2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine Timeline

After the fall of the Soviet Union, Ukraine declared itself an independent republic.

Orange Revolution
This was a protest following the Presidential election which was believed to be rigged in favour of pro Russian incumbent Victor Yanukovych over Victor Yushchenko. The rigging allegations were furthered by Yushchenko being taken very ill and suspected of being poisoned. Yushchenko believed that he was poisoned on Russian orders.

Orange Revolution
A re-vote in the presidential election declared Victor Yushchenko President of Ukraine.

Victor Yanukovych was elected President of Ukraine.

Euromaidan Protests
This was a protest against Yanukovych’s decision not to sign the European Union – Ukraine Association Agreement but forge closer ties with Russia instead. Yanukovych agreed to call an early election.

Yanukovych was removed from office following an impeachment vote. He fled from the capital, Kyiv to the east where leaders declared their loyalty to him.

Russia annexed Crimea.

Donbas War
War began after Russia recognised and backed Donetsk and Luhansk which became quasi-states.

Minsk Agreement
This was agreed between Ukraine and Russia under mediation by France and Germany and agreed several points designed to stop the fighting in the Donbas region. It failed when neither side maintained the ceasefire.

Minsk Agreement
A further agreement was signed in an attempt to end the violence in Donbas. It also failed.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy was elected President of Ukraine.

Vladimir Putin claimed that there was a rise of right wing nationalists in Ukraine that were causing widespread Russo-phobia among the population.

Russia increased military presence along the Russo-Ukrainian border.

Russian President, Vladimir Putin, published an essay in which he argued his belief that Russians and Ukrainians were one people.

Moscow issued a set of demands on the west in order to protect Russian security. The demands included a guarantee that NATO would keep out of Eastern Europe, specifically Ukraine, Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Russia’s demands were widely condemned.

The Russian military presence, including soldiers, tanks and artillery, along the border with Ukraine was significantly increased.

Fighting in Donbas increased significantly.

Donetsk and Luhansk began evacuating civilians from their major cities.

Russia formally recognised the People’s Republic of Donetsk and the People’s Republic of Luhansk. Russian troops were then sent into both states as part of a so-called ‘peace-keeping mission’ by Russia.

President Zelenskyy ordered Ukraine’s reserve army to be put on standby.

The Ukraine parliament announced a state of emergency in the country. Ukrainian troops were ordered to mobilise.

Ukraine government, banking and business websites were subject to DDoS attacks. President Zelenskyy made a live television appeal to Russia calling for peace.

Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine including missile strikes against major cities and the capital, Kyiv. Antonov Airport fell to Russia but was then recaptured by Ukraine. The town of Konotop was placed under siege and Russia took control of the abandoned Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Snake Island in the Black Sea was also taken.

The Ukraine army was fully mobilised and all male Ukrainian citizens aged 18 – 60 were banned from leaving the country. Konotop  and Melitopol both fell to the Russian army. Chernihiv was placed under siege. The NATO response force was activated for the first time in its history.

US President Joe Biden agreed to provide $600 million in military assistance to Ukraine. Germany and the Netherlands agreed to send missiles and anti-tank weapons.

Kherson and Berdyansk in south Ukraine were placed under siege by Russia and a series of attacks were made on Ukraine’s oil and gas plants. Western countries blocked Russia from the international SWIFT banking system and European countries banned Russian planes from their airspace. Following the imposition of sanctions against Russia by countries around the world, Putin placed Russian nuclear facilities on high alert.

Talks were held between Russia and Ukraine near the Belarus border but were inconclusive. Mariupol was placed under siege, Sievierodonetsk was shelled and Berdyansk fell to Russia.
Further supplies of weapons reached Ukraine from the west.

President Zelensky appealed to EU leaders to prove their support for Ukraine by accepting it as a member state. The Ukraine President announced that Belarusian troops had joined Russian troops and invaded from the north. The Russian Rouble fell to a record low against the dollar.

The Black Sea port, Kherson, fell to Russian forces.
141 countries of the United Nations voted to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and US President Biden issued a ban on Russian aircraft from US airspace. A number of prominent businesses including Apple, Boeing and ExxonMobil stated they would stop or scale back business with Russia and shipping companies suspended deliveries to Russia. The World Bank agreed an aid package for Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy requested Vladimir Putin sit down with him for talks. Negotiators for both sides provisionally agreed the formation of humanitarian corridors to allow civilians to flee to safety.  The Czech government agreed a package of military aid and the United States increased sanctions against Russian oligarchs in the country – assets were seized and visa restrictions imposed.
The United Nations reported that more than a million people had fled Ukraine.

The Mayor of Mariupol appealed for help saying the city was in dire straits with a severe lack of water and fuel. The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was taken by Russian forces. Ukraine appealed to NATO to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine but this was rejected.

