
When Did Russia Invade Ukraine? 2022 Date & Timeline
When you hear people talk about Russia invading Ukraine, the answer depends on whether they mean the 2014 land grab or the full‑scale war that started in 2022. This article pinpoints the exact dates of both phases and explains how a covert takeover of Crimea eight years earlier set the stage for the largest conflict in Europe since World War II.
Full‑scale invasion began: 24 February 2022 ·
Initial invasion (Crimea): February 2014 ·
Current conflict phase: 2022–present
Quick snapshot
1Confirmed facts
- Russia launched a full‑scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022 (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- Russia annexed Crimea in March 2014 after a disputed referendum (Encyclopaedia Britannica – Putin biography)
2What’s unclear
- Exact number of Russian troops involved in the 2022 invasion
- Future duration of the conflict
3Timeline signal
- 27 February 2014 – armed men without insignia seize Crimea’s parliament (Encyclopaedia Britannica – Zelensky biography)
4What’s next
- Ongoing war with no ceasefire in sight; largest European conflict since WWII
Below is a snapshot of the key facts that frame the conflict.
| Start of full‑scale war | 24 February 2022 |
| Conflict origin | February 2014 |
| Ukrainian capital | Kyiv |
| Russian president | Vladimir Putin |
| Ukrainian president (2022) | Volodymyr Zelensky |
| Crimea annexed | 18 March 2014 (United Nations Digital Library) |
| UN resolution on annexation | 27 March 2014 – declared referendum invalid (Encyclopaedia Britannica) |
| Full |