Russia starts military operations in Ukraine

Russian invasion of Ukraine
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine (Credits: Viewsridge, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

The Russian Federation launched a military operation in Ukraine, threatening consequences for those who interfered in the conflict supporting Kyiv.

At almost 6 am in Moscow, Putin announced the Russian attack on Ukraine on TV. Strong explosions were immediately felt in Ukrainian cities in Odesa, Kharvik, Mariupol, Lviv and in the capital Kyiv, where the Russians allegedly attempted to take control of the airport. According to the Ukrainian Interior Ministry, Russian troops have landed in Odesa while others are crossing the border towards Kharkiv.[1]

The Russian defence ministry announced that they ‘destroyed the Ukrainian air defences’ while the Ukrainian authorities reported their artillery shooting five Russian planes and a helicopter. Russian forces would also enter Ukraine from Belarus and Crimea. Belarusian President Lukashenko summoned the heads of the armed forces.

Russian President Vladimir Putin urged that Kyiv’s forces hand over their weapons and “go home”, assuring that Moscow’s plans do not include the occupation of Ukraine but demilitarising the country with a particular operation.

The NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg read a statement released by the Alliance which “strongly condemns” Russia’s unjustified attack on Ukraine and asked Moscow “to stop its military action immediately”. Furthermore, he reiterated his support for the Ukrainian people and reaffirmed that he would do “whatever is necessary to protect and defend his allies”. Biden said that the Russian president had chosen a premeditated war to lead to a catastrophic loss of life and suffering. The United States and its allies “will impose tough sanctions on Russia”, and they will continue “to provide support and assistance to Ukraine and its people”.[2]

Why does it matter?

The Russian president Vladimir Putin is testing the West, especially the United States, to see if there will be a military reaction or, as happened in 2008 in the case of Georgia, Washington and Brussels will only economically target the Russian Federation with sanctions.

The Russian invasion in Ukraine demonstrated the Russian strategy to regain control of what Moscow considers its blizhnee zarubezhe (near abroad) and lebensraum (vital space), creating a buffer zone in Central and Eastern Europe and restoring a sort of Soviet Union.

The conflict will cause a vast humanitarian crisis that will affect Europe. In addition, the Russian invasion will severely hit both the European and Russian economies, as the market has shown since this morning.

Sources

[1] BBC (2022) Россия начала “военную операцию” на Украине. Link: https://www.bbc.com/russian/news-60503311

[2] NATO (2022) NATO Allies condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in the strongest possible terms. Link: https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_192406.htm


Update: February 24th, 2022 – Time: 9.30 am CET. Our team constantly monitors the events in Ukraine. For further information, please get in touch with us at this LINK.

Written by

  • Giuliano Bifolchi

    SpecialEurasia Co-Founder & Research Manager. He has vast experience in Intelligence analysis, geopolitics, security, conflict management, and ethnic minorities. He holds a PhD in Islamic history from the University of Rome Tor Vergata, a master’s degree in Peacebuilding Management and International Relations from Pontifical University San Bonaventura, and a master’s degree in History from the University of Rome Tor Vergata. As an Intelligence analyst and political risk advisor, he has organised working visits and official missions in the Middle East, North Africa, Latin America, and the post-Soviet space and has supported the decision-making process of private and public institutions writing reports and risk assessments. Previously, he founded and directed ASRIE Analytica. He has written several academic papers on geopolitics, conflicts, and jihadist propaganda. He is the author of the books Geopolitical del Caucaso russo. Gli interessi del Cremlino e degli attori stranieri nelle dinamiche locali nordcaucasiche (Sandro Teti Editore 2020) and Storia del Caucaso del Nord tra presenza russa, Islam e terrorismo (Anteo Edizioni 2022). He was also the co-author of the book Conflitto in Ucraina: rischio geopolitico, propaganda jihadista e minaccia per l’Europa (Enigma Edizioni). He speaks Italian, English, Russian, Spanish and Arabic.

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