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 24 February 2022    Controlled by Ukraine    Controlled by Russia and pro-Russian forces For a more detailed map, see the Russo-Ukrainian War detailed map
Date 24 February 2022 (2022-02-24) – present (2 years, 7 months, 3 weeks and 5 days) Location Ukraine Status Ongoing (list of engagements) 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 PR Luhansk PR Supported by: Belarus Transnistria (alleged)	Ukraine
Commanders and leaders
Vladimir Putin Mikhail Mishustin Sergey Shoygu Sergey Lavrov Valery Gerasimov 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 at the Ukrainian border Donetsk PR: 20,000 Luhansk PR: 14,000	Ukraine: 209,000 (Armed Forces) 102,000 (Paramilitary) 900,000 (Reserves)
For details, see Order of battle for the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
Casualties and losses
Per Russia: 2 civilian ships bombed (several casualties onboard) 1 Su-25 crashed 1 An-26 crashed (crew killed) Per Ukraine: 800 soldiers killed 4+ captured 30+ tanks destroyed < 130 armored vehicles destroyed 7 aircraft shot down 6 helicopters shot down	Per Ukraine: 40+ soldiers killed several dozen wounded 1 transport aircraft shot down (five onboard killed) Per Russia: Ukraine's military airbases and its air defense systems neutralised 14 soldiers surrendered 4 combat aircraft shot down 1 combat helicopter shot down 4 drones shot down
18 Ukrainian civilians killed 100,000 civilians displaced 1 Turkish-owned vessel damaged Per Ukraine: 137 Ukrainians killed overall, 316 wounded

On 24 February 2022, Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine, its neighbour to the southwest on the north shore of the Black Sea, marking a major escalation of the Russo‑Ukrainian War that had been ongoing since 2014. The campaign was preceded by a prolonged Russian military buildup since early 2021, and demands by Russia to legally prohibit Ukraine from joining NATO, an alliance of European states with the U.S. and Canada. Days prior to the invasion, Russia recognised two self-proclaimed Ukrainian states, the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic, followed by an incursion of the Russian Armed Forces to the Donbas region of Eastern Ukraine on 21 February.

At about 03:00 UTC (06:00 Moscow Time) on 24 February, Russian president Vladimir Putin announced a military operation in Eastern Ukraine; minutes later, missile strikes began at locations across Ukraine, including the capital Kyiv in the north. The Ukrainian Border Service stated that its border posts with Russia and Belarus were attacked. Two hours later, at around 05:00 UTC, Russian ground forces entered the country. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded by enacting martial law, severing diplomatic ties with Russia and announcing general mobilisation. The invasion received widespread international condemnation, including sanctions being 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

Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Ukraine and Russia continued to retain close ties. In 1994, Ukraine agreed to abandon its nuclear arsenal and signed the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances on the condition that Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States 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, where it "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 Viktor 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 in regard to Ukraine, Russia has pursued an updated version of the Brezhnev Doctrine, which dictates that the sovereignty of Ukraine should not be much larger than that of the Warsaw Pact's member states prior to the collapse 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 Ukrainian presidential election. He won, and was inaugurated in 2010.

Ukrainian revolution and war

Main articles: Revolution of Dignity and War in Donbas

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 had 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

The conflict began with a major military build-up, initially from March to April 2021 and then from October 2021 to February 2022. During the second military buildup, Russia issued demands to the United States and NATO, advancing two draft treaties that contained requests for what it referred to as "security guarantees", including 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, and threatened an unspecified military response if NATO continued to toe an "aggressive line".

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, Russian president Vladimir 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." Russia also condemned the Ukrainian language law. On 15 February 2022, Putin told the press: "What is going on in Donbass is exactly genocide." News outlets noted that, despite Putin's accusation of genocide against native Russian speakers, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy is himself a native Russian speaker.

Russian claims of genocide have been widely rejected as false. Several international organizations, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, and Council of Europe, found no evidence supporting the Russian claims. The genocide allegations have been rejected by the European Commission as Russian disinformation.

