Russia invades Ukraine

On February 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a large-scale military invasion of Ukraine, firing more than 160 missiles and advancing forces from multiple directions including through Belarus toward Kyiv. The first day resulted in 57 deaths and 169 wounded according to Ukraine's Health Minister, while Russian forces captured the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant and Zmiinyi Island. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared martial law and called on citizens to fight, promising weapons to all who wanted them. Western powers led by US President Joe Biden responded with sweeping economic sanctions targeting Russia's financial, energy, and transport sectors, while the UN refugee agency estimated 100,000 Ukrainians fled their homes within hours of the invasion.

Russian military invasion and Ukrainian defense efforts

• ▪Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared martial law in Ukraine on February 24, 2022
• ▪Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a sweeping invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022
• ▪Russian forces took control of all facilities at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant on February 24, 2022
• ▪Russian forces captured Ukraine's Zmiinyi Island in the Black Sea on February 24, 2022

International sanctions and diplomatic responses

• ▪US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke by phone with the foreign ministers of Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Turkey on February 24, 2022
• ▪US President Joe Biden announced new sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine invasion on February 24, 2022

Perspective of Russia

• ▪Russian President Vladimir Putin issued nuclear threats in connection with the February 24, 2022 invasion of Ukraine

Perspective of Ukraine

• ▪Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy characterized Russia's February 24, 2022 invasion as unprovoked aggression against a sovereign nation