Fact check: When did ukrain war start

1. Summary of the results

The analyses consistently confirm that the Ukraine war began on February 24, 2022, when Russian military forces launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]}. This date marks the start of what sources describe as a comprehensive land, sea, and air invasion targeting Ukrainian military assets and cities across the country ^[6].

Vladimir Putin announced the invasion with stated goals of "demilitarizing and denazifying" Ukraine ^[4], while also aiming to sweep into the capital Kyiv and overthrow Ukraine's pro-Western government ^[5]. The invasion represented a significant escalation from previous tensions and conflicts in the region.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question lacks important historical context that would provide a more complete understanding of the conflict's origins. The analyses suggest several missing elements:

• Pre-2022 tensions and events: While the full-scale invasion began on February 24, 2022, the sources indicate there was a longer timeline of escalating crisis leading up to this date ^[2]. The conflict didn't emerge in a vacuum but was preceded by years of deteriorating relations.
• Distinction between conflicts: The question doesn't differentiate between the current full-scale war and earlier conflicts in Ukraine, such as the 2014 annexation of Crimea or fighting in eastern Ukraine regions, which could be considered part of a broader, longer-running conflict.
• Geopolitical context: The analyses mention Ukraine's pro-Western orientation as a factor ^[5], suggesting broader geopolitical tensions between Russia and Western nations that contributed to the conflict's emergence.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question itself doesn't contain misinformation, as it's a straightforward factual inquiry. However, the simplicity of asking "when did Ukraine war start" could potentially:

• Oversimplify a complex situation: By seeking a single start date, the question may inadvertently minimize the complex historical buildup and multiple phases of Russian-Ukrainian tensions that preceded the 2022 invasion.
• Ignore ongoing nature: The phrasing doesn't acknowledge that this is an ongoing conflict, which could lead to misunderstanding about the current status of the war.

The analyses provided appear factually consistent and come from multiple sources, reducing the likelihood of bias in the core factual answer of February 24, 2022.