An evacuation of civilians from Mariupol via a humanitarian corridor was abandoned after Russia kept shelling the escape zone. Chernihiv, north of Kyiv, came under heavy fire. News agencies were forced to
stop reporting from Russia after a new law was passed stating that any publication of ‘fake news’ would be punishable by up to 15 years imprisonment.

Despite Russian promises of a humanitarian corridor, shelling continued and civilians were unable to be evacuated from Kyiv, Mariupol and Volnovakha. More businesses pulled out of Russia including Nike, Zara and Hermes and Russia’s credit rating was downgraded by Moody’s.

Chernihiv, Mykolaiv and Kharkiv reported that shelling of civilian targets continued. More businesses, including Estee Lauder and McDonald’s closed their stores in Russia. US and European countries continued working to find alternative fuel supply to Russia.

Power was switched off at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power plant causing concern of radiation leakage.
A hospital in Mariupol was shelled causing loss of life.

It was reported all contact with the Chernobyl and Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power plants has been lost.

Major cities in Ukraine remaining under attack for the 16th day and civilians were still unable to leave through humanitarian corridors due to Russian attacks. It was reported that a psychiatric hospital near Izyum had been hit by shells. EU leaders told Ukraine that it was not possible to fast-track membership.

Russian forces kidnapped the mayor of Melitopol.

It was reported that Yevhen Matveyev, head of the city of Dniprorudne had been kidnapped by Russian forces. A military training ground west of Lviv was attacked by an air strike and Russian forces encircled Kyiv.

A new round of talks between Russia and Ukraine began via videoconference but ended without solution. A number of civilians were finally evacuated from the war stricken town of Mariupol. It was reported that around 15,000 people in Russia had been detained for protesting against the war.

News was released that power had been restored to the Chernobyl nuclear plant. A large number of civilians were evacuated from Sumy and Maruipol. Russia announced its impending withdrawal from the Council of Europe. Withdrawal from the Council would mean Russia was no longer a part of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Peace talks resumed between Ukraine and Russia. The Prime Ministers of Poland, Slovenia and Czech Republic travelled to Kyiv for talks.

It was reported that Russian forces had bombed a theatre in Mariupol where civilians were seeking refuge. Nine captured Russian soldiers were exchanged for the Mayor of Melitopol.

130 people were rescued from the wrecked theatre in Mariupol.

Russia demanded that Ukraine surrender Mariupol by 5 am local time. Ukraine refused. Russia was accused of bombing a school in Mariupol which was being used as a shelter by around 400 civilians.

NATO leaders met in Brussels and agreed to deploy additional troops to Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Romania.

Russia announced a change in strategy that would focus on ‘liberating’ the breakaway Donbas region of Ukraine. This was seen as evidence that the Russian invasion of Ukraine was not progressing as Russia had hoped.

Face-to-face talks between Russia and Ukraine began in Turkey.

It was reported that Russian troops had left the Chernobyl nuclear plant.

Around 6200 people were evacuated from besieged Ukraine cities.

The town of Bucha, north west of Kyiv was liberated. The bodies of hundreds of men, women and children were found, many showing evidence of mass killings and torture. Russia refuted claims that war crimes had been committed.

A train station in Kramatorsk, in eastern Ukraine, was bombed by Russian forces killing at least 52 people. The United Nations voted to suspend Russia.

UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson visited Kyiv and met President Zelenskyy

Russia appointed the ruthless General Alexander Dvornikov to oversee military strategy. There were reports of Russian troops massing on the eastern border.

The Russian flagship Moskva was badly damaged by a Ukrainian missile strike. It was reported that shelling in Kharkiv had increased.

Russian oil company, Gazprom, cut off supplies of oil to Poland and Bulgaria after they refused to pay Russia in Roubles.

Two Russian missiles hit the city of Kyiv while it was being visited by a UN official. The United States revived the Lend Lease agreement used in World War Two to help get aid and supplies to Ukraine.

It was reported that all civilians had finally been evacuated from the Mariupol steel plant. Many people had sought refuge from the continual bombing in the tunnels beneath the plant. However, a large number of Ukraine troops remained in the building, many of them badly injured.

A Russian bomb hit a school where people were sheltering, in Luhansk. Jill Biden, First Lady of the United States, visited western Ukraine today in a show of solidarity.

Finland and Sweden both applied to join NATO.

Russia reported that Ukraine forces barricaded in the Mariupol steel plant had surrendered. Russian oil company, Gazprom, suspended supplies to Finland following Finland’s application to join NATO.

Russian forces began an attack on Severdonetsk.

It was reported that Russia had made gains in Eastern Ukraine. Both the United States and Britain agreed to send new weapons to Ukraine.

Russia continued to make gains and had taken a number of villages surrounding Severdonetsk. The city was cut off after Russia destroyed three bridges. Ukrainians remaining in Severdonetsk had taken refuge in the Azot chemical factory.

It was announced that Russia had removed its forces from Snake Island.

Russia took control of Luhansk Oblast (Province).

The United Nations announced that a total of 6.4 million people had fled Ukraine.