The Ukraine Conflict
The defining and most contested events of Putin's rule. This page keeps three things distinct: what was done (documented actions), what was claimed (each side's stated position), and what international bodies found. Nothing here takes a side — it attributes.
Crimea, 2014
Actions. After the flight of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych on 22 February 2014, unmarked armed personnel — later acknowledged by Putin to be Russian servicemen — took control of key sites in Crimea. A referendum was held on 16 March 2014; the authorities in Crimea reported 96.77% in favor of joining Russia with 83.1% turnout. On 18 March 2014 Russia signed a treaty incorporating Crimea, and Putin addressed the Federal Assembly (see Sayings).
Claims. Russia’s stated position: the referendum expressed the will of Crimea’s people and corrected a historical injustice. Ukraine’s stated position: the referendum was illegal under Ukraine’s constitution and held under military occupation. The United States, the EU, and most of the world did not recognize the annexation.
Institutional findings. UN General Assembly Resolution 68/262 (27 March 2014) affirmed Ukraine’s territorial integrity and declared the referendum to have no validity. The International Court of Justice and international legal scholarship overwhelmingly treat Crimea as Ukrainian territory under occupation; Russia treats it as a federal subject. Each position is attributed.
The Donbas war, 2014–2021
From April 2014, armed conflict spread in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Russia’s stated position was that it was not a party to the conflict; Ukraine and Western governments stated that Russia armed, funded, and directed the separatist forces, and that regular Russian troops fought in Ukraine — claims Russia denied. The Minsk agreements (September 2014, February 2015) set out ceasefire and political terms; each side accused the other of violating them. The war killed an estimated 14,000+ people (UN/OHCHR figures) before 2022.
The full-scale invasion, 2022
Actions. On 21 February 2022 Russia recognized the independence of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics. On 24 February 2022 Putin announced what he called a “special military operation”; Russian forces attacked Ukraine on multiple axes, including toward Kyiv. Russia began a large-scale military attack on Ukraine on that date — this site uses that neutral description alongside Putin’s stated term.
Claims. Putin’s stated justifications: protecting the Donbas population, “demilitarization and denazification” of Ukraine, and countering NATO expansion. Ukraine’s stated position: an unprovoked war of aggression against a sovereign state. The U.S., EU, and allies imposed sweeping sanctions and supplied Ukraine with military aid.
Institutional findings. UN General Assembly Resolution ES-11/1 (2 March 2022) characterized Russia’s action as aggression and demanded a complete withdrawal. The International Court of Justice ordered Russia to suspend military operations (16 March 2022); Russia rejected the order. The International Criminal Court opened an investigation; on 17 March 2023 the ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber II issued an arrest warrant for Putin, alleging responsibility for the unlawful deportation and transfer of children from Ukraine. Russia — not a party to the Rome Statute — called the warrant void; a warrant is an allegation, not a determination of guilt.
2022–present: the war’s course
On 21 September 2022 Putin announced a partial mobilization. On 30 September 2022 Russia claimed annexation of four Ukrainian regions (Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson) following referendums that Ukraine and Western governments called sham and did not recognize. The war has continued with heavy casualties on both sides; casualty figures vary widely by source and this site cites none as definitive. In June 2023 the Wagner Group’s Yevgeny Prigozhin staged a brief mutiny before aborting it; he died in a plane crash two months later (see People).
Source notes
- Dates and actions: contemporary reporting from multiple international outlets; official statements of the Russian and Ukrainian governments (see sources).
- UNGA Resolutions 68/262 and ES-11/1: UN official records.
- ICC warrant: ICC press release, 17 March 2023; Russia’s non-party status and rejection are on the record.
- Casualty figures are deliberately omitted as no single authoritative figure exists; the OHCHR’s civilian-casualty updates are the closest to an institutional count.