This timeline details the main wars that have taken place in Russia (Russian Federation, Soviet Union)
1216 to 1221
Mongol Conquest of Central Asia (Part of the Mongol Conquests)
Fought between: Mongol Empire and Genghis Khan against Khwarazmian dynasty
Location: Central Asia
Result: Mongol victory and conquest of the region
Location: Central Asia
Result: Mongol victory and conquest of the region
24th June 1812 to 14th December 1812
French invasion of Russia (Patriotic War of 1812) (Part of the Napoleonic Wars)
Fought between: France against Russia
Location: Eastern Europe
Result: Russian victory
Location: Eastern Europe
Result: Russian victory
October 1853 to February 1856
Fought between: British, French, Turkish against Russia
Location: Crimean Peninsula, Balkans, Black Sea
Result: Russian defeat
Location: Crimean Peninsula, Balkans, Black Sea
Result: Russian defeat
1918, May to 1920, November
Russian Civil War
Fought between: Red Bolsheviks against White Tsarist
Location: Russian Empire
Result: Bolshevik victory
Location: Russian Empire
Result: Bolshevik victory
1920, 7th May to 1920, 12th October
Polish-Soviet War
Fought between: Soviet Union against Poland
Location: Central Europe
Result: Polish victory
Location: Central Europe
Result: Polish victory
1939, 1st September to 1945, 2nd September
World War II Eastern Front Operation Barbarossa
Axis Powers – Germany, Italy, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria against Allies – Soviet Union
Location: Soviet Union
Soviet Union victory
Location: Soviet Union
Soviet Union victory
1979, 25th December to 1989, February
Soviet-Afghan War
Fought between: Soviet Union against Afghanistan
Location: Afghanistan
Result: Afghan victory
Location: Afghanistan
Result: Afghan victory
1994, 11th December to 1996, 29th August
First Chechen War
Fought between: Chechen Republic of Ichkeria against Russia
Location: Chechnya, Dagestan
Result: Chechen victory
Location: Chechnya, Dagestan
Result: Chechen victory
1999, 23rd September to 2009
Second Chechen War
Fought between: Chechen Republic of Ichkeria against Russia
Location: Northern Caucasus (mainly Chechnya and Dagestan)
Result: Russian victory
Location: Northern Caucasus (mainly Chechnya and Dagestan)
Result: Russian victory
2008, 7th August to 2008, 16th August
Russia–Georgia war
Fought between: Georgia against Russia, South Ossetia and Abkhazia
Location: Georgia, South Ossetia, Abkhazia
Result: Russia, South Ossetia and Abkhazia victory
Location: Georgia, South Ossetia, Abkhazia
Result: Russia, South Ossetia and Abkhazia victory
began 2014, 6th April, ongoing
War in Ukraine/Donbas War
Fought between: Ukraine against Russia, Donetsk, Luhansk
Location: Donbas, Donetsk, Luhansk
Location: Donbas, Donetsk, Luhansk
First published 2015; updated and republished Jan 31 2022 @ 9:47 pm – Updated – [last-modified]
Harvard Reference for this page:
Heather Y Wheeler. (2015 – 2022). Wars Fought in the Russian Federation 1216 to Present Day.