Russian-Ukrainian War (2014)

The Russian-Ukrainian War is an armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine that began in February 2014. It started when armed forces without military insignia took control of key facilities on the Crimean peninsula, after which Moscow announced on 18 March 2014 that it had annexed Crimea to its territory. The UN General Assembly on 27 March 2014 adopted a resolution stating that the 16 March referendum was illegal, with 100 votes in favour, 11 against, and 58 abstentions.

The conflict subsequently spread to the Donetsk and Luhansk regions (Donbas), where armed groups took control of state facilities in April 2014, and Ukrainian forces began counter-operations. The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) began counting conflict deaths on 14 April 2014. From April 2014 to 31 December 2021, OHCHR estimated between 14,200 and 14,400 people killed, including at least 3,404 civilians, and between 37,000 and 39,000 wounded.

Crimea 2014

The Maidan protests in Kyiv and the departure of President Viktor Yanukovych in February 2014 preceded events in Crimea. Russia justified its actions as protecting Russian-speaking populations and its Black Sea naval base. Ukraine and most UN member states rejected recognition of the territorial change. General Assembly resolution 68/262 called on states, international organizations, and relevant bodies not to recognize any alteration of Crimea's status.

Donbas and the Minsk agreements

Two agreements named after Minsk were signed—one in September 2014 and one in February 2015—mediated by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and through the 'Normandy' format (France and Germany). The 12 February 2015 agreement stipulated that a full ceasefire begin on 15 February 2015, that heavy weapons be withdrawn from the demarcation line, that a buffer zone be established, and that prisoners be exchanged. It also included political measures such as local elections and special status for these regions.

Most Minsk points were not implemented. Independent analyses noted that the main obstacle was Moscow's claim that it was not a party to the conflict and therefore not bound by the agreement obligations, while Kyiv and Moscow disagreed on the sequencing of security and political measures.

Full-scale invasion in 2022

Russia on 21 February 2022 recognized the self-proclaimed administrations of Donetsk and Luhansk, and on 24 February 2022 launched a full-scale invasion from multiple directions. The UN General Assembly on 2 March 2022 adopted resolution ES-11/1 strongly condemning the attack on Ukraine and demanding immediate withdrawal of forces; the vote was 141 in favour, 5 against (Belarus, North Korea, Eritrea, Russia, Syria), and 35 abstentions.

After Russia announced it had annexed Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia, the General Assembly on 12 October 2022 adopted resolution ES-11/4 condemning the annexation and calling for non-recognition; the vote was 143 in favour, 5 against, and 35 abstentions. The International Criminal Court on 17 March 2023 issued arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova for alleged unlawful deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children.

Casualties and displacement

The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) verified in February 2025 that at least 12,654 civilians—673 children—were killed and 29,392 wounded by 24 February 2022. A subsequent 2025 statement put verified civilian deaths since 24 February 2022 at at least 14,116, including 733 children. These figures are verified and likely undercount actual deaths.

Displacement ranks among the world's largest. By September 2025, UNHCR had registered 5.75 million Ukrainian refugees internationally, including 5.2 million in Europe, while 3.75 million persons were internally displaced and 12.7 million needed humanitarian assistance.