User:Jakey222/sandbox
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Russo-Ukrainian War[70] (Ukrainian: російсько-українська війна, romanized: rosiisko-ukrainska viina) is an ongoing and protracted conflict between Russia and Ukraine that began in February 2014. The war has centred on the status of the Ukrainian regions of Crimea and Donbas.
Russo-Ukrainian war | |||||||||
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Part of Post-Soviet conflicts and Ukrainian crisis | |||||||||
Military situation in October 2014 Areas held by the insurgents and Russia Areas under the control of Ukraine | |||||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||||
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Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
Vladimir Putin Sergey Aksyonov In DNR Denis Pushilin (since 2018) Dmitry Trapeznikov (August–September 2018) Alexander Zakharchenko (2014–2018) Alexander Borodai (May–August 2014) In LNR Leonid Pasechnik (since 2017) Igor Plotnitsky (2014–2017) Valery Bolotov (May–August 2014) |
Volodymyr Zelensky (since 2019) Petro Poroshenko (2014–2019) Oleksandr Turchynov (February–June 2014) Viktor Yanukovych (February 2014) Yuriy Ilyin Mykhailo Kutsyn Viktor Muzhenko Ruslan Khomchak Pavlo Lebedyev Ihor Tenyukh Mykhailo Koval Valeriy Heletey Stepan Poltorak Andriy Zagorodniuk Andriy Taran Serhiy Korniychuk | ||||||||
Units involved | |||||||||
Russia
Airborne Troops[36][37][38][33] Pro-Russian separatists in Donbas |
Ukraine
Ministry of Internal Affairs (militarized component)
Volunteer units
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Strength | |||||||||
Russia 40,000–45,000 fighters[59] |
Ukraine Armed Forces: 232,000 | ||||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||||
5,660 killed[60] 12,500–13,500 wounded[60] |
4,431 killed[61][62][63] | ||||||||
3,350 civilians killed; over 7,000 wounded[60] 13,000–13,200 killed; 29,000–31,000 wounded overall[60] |
Following the Euromaidan protests and the 22 February subsequent removal of Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych, and amidst Russia instigated wide unrest across southern and eastern Ukraine, Russian soldiers without insignias took control of strategic positions and infrastructure within the Ukrainian territory of Crimea. On 1 March 2014, the Federation Council of the Russian Federation unanimously adopted a resolution on petition of the President of Russia Vladimir Putin to use military force on territory of Ukraine.[71] The resolution was adopted several days later after the start of the Russian military operation on "Returning of Crimea". Russia then annexed Crimea after a widely criticised local referendum which was organized by Russia after the capturing of the Crimean Parliament by the Russian "little green men" and in which the population of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea voted to join the Russian Federation.[12][72][73][74] In April, demonstrations by pro-Russian groups in the Donbas area of Ukraine escalated into a war between the Ukrainian government and the Russian-backed separatist forces of the self-declared Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics. In August, Russian military vehicles crossed the border in several locations of Donetsk Oblast.[34][75][76][77][78] The incursion by the Russian military was seen as responsible for the defeat of Ukrainian forces in early September.[79][80]
In November 2014, the Ukrainian military reported intensive movement of troops and equipment from Russia into the separatist-controlled parts of eastern Ukraine.[81] The Associated Press reported 40 unmarked military vehicles on the move in rebel-controlled areas.[82] The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Special Monitoring Mission observed convoys of heavy weapons and tanks in DPR-controlled territory without insignia.[83] OSCE monitors further stated they observed vehicles transporting ammunition and soldiers' dead bodies crossing the Russian-Ukrainian border under the guise of humanitarian aid convoys.[84] As of early August 2015, OSCE observed over 21 such vehicles marked with the Russian military code for soldiers killed in action.[85] According to The Moscow Times, Russia has tried to intimidate and silence human rights workers discussing Russian soldiers' deaths in the conflict.[86] OSCE repeatedly reported that its observers were denied access to the areas controlled by "combined Russian-separatist forces".[87]
The majority of members of the international community[88][89][90] and organizations such as Amnesty International[91] have condemned Russia for its actions in post-revolutionary Ukraine, accusing it of breaking international law and violating Ukrainian sovereignty. Many countries implemented economic sanctions against Russia, Russian individuals or companies, to which Russia responded in kind.[92]
In October 2015, The Washington Post reported that Russia has redeployed some of its elite units from Ukraine to Syria to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.[93] In December 2015, Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin admitted that Russian military intelligence officers were operating in Ukraine, insisting though that they were not the same as regular troops.[94] As of February 2019, 7% of Ukraine's territory is under occupation.[95]