List of wars involving Ukraine
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The following is a list of major conflicts fought by Ukraine, by Ukrainian people or by regular armies during periods when independent states existed on the modern territory of Ukraine, from the Kievan Rus' times to the present day. It also includes wars fought outside Ukraine by Ukrainian military.
Kievan Rus' is considered the first Ukrainian state (together with Belarus and Russia), the Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia (Ruthenia) its political successor, and after the period of domination by the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth the Cossack states (the Cossack Hetmanate and the Zaporozhian Sich).[1] The Ukrainian Cossacks were also related to the Ottoman Empire and the Crimean Khanate, having many conflicts with them. By the late 18th century, Ukraine didn't have independent states anymore, because it was ruled by the more powerful states of the time, namely the Ottoman Empire, the Russian Empire and the Austrian Empire.[2][3] There were several internal armed conflicts between various Ukrainian ideological factions (sometimes with foreign support) in the first half of the 20th century (especially during the 1917–1921 Ukrainian War of Independence and the 1939–1945 Second World War), but modern Ukrainian militaries (since 1917) have been mostly fighting with armies of neighbouring states, such as the Russian Provisional Government (Kiev Bolshevik Uprising November 1917), the Russian SFSR (Ukrainian War of Independence 1917–1921), the Second Polish Republic (Polish–Ukrainian War 1918–1919), Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union (Second World War and post-War resistance),[1] and since 2014, the Russian Federation (Russo-Ukrainian War).
Kievan Rus' (800s–1240)
Summarize
Perspective
This is a list of wars involving Kievan Rus' (c. 9th century–1240).[a] These wars involved Kievan Rus' (also known as Kyivan Rus'[8]) as a whole, or some of its principalities[b] up to 1240.[c]
- Victory of Kievan Rus' (and allies)
- Defeat of Kievan Rus' (and allies)
- Another result*
*e.g. result unknown or indecisive/inconclusive, result of internal conflict inside Kievan Rus', status quo ante bellum, or a treaty or peace without a clear result.
Kingdom of Ruthenia and other Rus' principalities (1240–1500)
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Perspective
Following the end of Kievan Rus' in 1240, it split into many Rus' principalities. The Principality, later Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia (Ruthenia) would control most of the territory of modern Ukraine for a century, after which the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Crown of the Kingdom of Poland would dominate the region.
Cossack Ukraine (1500–1764)
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Perspective
This section contains list of wars involving Zaporozhian Cossacks (including Danubian Sich) and Cossack Hetmanate (both of right-bank and left-bank).
Uprisings
Cossack naval campaigns
Other conflicts
Under Austrian and Russian empires
War of independence (1917–1921)
Summarize
Perspective
This section contains list of wars involving different Ukrainian states de facto existed between 1917 and 1922 (Ukrainian People's Republic, Ukrainian State, Western Ukrainian People's Republic, Hutsul Republic, Komancza Republic) and other Ukrainian anti-bolshevik state formations (Kuban People's Republic, Makhnovshchina, Ukrainian Republic of the Far East).
Interwar period (1922–1938)
In 1922, the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic was incorporated into the Soviet Union. No major armed conflicts on Soviet Ukrainian territory would take place until 1939, although Ukrainian 'national units' would be used as national military formations of the Red Army until 1934 and, as such, fight in Soviet armed conflicts elsewhere in the world. Also, as a response to the collectivization, various peasant rebellions took place in 1929-1933 across the Soviet Union, including Ukraine, which were suppressed by the Soviet authorities.[40] The western areas of Ukraine (including most of the former West Ukrainian People's Republic's claimed territories) that were annexed by the Second Polish Republic similarly saw no fighting in the interwar period until 1939, although some small and brief armed conflicts did occur elsewhere in Poland in this period.
World War II (1939–1945)
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Perspective
This section contains only military activity of non-Soviet and non-Nazi Ukrainian organizations.
