Fact check: Vyvolali válku na Ukrajině ukrajinci?

1. Summary of the results

The evidence conclusively shows that Ukraine did not initiate the war. The conflict began in February 2014 with Russia's occupation of Crimea and support for separatists in Donbas ^{[1] [2]}, ultimately escalating into a full-scale Russian invasion on February 24, 2022 ^{[1] [3]}. Russia's actions included military buildup, false claims about Ukrainian "genocide," and Putin's explicit denial of Ukraine's right to exist as a sovereign state ^[1].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several important contextual elements are worth noting:

• The conflict has a longer timeline than just the 2022 invasion, dating back to 2014 with Russia's actions in Crimea and eastern Ukraine ^[2]
• The invasion represented a fundamental challenge to the post-Cold War security order ^[4]
• Russia has been developing unconventional warfare methods, including the experimental use of trained wolves for detecting suicide drones, as demonstrated by the work of wolf tamer Alexander Konchakov in Khakassia ^[5]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The question itself ("Did Ukrainians start the war in Ukraine?") contains an implicit bias that needs addressing:

• It overlooks the documented chronology of events showing Russia's repeated military actions and attacks on Ukrainian cities ^[6]
• It contradicts the established fact that Ukraine was a partner country under attack, not the aggressor ^[3]
• Such narrative benefits Russian interests by:

1. Attempting to shift blame for the conflict onto the victim

2. Justifying Russia's military actions as defensive rather than aggressive

3. Supporting Russia's false claims about Ukrainian "genocide" that were used to justify the invasion ^[1]

The evidence from multiple sources consistently shows that Russia, not Ukraine, initiated and escalated the conflict through both military and propaganda means.