The US embassy in Ukraine described the Russian genocide claim as "reprehensible falsehood", while the US State Department Spokesman Ned Price said that Moscow was making such claims as an excuse for invading Ukraine. On 18 February, Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov accused the US of condoning the "forced assimilation of Russians in Ukraine".

In a nationalistic speech on 21 February, Putin also alleged that "Ukrainian society" had become "neo-Nazi" without providing evidence, and said that Russia's aim was to "demilitarise and de-Nazify Ukraine". While the National Guard of Ukraine is home to the neo-Nazi Azov Battalion, there is not widespread support for extreme-right nationalism in the government, military, or electorate. In the 2019 parliamentary elections, ultranationalist right-wing parties failed to win a single seat in the Rada, the 450-member legislature. Ukraine's President Zelenskyy is Jewish, and three of his family members died in the Holocaust. Addressing the Russian claim specifically, Zelenskyy stated his grandfather fought against the Nazis in the Soviet infantry. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum condemned the invasion and "Vladimir Putin's exploitation of Holocaust history as a pretext 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 it has been 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. 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.

On 21 February, the Luhansk thermal power station in the Luhansk People's Republic was shelled by unknown forces. Ukrainian news stated that it was forced to shut down as a result.

Escalation (21–23 February)

Vladimir Putin announces the attack

On 21 February, following the recognition of the Donetsk and Luhansk republics, President Putin ordered Russian troops (including mechanised forces) to be sent into Donbas, in what Russia called 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 Donbass 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, President Zelenskyy ordered a conscription of Ukraine's reservists, while not committing to general mobilisation yet.

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 Antonio Guterres had 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.

Invasion

See also: Timeline of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and List of military engagements during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine

Scenes in Eastern Ukraine during the invasion

Structure in Kyiv destroyed by a missile strike

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 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 which was condemned by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum—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 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 around 6:48 a.m. local time. Video captured Russian troops entering Ukraine from Russian-annexed Crimea. The Kremlin planned to initially target artillery and missiles at command and control centers and then send fighter jets and helicopters to quickly win air superiority. The Center for Naval Analyses said that Russia will 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 United States believes Russia intends to decapitate Ukraine's government and install their own.

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 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 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. Later in the day, he announced general mobilisation. 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). 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.

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 to resume water supply 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) 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 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. Seventeen civilians were confirmed killed, including 13 killed in Southern Ukraine, three in Mariupol and one in Kharkiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky 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 banned all male Ukrainian citizens aged 18–60 from leaving the country during the martial law period.

25 February

By 01:24 (UTC+2), President Volodymyr Zelensky had ordered the full mobilization of the Ukrainian military for 90 days. Around 4 AM local time, Kyiv was rocked with two explosions. Ukrainian Interior Ministry official Anton Herashchenko relayed via Telegram that those explosions were cruise and ballistic missiles being targeted at Kyiv.

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 appear 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 divided into two columns, with analysts suggesting that they may be attempting to encircle and entrap the Ukrainian defenders at Donbas, forcing the Ukrainians to abandon their prepared defenses and fight in the open.

Reactions and ramifications

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

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

Anti-war protesters at the Russian embassy in Latvia, 24 February

Condemnations and sanctions

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres urged Russia to immediately end aggression in Ukraine, while the French and US ambassadors announced 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

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 will target technological transfers, Russian banks and Russian assets. High Representative Josep Borrell stated that Russia will face "unprecedented isolation" as the EU will impose the "harshest package of sanctions [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 there would be export blocks on technology, and additional deployments of NATO troops to help adjacent NATO countries.

The British prime minister, Boris Johnson, announced a range of sanctions in response to the invasion. These include 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

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said the country stands ready to provide humanitarian and technical assistance to Ukraine.

President of Moldova, Maia Sandu said that Moldova was ready to accept tens of thousands of people fleeing Ukraine after the Russian attack.

The People's Republic of China stated on 24 February that the conflict was not an invasion and accused the United States of agitating for war. The PRC's foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying urged both sides to work for peace rather than escalate tensions. The Associated Press reported that China would increase its imports on Russian wheat, effectively easing Western sanctions against Russia.

