The Russian invasion of Ukraine started on February 24, 2022. Russian forces reported attacks in major cities across Ukraine, including Berdyansk, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Sumy, and the capital Kyiv. Western officials claimed that by scope, the war could be the largest in Europe since 1945. A separate page looks into the background of the conflict. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) verified over seven thousand deaths of civilians in Ukraine during the war as of January 2023. The war resulted in a humanitarian crisis, as thousands of Ukrainians fled to the west of their country and abroad. Neighboring Poland recorded the highest number of border crossings from Ukraine, at around 8.9 million as of January 2023, followed by Russia, Hungary, and Romania.
How do Russian and Ukrainian militaries compare?
Russia's
active military personnel was over four times larger than Ukraine’s as of 2022. Furthermore, Russia’s total aircraft was 13 times, the number of armored vehicles 2.4 times, and the naval fleet 16 times larger than that of Ukraine.
Russia had the fourth-largest military spending in the world in 2021, at nearly 66 billion U.S. dollars. In comparison,
Ukraine expended almost six billion U.S. dollars. However,
Ukraine has received military aid from Western countries, with the largest amount coming from the United States (U.S.)
International reaction
Western countries, such as European Union (EU) members, Switzerland, the United Kingdom (UK), and the U.S. imposed
sanctions on Russia. The restrictions targeted the financial sector, individuals affiliated with the government, and exports of high-tech products to Russia, among others. The EU also banned Russian airlines from its airspace, while Germany halted the certification of the gas pipeline
Nord Stream 2. Albania, Australia, Canada, Japan, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan announced further sanctions. Major international companies, such as Apple, H&M, Ikea, Inditex, and McDonald's, suspended operations in Russia. While
China and India took a neutral stance in the conflict, the governments of Belarus, Cuba, Iran, Myanmar, Syria, and Venezuela officially supported Russia.
Economic impact
Following the invasion, the
value of the Russian ruble against the U.S. dollar and
euro dropped to a historic low. Central Bank interventions and the demand to pay for gas in Russian rubles have strengthened the currency. Following the restrictions on Russian fossil fuel imports into the U.S. and the EU, Russian fossil fuels exports shifted to Asian countries,
making China the leading destination. Economies all over the world depended on Russia and Ukraine for the two countries' major export commodities. For example, Russia and Ukraine
are among the major wheat exporters worldwide. Furthermore,
Russia exports the sixth-largest aluminum volume and is the palladium producer, and is the
leading producer of palladium.
Overview
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Number of civilian casualties during the war in Ukraine 2023
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Comparison of military capabilities of Russia and Ukraine 2022
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Total bilateral aid commitments to Ukraine 2022, by country and type
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Global stance in the Russia-Ukraine war 2022, by territory
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GDP growth in CEE and Central Asia 2021-2024, by country
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Public opinion
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Public opinion on NATO membership in Ukraine 2022
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Public opinion on EU membership in Ukraine 2022
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Support for UUkraine'sEU membership in key EU member states 2022
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Public opinion of Ukrainians toward Russia 2022
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Public opinion toward Ukraine in Russia 1998-2022
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PThe popularity of further actions in response to the Russia-Ukraine war 2022
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Support for cutting economic ties with Russia 2in 022, by selected country
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Share of people worried about the Russia-Ukraine war in Africa in 2022, by country
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