Russo-Ukrainian War

The Russo-Ukrainian War, also known as the Special Military Operation in Ukraine, Ukraine War, 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the War in Ukraine, is an ongoing military conflict in Ukraine involving the Russian Federation and the Zelenskyy regime of Ukraine. Ukraine's war effort against Russia has been consistently funded by the United States and their NATO allies. The war began on February 24, 2022, when Russian troops entered Ukraine, however the operation had been announced the day prior.

Background

Operation announced (February 23, 2022)

Map of Ukraine before the start of the operation

It was past 11 PM on February 23, 2022. President Vladimir Putin of Russia made a statement in front of the entire world. Russia was to begin a "Special Military Operation" in Ukraine with the goals of de-Nazifying and de-militarizing the country. If Russia could achieve both of these, it would end the Donbass genocide being perpetrated by the Ukrainian government under President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. A few minutes after this announcement, Putin made a statement where he said that any Ukrainian soldiers that laid down their arms and surrendered to Russia would be allowed to go about their lives in peace and would remain unharmed by the Russian operation. There was only 40 minutes until midnight by now. With 30 minutes until midnight, Putin declared that any attack against Russia would be met with "devastating consequences."

Timeline

Beginning of the Russian offensive (February 24, 2022)

At 12:00 AM on February 24, 2022, Zelenskyy declared martial law over Ukraine, stating that Russia had "delivered strikes against our military infrastructure and our border guards." Zelenskyy also further justified his declaration of martial law by alleging that explosions were "heard in many cities of Ukraine." 23 minutes later, it was reported that artillery fire was coming down upon the Ukrainian capital of Kiev and the city of Mariupol in the Ukrainian-occupied regions of the Donestk People's Republic (DPR). 15 minutes after these reports, Russia declared the closure of the airspace on Ukraine's western border and suspended all activities in the Rostov flight zone until March 2. Just 6 minutes later, it was reported that Russian troops had landed in Odessa and had crossed the border into the Kharkiv Oblast. 2 minutes following this, Russia announced that they were not to tolerate the usage of nuclear weaponry in Ukraine. NATO also reaffirmed their support for neo-Nazi military battalions that worked for the Ukrainian government. Another 2 minutes later, Ukraine closed its airspace becase of the "high risk of aviation safety for civil aviation." Just 7 minutes later, at 12:55 AM, it was declared by Putin that the previously announced Special Military Operation had officially begun.

At 1:04 AM, Putin made a statement justifying the Russian operations in Ukraine because "it was necessary to immediately stop this nightmare, the genocide against the millions of people living there," by the Zelenskyy regime. 10 minutes later, civil defense sirens were being sounded in Kiev. A minute later, Russia announced the suspending of airport operations in 12 of their southern cities. 7 minutes later, several private cars were spotted leaving Kiev and several firetrucks entered the Borispol Airport. Russian forces began firing upon military infrastructure all across the country around this time, degrading much of their air defenses. Many Ukrainian border guards were also retreating or giving up without a fight. At 1:40, it was announced by the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) that they'd join the operation but wouldn't harm any civilians. 12 minutes later, fighting began on the border between between Russian-controlled Crimea and the Ukrainian-controlled Kherson Oblast. 2 minutes later, it was reported that Russia - with Belarusian support - had started making gains in the Sumy, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, and Zhytomyr oblasts of Ukraine. Russian troops were also, reportedly, making gains in the Ukrainian-occupied parts of the LPR. 2 minutes after that, it was reported that Russia was bombing Ukrainian military facilities.

At 2:09 AM, Russia emphasized that they had tried to persuade Ukraine to stop the Donbass genocide and resolve the conflict peacefully, an offer which Ukraine had refused. 5 minutes later, Zelenskyy announced that Russia was still attacking Ukrainian military infrastructure. 3 minutes later, Putin declared that he was confident of a "consolidated patriotic stance among all parliamentary parties and community forces." 4 minutes later, the liberal Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) declared support for Ukraine and condemned "Russia's military action against Ukraine." 13 minutes later, the LPR officially launched their first operation of the war, joining the Russian offensive with the goal of liberating the Ukrainian-occupied parts of their country. 19 minutes following this, Russian MP Leonid Slutsky stated Russia's operation was "precisely about ensuring security within the contemporary borders of the Donetsk and Lugansk republics."

At 3:09 AM, the Russian envoy to the United Nations (UN) Vasily Nebenzya emphasized to the UN that the operation was "we are not carrying out aggression against the Ukrainian people, this is against that junta, that seized power in Kiev." 5 minutes later, it was reported that Ukraine had shot down a Russian plane in Kiev, however the Russian Ministry of Defence debunked this report. 12 minutes later, Ukraine reported that a TV tower in Lutsk had been attacked by Russian forces and that Russian attacks in the Kiev Oblast, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Khmelnytskyi Oblast, Poltava Oblast, Cherkasy Oblast, and the Lviv Oblast had set Ukrainian military depots and facilities ablaze. 3 minutes later, Ukraine request Turkey help them by blocking Russian access to the Dardanelles. Turkey did not answer this call for help. 16 minutes later, Russia reported that Ukrainian soldiers were abandoning their posts and dropped their weapons in large numbers. 10 minutes later, the United Kingdom reported that Russia was attacking headquartes and airfields in the the Kiev Oblast. 8 minutes following this, the DPR announced that the liberation of their country from Ukrainian occupation was "in progress."

At 4:04 AM, the LPR declared that the Russian operation in Ukraine was going to restore peace in the Donbass. 9 minutes later, Russia declared that Ukrainian claims about the "losses of Russian aircraft and armored vehicles" were an "absolute lie."