When did the war between ukraine and russian start
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Executive summary
The war between Ukraine and Russia has competing start dates depending on how you define “the war.” Large-scale fighting that is widely referenced today began with Russia’s full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022 (Commons Library) [1]. That offensive was an escalation of an eight-year conflict that began in 2014 after Russia’s seizure of Crimea and the start of fighting in eastern Ukraine (Wikipedia) [2].
1. Immediate trigger: Russia’s full‑scale invasion, 24 February 2022
Most contemporary timelines and briefings mark 24 February 2022 as the start of the current, full‑scale war because on that day Russian forces entered Ukraine from multiple directions, including Belarus and Crimea, producing a major and sustained invasion across the country (House of Commons Library) [1]. Sources discussing the war’s later phases — large campaigns, mass mobilisations and territorial changes through 2025 — treat February 2022 as the decisive escalation point of the conflict [1] [3].
2. The longer arc: conflict since 2014 and the “Russo‑Ukrainian war” label
Several reference works and timelines explicitly place the origins earlier: they call the 2022 invasion a major escalation of a conflict that began in 2014 after Russia attacked Ukraine, seized Crimea, and supported separatists in Donbas (Wikipedia) [2]. That 2014–2021 phase involved repeated skirmishes, occupation of Crimea, and low‑to‑mid‑intensity warfare in eastern Ukraine; contemporary reporting treats 2014 as the start of the longer Russo‑Ukrainian war [2].
3. Why two start dates matter: legal, political and narrative implications
Choosing 2014 versus 2022 changes legal and political framings. Calling 2014 the start emphasizes continuing Russian aggression, territorial annexation and a protracted hybrid war that predates the 2022 invasion [2]. Dating the conflict from 2022 highlights the international crisis that prompted large‑scale military aid, sanctions and widespread wartime destruction across Ukraine [1]. Different actors invoke one date or the other to frame responsibility, justify measures, or shape public opinion [2] [1].
4. How contemporary reporting treats the timeline through 2025
Recent operational and policy reporting assumes the 2022 invasion as the pivotal beginning and then traces intense campaigns, strikes, and diplomatic moves through 2025: daily assessments of missile and drone strikes, territorial control maps, and negotiated security guarantees are cast as developments within the post‑February‑2022 war (Institute for the Study of War briefings; Wikipedia timelines) [3] [4] [5]. These sources also reference earlier 2014 events when explaining the conflict’s roots [2].
5. Conflicting narratives and political uses of dates
State actors and commentators selectively use the two start dates. Ukraine and many Western sources emphasize 2022 to underline the scale of invasion and to mobilize international support [1]. Others, including narratives sympathetic to the Kremlin, downplay 2022 as a rupture and instead depict a longer, more ambiguous history; available sources do not elaborate on Kremlin justifications beyond statements rejecting compromise in peace talks and asserting long‑term objectives (not found in current reporting on justification specifics) [6] [7]. Wikipedia and timelines present both views by noting 2014 origins and the 2022 escalation [2].
6. What the sources don’t resolve and key limitations
Open sources here agree on the two key reference points — 2014 and 24 February 2022 — but they do not present a single authoritative legal determination of “when the war started” because that depends on the definitional criteria used [2] [1]. Available sources do not provide an international court ruling or unanimous diplomatic consensus that resolves the definitional dispute (not found in current reporting). Readers should treat both dates as valid depending on whether they mean the beginning of open large‑scale invasion or the start of sustained Russo‑Ukrainian hostilities and territorial seizure [2] [1].
7. Bottom line for readers
If you mean “when did the current phase of open, country‑wide war start?” use 24 February 2022 [1]. If you mean “when did conflict between Russia and Ukraine begin that eventually escalated to full invasion?” use 2014, when Russia seized Crimea and fighting in the Donbas started [2]. Both dates are repeatedly cited in reputable timelines and briefings and serve different explanatory and political purposes [1] [2].