21st century
Date | Conflict | Combatant 1 | Combatant 2 | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
2014–present | Russo-Ukrainian War: | ![]() |
![]() In Donbas:
|
Ongoing |
Peacekeeping missions
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Completed
Mission | Start-date | End-date | Location | Troops (regular) |
---|---|---|---|---|
UNPROFOR | 1992 | 1995 | ![]() |
1,303 |
UNMOT | 1994 | 2000 | ![]() |
21 |
UNMIBH | 1995 | 1999 | ![]() |
400 |
UNPREDEP | 1995 | 1999 | ![]() |
1 |
UNTAES | 1996 | 1998 | ![]() |
511 |
MONUA | 1996 | 1999 | ![]() |
216 |
UNMOP | 1996 | 2002 | ![]() ![]() (Prevlaka) |
2 |
MINUGUA | 1997 | 1997 | ![]() |
8 |
Ukraine Diplomatic Support in Transnistria | 1990 | 1992 | ![]() |
0 |
UNOMIG | 1999 | 2005 | ![]() |
530 |
UNIFIL | 2000 | 2006 | ![]() |
650 |
ISAF | 2000 | 2001 | ![]() |
1 |
UNAMSIL | 2001 | 2005 | ![]() |
530 |
UNIKOM | 2003 | 2003 | ![]() |
448 |
UNMIL | 2003 | 2018 | ![]() |
275 |
UNMEE | 2004 | 2008 | ![]() ![]() |
7 |
MNF-I[g] | 2005 | 2008 | ![]() |
1,660 |
UNOMIG | 2008 | 2009 | ![]() |
37 |
UNOCI | 2011 | 2017 | ![]() |
1,303 |
Withdrawn
Mission | Start-date | End-date | Location | Troops (regular) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Kosovo Force | 1999 | 2022 (August 3)[44] |
![]() |
40 |
MONUSCO | 2000 | 2022 (September 18)[45] |
![]() |
250 |
UNMISS | 2012 | 2022 (April)[46] |
![]() |
28[47] |
MINUSMA | 2019 | 2022 (March)[46] |
![]() |
20 |
See also
Notes
- The timespan of Kievan Rus' is generally dated from c. 880 to 1240,[4] but its precise origins are shrouded in mystery, influenced by later distortions, and the subject of modern scholary dispute.[5][6] Because 'no adequate system of succession to the Kyivan throne was developed'[7] after the death of Yaroslav the Wise (r. 1019–1054, a process of gradual political disintegration would commence.[7] The Mongol siege and sack of Kiev in 1240 is generally held to mark the end of Kievan Rus'.[4] Modern historians from Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine alike consider Kievan Rus' the first period of their modern countries' histories.[7]
- Principalities of Kievan Rus' between the 9th century and 1240 included Kiev (Kyiv), Beloozero, Chernigov (Chernihiv), Drutsk, Halych (Galicia), Jersika, Koknese, Murom, the Novgorod Republic, Novgorod-Seversk (Novhorod-Siversk), Peremyshl (Przemyśl), Pereyaslavl (Pereiaslav), Polotsk (Polatsk), Ryazan (Riazan), Terebovlia, Turov and Pinsk (Turau-Pinsk, Turovian Rus'), Vladimir-Suzdal (Rostov, Suzdalia), Volhynia (Volyn, Volodymyr), and Yaroslavl. Halych and Volhynia would be unified in 1199, and raised to the Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia (Ruthenia) in 1253, but lost the (mostly destroyed) city of Kiev in 1240 to the Golden Horde.[4] Pskov Land (Pleskov) was formally part of the Novgorod Republic before 1240, but eventually became the independent Pskov Republic in 1348.[9] Vladimir-Suzdalia would fragment into several smaller principalities after 1240, such as Tver (1246), Moscow (Muscovy; 1263), and Novgorod-Suzdal (1341).
- After the Mongol invasion of Kievan Rus' of 1237–1241 (including the 1240 sack of Kiev which ended Kievan Rus'[4]), most of the surviving Rus' principalities (exceptions included the Novgorod Republic[4]) were forced to pay tribute and homage to Batu Khan (residing in Sarai on the Volga) of the newly-established Mongol-Tatar Golden Horde.[10]
- 'Sometime during the reign of Hasan Ibn Zaid, ruler of Tabaristan (r. 864–884), the Rus sailed into the Caspian Sea and unsuccessfully attacked the eastern shore at Abaskun. This was probably a raid on very small scale (...) Great raids, however, took place in c. 913, in 943, in 965 and in c. 1041.'[11]
- Cross & Sherbowitz-Wetzor (1953): 'Practically all modern investigators consider Igor's second expedition unhistorical, e.g., Shakhmatov, Razÿskaniya, p. 395: "Igor's expedition of 944 after the attack of 941 appears clearly as invented to cover up the inglorious event of which the annalist learned from the continuator of Hamartolus." So also Hrushevsky, Istoriya Ukrainy-Rusi, I (Kiev, 1913), p. 442-ff; and Laehr, op. cit., pp. 101-103. Vasiliev, however, Hist., p. 322, accepts the chronicle account. (...)'[14]
- The war broke out due to the death of Vsevolod I Yaroslavych, grand prince of Kyiv, and prince of Chernihiv and Pereyaslavl.[21]
- For further information, see Ukrainian involvement in the Iraq War.
- Insurgent Army was an ally both of Ukrainian states and Soviets in different times.
- White Army and Red Army were not allies but both of them were opponents of Ukrainian movement.
References
Sources
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