UKRAINE has been under constant attack since Russian troops pushed forward into the country.

Regions of Ukraine have been contested for many years, with the annexation of Crimea sparking international disapproval.

Why is Russia invading Ukraine?

Russian President Vladimir Putin had previously stated that Russia had no plans to attack Ukraine, and, in December 2021, armed forces chief Valery Gerasimov even denounced reports of an impending invasion as a lie.

He said that more than 95 per cent of Moscow's ground-based strategic nuclear forces are "kept in constant readiness for combat use".

These statements were overturned on February 24, 2022, when he launched an invasion into Ukraine.

Putin is believed to want to reclaim many territories lost at the fall of the Soviet Union.

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He first made inroads into Ukraine back in 2014 when Russian troops illegally annexed the Crimea peninsula – sparking international condemnation.

Conflict has raged in Eastern Ukraine ever since as Putin backed-rebels began fighting against the Ukrainian government in the disputed Donbas region.

And on February 21, 2022, Putin signed a decree recognising the Donetsk and Luhansk rebel republic.

Weeks earlier, British nationals were told to leave Ukraine while commercial routes were still open as tensions in the region rose.

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Russia-Ukraine conflict timeline

2014

In February, 77 protesters were killed by security forces in Kyiv.

President Yanukovych fled to Russia and the opposition took over.

In March, Russian forces took over Crimea – causing the biggest East vs West showdown since the Cold War.

As a result Russia was hit by harsh sanctions.

🔵 Read our Russia – Ukraine live blog for the very latest updates

In April, pro-Russian armed groups seized parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions on Russian border.

In July, 298 people were killed when pro-Russian forces shot down a Malaysian airliner over eastern Ukraine conflict zone.

In September, Nato confirmed that Russian troops had entered eastern Ukraine with heavy military equipment.

2015

In February a ceasefire was announced when Germany and France brokered a new Donbas deal at talks in Belarus, known as the Minsk agreement.

2018

In May, President Putin officially announced he was opening a bridge linking Russia to Crimea.

Ukraine called these actions illegal.

2019

Russia and Ukraine exchanged prisoners who were captured in the wake of Moscow's seizure of Crimea and intervention in the Donbas region.

2021

Putin moved tens of thousands of troops and heavy military equipment to the border with Ukraine.

Russia moved landing ships from the Caspian Sea to the Black Sea for the first time since the end of the Soviet era. 

During this time Ukraine also conducted military exercises off Crimea and called for Nato membership. 

2022

On February 22, 2022, a UK minister confirmed that "invasion of Ukraine had begun" as Putin ordered Russian troops into Ukraine on "peacekeeping mission."

Hours later tanks were spotted crossing the border as fears mounted that Moscow was poised to move beyond the rebel held pockets to snatch more territory from Ukraine.

Russia also sent troops into Belarus, a close ally, saying the deployment was part of joint military drills.

On February 24, Russia invaded Ukraine and took over several parts of the country including Chernobyl, where the nuclear accident took place in 1986 and the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, where a terrible nuclear accident was avoided.

Ukraine have been in resistance ever since, with Nato countries and others placing sanctions on Russia and Belarus in order to deteriorate Russian economy.

Visa and Mastercard have suspended all Russian business operations while Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson slapped Russian oligarchs with asset freezing sanctions.

Sporting events such as the UEFA Champions League final and the Formula One Grand Prix have been moved from taking place in Russia, while the nation has also been eliminated from the Eurovision Song Contest.

Losses have been felt on the Russian side with nearly 10,000 troops lost in the conflict.

Many citizens have been lining up to join the Ukrainian army, including UK and other international volunteers.

One volunteer named Volodymyr Onysko telling Sky News: "We know why we are here.

"We know why we defend our country. And our guys are actually standing there and fighting Russian military forces.

"We know what we are doing and that's why we will win."

Meanwhile, other citizens in Ukraine are suffering from heavy shelling and threats of chemical attacks.

The country lacks resources such as food, water and cash as citizen flee in their thousands to Poland and other bordering nations.

Kyiv and Kharkiv remain under Ukrainian control and forces have refused to bend to Russia's will and surrender Mariupol.

Ukrainian forces have been bolstered by support from other countries around the world through sanctions against Russia and the provision of weapons.

Threats of chemical warfare have been made by Russia, which US President Joe Biden fears could be followed through.

If Putin continues his invasion into countries surrounding Ukraine, such as Poland, he could face a military response from the entirety of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato).

This would include the UK and US who are both members of Nato.

All you need to know about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

Everything you need to know about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine…

• Why is Russia invading Ukraine?
• Will the UK go to war?
• How can I join the Ukraine foreign legion?
• What can I do to help Ukraine?
• Who is Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky?
• How much gas does the UK get from Russia?
• Is Russia a part of Nato?
• Does Russia have nuclear weapons?
• Why is Ukraine not in Nato?
• How big is the Russian army?
• What is Article 5 of the Nato treaty?
• What is the Minsk agreement?
• Which countries were in the Soviet Union?
• What does the Z mean on Russian tanks? Meaning behind symbols explained
• When will the Russia-Ukraine war end?

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