Here is a quick recap:
November 10, 2021: The U.S. noticed unorthodox movement of Russian troops near the northern Ukrainian border.
December 7: President Joe Biden warns Putin, the Russian dictator, of “strong economic and other measures” if Russia began warring with Ukraine.
December 17: Vladimir Putin suggests a prohibition on Ukraine joining NATO; to which Ukraine rejects.
January 17, 2022: Putin starts moving soldiers en masse to their ally, Belarus.
January 19: The US delivers $200 million to support and fund Ukraine.
January 25: Ominous military exercises consisting of 6,000 Russian troops and 60 jets takes place near Ukraine and their neighbor, Crimea.
February 10: Russia and Belarus begin 10 days of military attacks on Ukraine.
February 21: Russia acknowledges the two pro-Russian countries’ separation from Eastern Ukraine.
February 22: The U.S. and NATO place economic sanctions on Russia.
From then on, the war is divided into three distinct phases:
Phase 1 (February 24 – April 7): The Russian Invasion.
Phase 2 (April 8 – September 5): Heavy fighting shifts to the South and East of Ukraine.
Phase 3 (September 6 – present): Ukrainian counteroffesiveness: a positive turning point in the war.
Diving deeper into Phase 3 and recent controversies regarding Vladimir Putin:
Russia threatens Ukraine with nuclear weapons, revealing Putin’s final attempt to display power. Russia’s many defeats within the last month have begun to undermine his legitimacy as a leader and the foundations of the Russian Federation as a whole. His personal commanders ask to retreat, and citizens flee the country en masse to escape the reservists’ call-up threats to join the military. This “call-up” applies to veterans and people with previous military experience or combat training. An estimated 300,000 people are to be mobilized in the near future, causing neighboring countries to become flooded with Russian refugees.
Since Phase 3 has begun, Ukraine has reclaimed approximately 8,000 square kilometers of territory. Despite this needed progress, Ukraine still has quite a ways to go. Check out this link for an interactive live map of Ukraine’s war, describing the reclaimed territories and current battles.