Russia and Ukraine conflict news
4 min read
Introduction
When you hear about the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, you might think it’s a new thing. But that’s not the case at all: The two countries have been at odds for decades. In this guide, we’ll cover what caused the conflict in the first place and how it has progressed over time.
Ukraine crisis explained
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has been ongoing for more than four years. It began in 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea, then escalated in 2015 when Russia was accused of supporting separatists in eastern Ukraine.
The conflict escalated further still in 2017 with the shooting down of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 by pro-Russian forces using a surface-to-air missile system supplied by Moscow. The incident killed 298 people and led to international condemnation of Vladimir Putin’s government for its role in providing such weaponry to rebels fighting Kiev’s forces during the ongoing civil war there–a charge which Moscow denies
What is the Minsk Agreement?
The Minsk Agreement, signed in 2015 by Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany, is an attempt to end the conflict in Ukraine. It aims to restore Ukrainian control over its border with Russia; give greater autonomy to rebel-held areas; hold elections in eastern Ukraine; and establish a ceasefire.
Why are there Russian separatists in Ukraine?
The answer is simple: Russia has been supporting the separatists. The Russian government has been supplying them with arms and even sending volunteers from Russia to fight against the Ukrainian government in eastern Ukraine. The separatists have been demanding independence for eastern Ukraine, which they call “Novorossiya” (New Russia).
This conflict started after Crimea was annexed by Russia in 2014, following a referendum held on 16 March that year where voters overwhelmingly backed reunification with Russia. This sparked protests across southern and eastern Ukraine against president Viktor Yanukovych’s decision to abandon plans for closer ties with Europe in favor of closer ties with Russia instead. In February 2014 Yanukovych fled Kiev after violent clashes between protesters and police left dozens dead–but not before he approved laws allowing members of parliament who had been expelled over corruption allegations to return to work as well as granting amnesty from prosecution to those involved in January’s uprising against him; these moves were roundly condemned by Western governments including Canada which labelled them “illegal”.
Is Ukraine a failed state?
Ukraine is not a failed state.
The economy is stable, the government is stable and so are the military forces.
What is the role of Russia in the conflict?
Russia has been accused of supporting the pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine. Russia has also been accused of sending troops and weapons to eastern Ukraine, but denies these accusations.
Russia is also accused of providing financial support to the separatists, who want independence from Kiev’s central government. In addition, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Russia will not recognize elections held by Kiev if they are held while “a civil war” is taking place in eastern Ukraine
How many people have died in this conflict so far?
The number of people who have died in this conflict is disputed. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), around 11,000 people have been killed in fighting between Ukrainian government forces and Russian-backed separatists since 2014.
However, a recent report by international monitoring group CIVICUS found that this figure is closer to 20,000 deaths–more than three times higher than what UNOCHA estimates. The discrepancy could be due to differences in methodology: whereas UNOCHA uses data from official death records and media reports, CIVICUS relies on local journalists’ reports as well as information from social networks like Facebook or VKontakte (VK).
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has been ongoing for more than four years.
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has been ongoing for more than four years.
It started in 2014, when Russian troops annexed Crimea, an autonomous region of Ukraine that was home to more than two million people. Since then, violence has broken out sporadically along their shared border and both sides have accused each other of sending troops into territory held by their enemy – although neither has been able to prove this claim conclusively. The fighting has killed more than 10,000 people so far; many thousands more remain missing or injured by landmines left behind after battles ended.
The conflict is between Russia and Ukraine over Crimea; however it may also involve other countries such as Belarus (which borders both nations) or even Turkey (where Russian planes frequently fly through airspace).
Conclusion
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has been ongoing for more than four years. It began in 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea and supported pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine. Since then, there have been multiple attempts to resolve the conflict peacefully through diplomatic means as well as military intervention by both sides. The most recent development occurred on February 15th 2019 when Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko announced that he would not run again for office due to health reasons; however, he did not rule out running at some later point in time (BBC News).
