Kyiv: A thousand days have passed since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, leading to a major conflict in Europe since World War II.
During the initial months of the war, Ukraine's forces successfully defended its territory by launching a strong counteroffensive against Russia. However, Moscow outnumbered Kyiv's defence in 2023, allowing the Russian army to reclaim the lost ground this year.
Major Events And Happenings Of 2022
- February 24, 2022: When Russia invaded Ukraine, followed by an announcement by Russian President Vladimir Putin about “special military operations.”.
- February 26, 2022: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky refused to leave Kyiv and released a series of videos showing him and his top commanders on the streets despite the warning of assassination and arrest.
- March 16, 2022: Russia dropped bombs on Mariupol's Drama Theatre, injuring hundreds of civilians. Following this action, Russia claimed to have made significant advances inside Ukraine, particularly capital Kyiv. Ukraine also accused Moscow of committing war crimes.
- March 25, 2022: In a face-saving move, Moscow said Russian forces will now focus on freeing its territory, which was an apparent U-turn from its initial goal of changing the regime in Ukraine.
- April 1, 2022: Russian forces were accused of committing mass murder in Bucha, with 458 bodies recovered, including 9 children under 18.
- April 14, 2022: Russian guided missile cruiser Moskva is sunk by Ukrainian anti-ship missiles, which is seen. A huge propaganda win for Kyiv and a major humiliation for the Kremlin, the Moskva was the largest Russian ship sunk since World II.
- May 22, 2022: Russia and Ukraine signed deals to reopen three seaports in Ukraine—Chornomorsk, Odesa, and Yuzhny/Pivdennyi—to allow the supply of major foods.
- September 12, 2022: Ukraine forced the Russian army out of its land, occupied by Moscow.
- September 16, 2022: During a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Indian Prime Minister at Samarkand, India cleared its stand on the Russia-Ukraine War, saying that “this was not an era of war,” disapproving Russia's action in Ukraine.
- September 21, 2022: President Putin gave the go-ahead to partial mobilization. Nearly 300,000 Russians between ages 18 and 50 were called to join the army in the first move in the country since World War II.
- October 5, 2022: Russia merged four regions of Ukraine—Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. In the following days, it announced a temporary withdrawal from the Black Sea grain deal, accusing Ukraine of violation. However, it resumed its participation in November 2022.
- December 21, 2022: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the US Congress at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, during his first visit abroad since the war began. By the end of 2022, Russia had included 300,000 reservists in its forces to strengthen its offensive, which had failed.
Major Events And Happenings Of 2023
- January 2023: Germany and the US announced support for Ukraine by sending tanks to Kyiv.
- February 20, 2023: In a surprise visit to Kyiv, former US President Joe Biden met Zelensky.
- May 3, 2023: Moscow said it foiled an assassination bid by Ukrainian drones over Putin’s at his Kremlin residence, but Zelenskyy denied any Ukrainian involvement.
- May 25, 2023: Russia and Belarus signed a pact regarding the storage of nuclear weapons in Belarus. Moscow claimed it was done to prevent any “escalation and the activity of NATO's joint nuclear missions."
- June 10, 2023: Ukraine began its counteroffensive with officials claiming to have reclaimed several occupied territories.
- June 24, 2023: The infamous Wagner private military group accused Russia of attacking its fighters. It was alleged that the Russian military moved them from Ukraine to the Russian city of Rostov on-Don.
- July 17, 2023: Russia announced it was completely withdrawing from the Black Sea Grain Pact, which gave free passage to exports of grains and other agricultural products from Ukrainian ports.
- August 23, 2023: Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin was killed in a plane crash in Russia, prompting uncertainty about the fate of the private military company, which helped Russian forces launch a successful attack in Ukraine.
- December 14, 2023: Many European leaders accepted the proposal to accede Ukraine to the European Union—in an attempt to boost morale amid its war with Russia.
Major Events And Happenings Of 2024
- January 26, 2024: Russia and Ukraine accused each other of shooting down an Ilyushin-76 plane carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war.
- February 1, 2024: European Union leaders signed the ‘Ukraine Facility’ deal to unanimously approve €50 billion for Ukraine in rebuilding and recovery efforts for the next four years.
- February 18, 2024: The Russians claimed to have captured the town of Avdiivka in Ukraine and called it the biggest since it captured the city of Bakhmut in May 2023.
- June 15, 2024: At least 100 countries took part in a ‘Ukraine Peace Summit’, to which Russia was also invited. Held in Bürgenstock, Switzerland, the summit failed to make any impact as many countries didn’t sign the final communiqué.
- August 6, 2024: Ukraine launches an offensive into Russian territory, and Kyiv officials claim that it attempted to bring Russia to the table for peace talks.
- August 23, 2024): Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, visits Kyiv and holds talks with President Zelenskyy. After the meeting, Modi announced ties in various fields and that he had come to bring a message of peace.
- October 13, 2024: Many Ukrainian partisan groups reported the presence of North Korean soldiers at three artillery training grounds in the vicinity of Mariupol. South Korean, US and Ukrainian intelligence have corroborated the details, saying that at least 11,000 North Korean soldiers have been sent to fight on the front lines against Ukrainian forces.
- October 22, 2024: The Ukrainian government received £2.26 billion ($2.93 billion) from the British government taken from the proceeds of frozen Russian assets.
- November 9, 2024: Russian President Vladimir Putin signed into law a treaty on Moscow's strategic partnership with Pyongyang, including a mutual defence provision.
- November 11, 2024: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Moscow has gathered 50,000 soldiers, including North Koreans, in Kursk to launch an offensive and recapture land lost to Ukrainian forces in the border area.
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