Russia Invades Ukraine on February 24, 2022

Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine before dawn on February 24, 2022. Missiles struck targets across the country while ground forces advanced from Russia, Russian-occupied Crimea and Belarus. The assault expanded an eight-year conflict into a nationwide war and became the central international crisis of the 2022 calendar.

Russian leaders expected to overwhelm Ukraine quickly, but Ukrainian forces held Kyiv and the government remained in the capital. The war instead became prolonged, devastating cities, displacing millions and changing security and economic policy in the United States and Europe.

The Conflict Before February 2022

Ukraine became independent when the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. Its politics included recurring arguments over corruption, democratic reform and relations with Russia and Europe. In 2014, protests drove President Viktor Yanukovych from office after he abandoned an agreement with the European Union.

Russia then occupied and claimed Crimea following a referendum conducted under military control that Ukraine, the United States and most UN members did not recognize. Fighting also began in eastern Ukraine between Ukrainian forces and Russian-supported separatists in parts of Donetsk and Luhansk. Two Minsk agreements reduced fighting at times but did not produce a durable settlement.

During 2021 and early 2022, Russia placed a large force around Ukraine. Moscow demanded limits on NATO and denied planning an invasion even as the United States publicly warned that an attack was likely. On February 21, Putin recognized the separatist entities as independent and ordered forces into their territory.

How the Invasion Began

Putin announced what he called a “special military operation” while the UN Security Council was meeting late on February 23 in New York. In Ukraine it was already February 24. Explosions were soon reported in Kyiv and other cities.

The attack had several axes. Forces moved toward Kyiv from Belarus, crossed into northeastern Ukraine, pushed from the east and advanced north from Crimea. Air and missile strikes targeted military sites and infrastructure. Russian troops seized territory in the south and reached the outskirts of the capital.

The airborne assault on Hostomel airport near Kyiv showed the initial plan’s ambition. Control of the airfield could have allowed rapid reinforcement close to the capital, but fighting damaged the runway and Ukrainian resistance disrupted the operation.

Why Kyiv Did Not Fall

President Volodymyr Zelensky remained in Kyiv and used frequent video addresses to communicate with Ukrainians and foreign governments. Ukrainian units resisted at the approaches to the city, while civilians joined territorial-defense formations or supported emergency work.

Russian columns faced strong opposition, difficult logistics, vehicle losses and coordination problems. The invasion force did not establish the air control or supply system required for a quick occupation of a large country. By late March, Russia said it would reduce operations around Kyiv and Chernihiv; its forces then withdrew from northern Ukraine.

The retreat revealed destruction and evidence of killings in communities including Bucha. International investigations began examining alleged war crimes. Russia rejected many accusations, while UN investigators documented violations and abuses arising from the invasion.

International Condemnation and Sanctions

Russia’s veto prevented the Security Council from adopting a condemnation, so the Council referred the matter to an emergency special session of the General Assembly. On March 2, the Assembly voted 141-5, with 35 abstentions, for a resolution deploring Russia’s aggression and demanding immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal.

The United States, European Union, United Kingdom, Canada, Japan and other governments imposed sanctions on Russian banks, officials, central-bank assets and parts of trade. Export controls restricted access to advanced technology. Western companies reduced or ended operations in Russia, while Europe began cutting its dependence on Russian energy.

Sanctions imposed costs but did not end the war. Russia redirected some trade, energy prices rose and enforcement became an ongoing contest over intermediaries and dual-use goods.

The US Role Without Direct War

President Joe Biden ruled out sending US forces to fight Russia inside Ukraine, seeking to assist Ukraine without producing direct combat between nuclear-armed powers. The United States instead supplied weapons ranging from antitank systems and artillery to air defense, while providing training, intelligence, budget support and humanitarian relief.

Congress approved assistance with support from both parties, although later packages produced sharper disputes over cost, oversight and strategy. The United States also deployed additional forces to NATO territory. Finland and Sweden applied to join the alliance, ending long policies of military nonalignment; both later became members.

American households felt indirect effects through fuel and food prices, market uncertainty and federal spending. Ukrainian refugee communities grew, and public institutions, charities and local groups organized relief.

A Humanitarian and Global Crisis

Millions of people fled Ukraine or were displaced within it. Cities lost housing, electricity, water systems, hospitals and schools. Civilian casualties continued long after the first weeks, and the full toll cannot be reduced to one stable number while the war continues.

The conflict disrupted grain and fertilizer exports from a major agricultural region. It also intensified energy shortages, military spending and diplomatic division far beyond Europe. A UN-supported Black Sea grain arrangement later allowed some shipments before Russia withdrew from the initiative.

Ukraine recovered territory around Kharkiv and Kherson later in 2022, disproving expectations of an easy Russian victory. Russia mobilized additional troops and claimed annexation of four Ukrainian regions after votes held under occupation, claims rejected by Ukraine and most of the international community.

Why February 24 Remains the Defining Date

February 24 is not the beginning of every part of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Crimea and the Donbas war date to 2014, and political tensions reach further back. It is the date the conflict changed scale: a major power attempted to subdue its neighbor through a multipronged invasion.

The event reordered US foreign policy, revived NATO’s focus on territorial defense and forced governments to balance support for Ukraine with the danger of escalation. Its consequences continued through later calendars, making a clear distinction between the 2014 conflict and the 2022 full-scale invasion essential to understanding the history.