A deep-dive into the origins, escalation, and international dimensions of the war — from the Soviet collapse and NATO's eastward expansion to the 2022 full-scale invasion and the ongoing stalemate on Ukrainian soil.
Primary Source Video
// Vox — Russia-Ukraine War Explained (update as needed)
Russia's war in Ukraine is one of the largest and most destructive conflicts in Europe in decadesDecadeA period of ten consecutive years. "Decades" here refers to roughly the last 80 years — since World War Two ended in 1945.. But to understand why it's happening, you have to go back more than a centuryCenturyA period of one hundred years. The conflict's roots reach back to the early 1900s — the collapse of empires, revolutions, and the formation of the Soviet Union..
Because the story of this war isn't just about borders. It's about history, identity, and who gets to decide Ukraine's future.
Chapter 01
For centuries, much of modern-day Ukraine was ruled by outside powers, including the Russian Empire. Ukrainians had their own language and culture, but political power was often controlled from Moscow or other imperial capitals.
Russia often portrayed Ukrainians and Russians as one people. Many Ukrainians believed they were a distinct nation with their own identity. That tension between shared history and separate identity would shape the future of both countries.
Chapter 02
In 1917, the Russian Empire collapsed during the Russian Revolution. Suddenly, the imperial governmentImperial GovernmentA government that rules over an empire — a large territory made up of many different peoples and regions under a single authority, such as the Russian Tsar. was gone. Across the former empire, different regions tried to form their own states.
In Ukraine, leaders declared the Ukrainian People's Republic, seeking independence from both the fallen Russian Empire and from the new Bolshevik government in Moscow. But Ukraine quickly became a battlefield. Ukrainian nationalistsUkrainian NationalistsUkrainians who advocated for an independent Ukrainian state, distinct from Russia, with its own language, culture, and government., Bolshevik forcesBolshevik ForcesThe revolutionary communist army loyal to Vladimir Lenin's Bolshevik Party, which seized power in Russia in 1917 and sought to extend control across the former empire., anti-Bolshevik armiesAnti-Bolshevik Armies (White Army)A loose coalition of forces that opposed the Bolsheviks during the Russian Civil War, including monarchists, liberals, and foreign-backed troops., and foreign powersForeign PowersCountries including Germany, Poland, France, and Britain that intervened in the Russian Civil War and Ukrainian conflict, each with their own strategic interests. all fought for control. By the early 1920s, the Bolsheviks had prevailed.
In 1922, the Soviet Union was created. Both Russia and Ukraine were listed as founding republics. On paper, Ukraine had its own government. In reality, the Soviet Union was highly centralized, and most major decisions came from Moscow. Over time, Russia and Ukraine became deeply intertwined through shared industry, military service, and population movement across the Soviet state.
But Soviet rule also brought tragedy.
In 1932 and 1933, Ukraine suffered a devastating famine known as the Holodomor. Under Joseph Stalin, the Soviet government forced farmers into collective farms and imposed extremely high grain quotas. When those quotas were not met, officials confiscated food, livestock, and even seeds for the next harvest.
Historical Tragedy
Villages were sealed off, and starving people were prevented from leaving in search of food. Millions died. Many historians conclude that Soviet policies deliberately intensified the famine in order to crush resistance among Ukrainian farmers and weaken Ukrainian nationalism. The famine left a deep scar in Ukrainian historical memory that still shapes attitudes toward Moscow today.
Chapter 03
In 1941, Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union, and Ukraine became one of the main battlegrounds. Millions of civilians and soldiers died. Cities were destroyed, and Jewish communities suffered devastating losses during the HolocaustHolocaustThe systematic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of six million Jews by the Nazi regime between 1933 and 1945, along with millions of others including Roma, disabled people, and political prisoners.. When the Soviet Union defeated Nazi Germany, the victory was presented as a shared sacrifice of all Soviet peoples, including Russians and Ukrainians.
