Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine: A 1-Year Retrospective

Eyes will be on Eastern Europe this Friday as the world questions whether an end to the Russian invasion of Ukraine is in sight as the one-year mark of Russian troops crossing the border approaches. With the conflict preparing to enter a second year on February 24, tensions and fighting remain elevated in what many assumed would be a short conflict between disproportionate powers.

Timeline

The invasion began officially on February 24, 2022, when Russian President Vladimir Putin announced in a 5:00 a.m. (Eastern European Standard Time) public address the beginning of a “special military operation” in Ukraine. In reality, fighting had begun even earlier in the morning in the village of Milove, where Russian forces assaulted the border more than an hour earlier. The official announcement would mark the beginning of formal fighting, and Russian troops quickly entered Ukraine from their own territory and that of a Russian ally, Belarus, under cover of missile strikes on major Ukrainian cities such as Kyiv, Odessa and Kharkiv.

Early Russian gains included a push toward Kyiv in an unsuccessful effort to quickly displace the government and a rapid movement into the east of the country which resulted in the eventual capture of the major cities of Mariupol and

Kherson. Smaller operations were attempted, including airborne attacks on airports such as the Hostomel Airport in Kyiv’s suburbs and reported covert attempts to assassinate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Despite early successes by Russian forces, Ukrainian resistance to the invasion remained resilient, with the assault on Kyiv being repelled and delayed until a counter-offensive could begin around March 16, with much of the region being liberated following a Russian retreat later in the month. In the east and south, Russian troops had much more success, but advanced slower than expected, failing to capture the city of Kharkiv and meeting staunch resistance during fighting in Mariupol, both of which likely granted time for Ukraine to prepare for future counterattacks.

In September, Ukraine reported having reached their prior border with Russia in the northeast, which would mark the beginning of a shift in favor of Ukrainian counter offensives, with successes reported in Bilohorivka (Sep. 19), Kupiansk (Sep. 29) and Lyman (Oct. 1). Two days later, Russian forces fled from several settlements in the northeast, resulting in the end of Russian occupation in the area around Kharkiv.

Ukrainian successes also continued slowly in the south, culminating in a Russian withdrawal from Kherson on Nov. 9.

With winter setting in, offensives largely halted by both sides in mid-November, with Russian tactics switching to missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian military, civilian and energy infrastructure. In the time since, fighting has continued fiercely on most fronts, but little territory has changed hands outside of small offensives, with the notable exception being the Russian capture of Soledar on January 16.

Impacts

The results of the invasion on the people of Ukraine have been extensive and brutal. According to the United Nations’ Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, 6,919 civilians had been confirmed as killed and another 11,075 wounded as of Jan. 2. The High Commissioner’s office noted that actual figures are likely considerably higher due to delayed reporting in areas where hostilities continue.

Reporting on the number of troops affected is more difficult due to the fog of war, but the most recent report, conducted by the Norwegian army, estimates that 180,000 Russian troops have been killed or wounded, 100,000 Ukrainian troops killed or wounded and a much higher estimate of 30,000 civilians having been killed.

The United Nations Human Rights Council has called for investigations into atrocities committed by Russian occupation forces, on allegations of widespread sexual violence and the murder of civilians. Following Russia’s retreat from the region around Kyiv, the regional police reported finding the bodies of close to a thousand civilians, with more than 300 found executed in the city of Bucha alone, many in mass graves.

The Ukrainian Defense Ministry has also found other mass killings, notably in Makariv (132 civilians), Izium (414 civilians) and Lyman (85 civilians). Some of those found in each incident are reported to have shown signs of torture.