Russia-Ukraine War
The Russia-Ukraine War entered a new, brutal phase in Spring 2026 with intensified drone warfare and a renewed Russian offensive. Despite significant Western support, Ukraine faces immense challenges in repelling the invasion, with the conflict's protracted nature continuing to destabilize Eastern Europe and global energy markets.
The full-scale invasion launched by Russia in February 2022 has evolved into a grinding war of attrition. Ukraine, bolstered by Western military and financial aid, has mounted fierce resistance, while Russia has sought to consolidate its territorial gains and exert pressure through strategic offensives and asymmetric warfare. The conflict's implications extend far beyond the immediate battlefield, impacting global food security, energy prices, and the international security architecture.
4 events
Key facts
- Primary Combatants
- Russia, Ukraine
- Start Date
- 2022-02-24
- Status
- Active Conflict
- Key Frontlines
- Eastern and Southern Ukraine
- Western Support
- Significant military and financial aid to Ukraine
- Global Impact
- Energy and food security concerns
On the map
The eastern front, the Black Sea grain corridor, and gas transit across Ukraine.
Key milestones
Russia launches full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Kyiv comes under heavy bombardment; Ukrainian forces resist fiercely.
Russian forces withdraw from Kyiv Oblast, focusing on the East and South.
Ukraine launches a successful counteroffensive in the Kharkiv region.
Ukraine liberates Kherson city.
Intense fighting continues in the Donbas region, particularly around Bakhmut.
Ukraine launches its summer counteroffensive, facing heavily fortified Russian lines.
Stalemate along much of the front line, with both sides digging in.
Russia–Ukraine War: Drone Escalation and Spring 2026 Offensive.
Russia-Ukraine war impacts Moscow with oil refinery attack and 'oil rain'.
Ukraine targets Russian-held Crimea oil facilities, halting fuel sales.
Latest
The war has entered a new phase of intensified drone warfare, with Ukraine striking deep into Russian territory and bracing for a renewed spring 2026 offensive.
Russia–Ukraine War: Drone Escalation and Spring 2026 Offensive
Russia launched a spring 2026 offensive in late March with 948 drones in a single wave, while Ukraine escalated deep-strike drone campaigns targeting Russian oil refineries and St. Petersburg, claiming to have knocked out nearly 40% of Russia's primary oil-refining capacity.
24 May 2026Economic impact
Ukraine's strikes on oil refineries and energy infrastructure are designed to squeeze the export revenue that funds Russia's war effort, hitting facilities near Moscow and in occupied territory.
Ukraine targets Russian-held Crimea oil facilities, halting fuel sales
Russian-held Crimea halted civilian gasoline sales after Ukrainian attacks on oil facilities and supply routes, leading to fuel shortages.
22 Jun 2026Russia-Ukraine war impacts Moscow with oil refinery attack and 'oil rain'
Moscow experienced significant disruption as Ukrainian drone attacks targeted an oil refinery, causing fires and resulting in 'oil rain' for residents.
19 Jun 2026
National responses
Western partners continue to weigh further military aid and sanctions, while diplomatic friction, such as Kyiv's row with Warsaw over a returned honour, complicates the politics of support.
Analysis
The deep-strike campaign signals a turn toward attritional pressure on Russia's logistics and energy base rather than front-line breakthroughs, a strategy aimed at the war's economic foundations.
Transport impact
Attacks on Crimea's fuel facilities and supply routes have halted civilian gasoline sales and snarled logistics across the peninsula, where fuel was already rationed after earlier strikes.
More coverage
The conflict's reach now extends well beyond the front line into occupied Crimea and Russian cities, blurring the line between battlefield and home front.
Zelenskyy returns Polish honour amid row over award stripping
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy returned Poland's highest honor amid a dispute over the stripping of the award, indicating a willingness to address 'difficult and painful chapters' of shared history.
21 Jun 2026