But Ukraine remained firmly under Soviet control. That system lasted until 1991, when the Soviet Union collapsed. Ukraine held a national referendum on independence, and more than ninety percent of voters supported leaving the Soviet Union. Ukraine became an independent country.
But independence did not erase the deep connections between the two countries. Their economies were still intertwined, many families had relatives on both sides of the border, and Russian remained widely spoken in parts of Ukraine.
Chapter 04
In the years after independence, Ukraine tried to balance between Russia and the WestThe WestA political term referring broadly to Western Europe, the United States, Canada, and allied democracies — often associated with NATO, the European Union, and liberal democratic values.. Some Ukrainians wanted closer ties with Europe. Others preferred maintaining strong relations with Russia.
In 2004, mass protests known as the Orange Revolution erupted after a disputed election involving a Kremlin-backed candidate. The protests forced a new vote and strengthened Ukraine's democratic movement.
But the biggest turning point came in 2013.
Ukraine's president, Viktor Yanukovych, suddenly abandoned a major agreement with the European Union. Protests erupted in Kyiv's central square, known as MaidanMaidan NezalezhnostiIndependence Square in central Kyiv, Ukraine's capital. It became the epicenter of the 2013–14 protests that toppled President Yanukovych — the movement is known as Euromaidan.. After months of demonstrations and violence, Yanukovych fled the country in 2014. For many Ukrainians, the movement represented a demand for democracy and a European future. For Russia, it meant losing a key ally in a strategically important country.
Chapter 05
Russia reacted quickly. In March 2014, Russian forces seized and annexed Crimea, a peninsula that had belonged to Ukraine but hosts Russia's Black Sea naval base. Soon after, fighting broke out in eastern Ukraine's Donbas region. Russia denied direct involvement, but evidence showed separatist forces were receiving weapons, funding, and support from Russia.
One event shocked the world.
In July 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine while flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. All 298 people on board were killed. An international investigation concluded the aircraft was destroyed by a Russian-made missile system that had been transported into the area from Russia. The incident became one of the clearest examples cited by Western governments as evidence of Russia's involvement in the conflict.
Chapter 06
After 2014, Ukraine moved more decisively toward the West. It strengthened ties with the European Union, deepened cooperation with NATO, and began removing Soviet symbols as part of a broader effort to redefine its national identity.
For Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukraine holds enormous strategic and historical importance. Putin has argued that Russians and Ukrainians are one people and that Ukraine drifting toward Western political and military alliances threatens Russia's security and influence. More broadly, Russia has sought to reassert influence over former Soviet states that Moscow historically viewed as part of its sphere of influenceSphere of InfluenceA geographic area in which one country exerts dominant political, economic, or military power over others — without formally ruling them. Russia has historically considered former Soviet states part of its sphere..
In late 2021, Russia began massing large numbers of troops along Ukraine's borders. Then, on February 24th, 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Many analysts believe Russia expected a quick victory. But Ukraine resisted. Its military mobilized, its government remained in place, and much of the population rallied to defend the country. Western countries responded with sanctions against Russia and large-scale military and financial support for Ukraine.
What was expected to be a short operation turned into the largest and most destructive land war in Europe since World War Two.
The conflict has involved hundreds of thousands of soldiers, massive artillery battles, missile strikes on cities, and widespread destruction. Millions of Ukrainians have been displaced from their homes, and both sides have suffered heavy military losses.
At Its Core
The conflict is about one fundamental question: Who gets to decide Ukraine's future? Ukraine says it should be able to choose its own alliances and political path. Russia argues that Ukraine's alignment with the West threatens its security and influence.
The roots of this war stretch back through empire, revolution, famine, world war, and the collapse of the Soviet Union. History tied Russia and Ukraine together. But today, those same historical connections have become the center of one of the most dangerous conflicts in modern Europe.
DeepStateMap is the most widely cited open-source front-line tracker. Updates daily. Alternatively, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) publishes daily maps at understandingwar.org.