Russia Invades Ukraine
Explosions were reported across Ukraine early Thursday morning, as the threatened Russian invasion of the country began. The bombing commenced even as Russian President Vladimir Putin announced his decision to conduct “a special military operation” within Ukraine. Russian missiles struck major cities and other targets throughout Ukraine. Troops invaded Ukraine’s capital, Kiev, along with the areas of Donbas, Odessa, and the Chernobyl power plant. Countries around the world decried the invasion as an unprovoked attack on a sovereign nation. More than 100,000 people in Ukraine have been displaced.
On Feb. 21, 2022, Putin had declared that Russia officially recognized the separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, in eastern Ukraine, as independent. He then ordered Russian troops to be sent to the regions to “maintain peace.” On Wednesday, February 23, the separatist leaders Putin had recently recognized asked for Russian military assistance. Russian forces immediately crossed Ukraine’s borders and attacked the country on three sides.
The United States had also warned officials in Ukraine that Russia was prepared to invade the country. Also on February 23, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that his country was prepared for conflict. However, Zelensky later pleaded with Russia to call off the attack.
Russia has long shown interest in controlling Ukraine, as it did under the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. In early 2022, Putin had demanded that the United States and other Western nations reduce their military presence in Eastern Europe and guarantee that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) would never permit Ukraine to join. NATO is a military alliance consisting of the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and more than 20 other member countries. NATO seeks to protect the freedom and security of its member countries through political and military efforts.
Both NATO and the United States refused to allow Russian demands to interfere with NATO’s membership rules and policies. They offered instead to negotiate on security concerns concerning weapons and military forces based in Europe. They also warned against Russian military intervention in Ukraine. The administration of United States President Joe Biden sent 3,000 U.S. troops to support forces in Poland and Romania, two NATO countries that border western Ukraine. Russia had built up more than 150,000 troops near Ukraine’s borders.
Many leaders across the world condemned the attacks and showed support for Ukraine. Australia, Canada, Japan, Norway, the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union announced sanctions on Russia in an effort to prevent further action. A sanction is a penalty for disobeying a law or rule. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz halted the certification of the Nord Stream 2, an underwater natural gas pipeline connecting Russia to Germany. President of the European Council Charles Michel called for an emergency meeting of the European Union to discuss support for Ukraine and holding Russia accountable for breaking international law.