Vladimir Putin has ordered the Russian military to attack neighboring and sister nation Ukraine. War has been raging in Europe for days. The Russian ruler justified the step by saying that he wanted to protect the self-proclaimed People’s Republics of Luhansk and Donetsk in the east of the country and, in particular, the Russian population living there. He doesn’t see himself as the aggressor, but rather the democratically elected government in Kyiv, which he sees as a “junta” and “neo-Nazis.”
Russia’s attacks are not limited to eastern Ukraine, but are taking place across the country because Putin wants to shut down the country’s military infrastructure.
He also sees Russia’s security threatened by NATO, as Putin has repeatedly emphasized. He wants to prevent the alliance from growing further at all costs, for example to include countries like Sweden. He also fears that Ukraine will be admitted.
Ukraine conflict infographics
The infographics above show where attacks have taken place so far and how the Ukrainian military compares to the Russian army. They also provide an overview of the disputed areas and the proportion of Russian native speakers in the total Ukrainian population. The last map shows how NATO has been positioned in Eastern Europe so far. However, the alliance has already announced that it will increase its presence on the eastern flank.