President of Albania Ilir Meta convened a National Security Council on February 24 and issued a statement to "strongly condemn Russia's military attack on Ukraine" as an "unprovoked and unjustifiable escalation" which "constitutes a violation of international law, the UN Charter, the Minsk Agreement, the Budapest Memorandum, and undermines security and peace throughout Europe", while expressing sorrow for lives lost and "full solidarity with the people of Ukraine, and its democratic institutions", later joining the United States in calling for a UN vote on a resolution condemning Russian actions with the intention of forcing Russia to resort to a veto.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in a televised statement, condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine as a "heavy blow to regional peace and stability," and said "[Turkey] reject[s] Russia's military operation".

The same day, the Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Yair Lapid issued a statement that said: "The Russian attack on Ukraine is a serious violation of the international order. Israel condemns the attack, and is ready and prepared to provide humanitarian assistance to the citizens of Ukraine. [...] Israel has deep, long-lasting, and good relations with Russia and with Ukraine. There are tens of thousands of Israelis in both countries, and there are hundreds of thousands of Jews in both countries. Maintaining their security and safety is at the top of our considerations." In the Spring of 2021, Israel indicated that it would refuse to agree to a Ukrainian request to purchase the Iron Dome defense system from the US in order not to provoke Russia. Subsequently, the US also decided not to sell the American Patriot missile defense system to Ukraine.

The same day, Igor Polikha, Ukraine's envoy to India, expressed deep dissatisfaction regarding the stance adopted by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs. Earlier that day, India's Ministry of External Affairs had announced that "India is closely following the development of events in the region". India is the biggest source of international students in Ukraine. Later, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India called for "an immediate cessation of violence" in a phone call with Putin, and raised concern for the safe exit and return of 15,000 Indian students in Ukraine to India. Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla said that India was willing to facilitate a dialogue between different parties, asserting that India remained in contact with the US, EU, and Russia. This came after Ukranian Ambassador to India Igor Polikha expressed "dissatisfaction" with India's position on the unfolding situation, urging Modi to tell Putin to halt the invasion.

New Zealand imposed targeted travel bans on Russia and prohibited trade to its military and security forces, with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern saying that more sanctions could follow if there was further escalation. She further stated that "The world is speaking and sending a very clear message to Russia that what they have done is wrong and they will face the condemnation of the world". Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced targeted travel bans and financial sanctions against eight members of Russia's national security council.

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 has announced the team has removed the Uralkali sponsorship during the third day of 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 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 his "deep sorrow" for it, 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" and 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 exorted Ukrainians to fight against the Russian aggression, stating in a statement 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 an op-ed 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 has 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 holding the race in Russia during the situation is wrong. Aston Martin driver 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. International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons described getting the Ukrainian team to Beijing as a "mammoth challenge."

Mayor of Milan Giuseppe Sala warned the Russian conductor and friend of Putin Valery Gergiev, who was contracted to conduct the opera The Queen of Spades at La Scala, to clarify his position on the invasion or he would be expelled from the theatre.

Facebook allowed Ukrainian users to lock their pages after the United States warned that Russia was "creating lists of identified Ukrainians to be killed or sent to camps following a military occupation."

NASA said that American and Russian astronauts 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 U.S. 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 while markets in Asia dipped. Similarly, Oceanian markets plunged, with the Australian Securities Exchange and New Zealand Exchange both closing down more than 3%. On 24 February 2022, India's Nifty index closed more than 5% low while Sensex was down by more than 2,700 points. Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, 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 airline Aeroflot will be banned 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

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 colors of the Ukrainian flag during a solidarity protest in Berlin, Germany, on 24 February 2022

Almost 1,700 Russians in 51 cities across Russia have been detained by police 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 of Russia's embassies abroad, including those in Armenia, Bulgaria, Belgium, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Kazakhstan, Moldova, the Netherlands, Romania, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Humanitarian

The President of Maldova stated that, as of 24 February, over 4,000 Ukrainian citizens had crossed into Moldova. Poland had begun preparing for an influx of refugees, though reported there was no influx on the first day of the invasion; the country lifted COVID-19 entry rules to facilitate border crossings.

See also

• 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