

Facebook allowed Ukrainian users to lock their pages after the United States warned that Russia was creating death lists of Ukrainians to be targeted for execution or sent to camps following an invasion.

NASA said that American astronauts and Russian cosmonauts currently aboard the International Space Station (ISS) would continue normal operations despite the invasion.

Economic ramifications
The invasion triggered almost immediate multiple economic sanctions from international powers.

24 February 2022
The Moscow Exchange temporarily suspended all trading on its markets on 24 February at 08:05 Moscow Time, before resuming at 10:00. The Saint Petersburg Stock Exchange has 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, and the RTS Index which tracks Russian stocks ended the day down 39%. As a result of the invasion, Brent oil prices rose above $100 a barrel for the first time since 2014. Boris Johnson, UK Prime Minister, announced that all major Russian banks would have their assets frozen and be excluded from the UK financial system, some export licenses to Russia will be suspended, and the Russian state airline Aeroflot will be prohibited from landing in the UK.

The foreign ministers of the Baltic states called for Russia to be cut off from SWIFT, the global intermediary for banks' financial transactions. However, other EU member states were 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.

The Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund Kristalina Georgieva warned that the conflict poses "significant economic risk for the region & the world" and added that the Fund can help other countries impacted in one way or another by the conflict, complementary to a $2.2 billion loan package it is already preparing to assist Ukraine. In the same vein, President of the World Bank Group David Malpass said that the conflict "will have far-reaching economic and social impacts" and reported that the bank was preparing "options for large support to the people of Ukraine and the region, including immediate budget support".

Protests
Over 1700 Russians in 51 cities across Russia were detained by police on 24 February for protesting against the invasion, according to OVD-Info. 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 say no to this war." Elena Chernenko, a journalist at Kommersant, circulated a critical open letter that was signed by 170 journalists and academics. Pro-Ukrainian protests have occurred at several Ukrainian and Russian embassies abroad, including in Armenia, Bulgaria, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Kazakhstan, Moldova, the Netherlands, Romania, the UK, and the US. In Czechia, some three thousand people protested in the Wenceslas Square.

Humanitarian
Moldovan president Maia Sandu stated that, as of 24 February, over four thousand Ukrainian citizens had crossed into Moldova. 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. Romania is also preparing to host Ukrainian refugees. Many border checkpoints between Poland and Ukraine (like the one in the picture) are getting a recent influx of refugees.