Russia-Ukraine war began in 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea, a Ukrainian peninsula, after a controversial referendum. Since then, the conflict has spread to eastern Ukraine where pro-Russian separatists have declared independence but are not recognized by the Ukrainian government or the international community.
Since then, the war has been characterized by a low-level but persistent conflict along the line of contact between the Ukrainian military and the pro-Russian separatists in the eastern part of the country. Fighting has largely been limited to small-scale skirmishes and artillery duels, but there have been occasional flare-ups of larger-scale violence.
The war has caused a significant humanitarian crisis in the region, with over 13,000 people killed and more than 1.5 million displaced. The conflict has also had a major economic impact, with Ukraine’s GDP shrinking by more than 10 percent since the beginning of the war.
The international community has largely failed to broker a lasting peace agreement and the situation remains tense. In recent months, there have been reports of increased military activity in the region, as well as accusations of violations of the Minsk ceasefire agreement.
The conflict continues to be a source of tension between Russia and the West and has resulted in multiple rounds of economic sanctions on both sides. The war in Ukraine remains one of the most dangerous flashpoints in Europe, and it is likely to remain so for the foreseeable future.