Overview of the Russia Ukraine Conflict

The Russo-Ukrainian war, which began on February 20, 2014, has recently been thrown into the spotlight once again as Russia begins to amass troops on the border of Ukraine. However there were a number of important events that not only started the war, but are a driving factor in why the war has been going on for the past seven years. 

Ever since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia has always viewed Ukraine as sort of a barrier to the west, believing that if Ukraine were to join NATO it would compromise national security, hence why one of the demands for Russia’s withdrawal is Ukraine cannot join NATO.

However, NATO has not accepted this demand and the conflict continues as meetings are ongoing. However Russia has also stationed soldiers in the neighboring country of Belarus and have begun war games which are described as a “show of strength.” According to aljazeera.com, “Russia is preparing to begin 10 days of military drills in Belarus in a show of strength that security experts have said is designed to show Ukraine and the West that it is serious about the potential of war. Russian forces and hardware began arriving in Belarus in mid-January, with about 30,000 combat troops expected to participate in exercises known as “Allied Resolve”.

Russia has also stationed various types of military equipment on the border of Ukraine and in Belarus, ranging from attack aircraft and fighters, to tanks and bombers. In an article by The Guardian it states, “A recent trip by the Guardian to the Voronezh and Kursk regions in Russia found a hive of barely hidden military activity as Russian troops continued to position themselves for a potential assault on Ukraine, with the latest reports stating that personnel are being transferred and troops are leaving larger depots for forward staging areas just miles from the border.”

In some reports, it also states that SU-37 Flanker E aircraft were found at nearby air bases. These aircraft, capable of providing close air support and commitment to high G dogfights are probably the best aircraft the Russians have at their disposal. These aircraft worried western observers as their deployment means Russia is seriously considering war. Russia also packs the most main battle tanks (MBTs) in the world at their disposal. A fleet of about 22,000+ MBTs. compared to the Russians Ukraine has about 6,500 MBTs at their disposal. However due to Ukraine being a former Soviet republic, Ukraine uses many of the same tanks as Russia, such as the T-72, T-80, and T-64. The only indigenous design being the T-84, a modernized T-80 variant. The same goes for the airforce with fighters such as the SU-27 Flanker and the MiG-29 Fulcrum.

The West has also backed Ukraine in this conflict with American troops recently landing in Romania. An article from Aljazeera states, “The first batch of US troops reinforcing NATO allies on the eastern flank following a Russian military build-up on Ukraine’s border has arrived in Romania, Defence Minister Vasile Dincu said.” This is just one of the many actions western powers have taken to deter Russia. One such example is also a pipeline Russia has been wanting to build. The US has stated that if Russia does not back down it will not permit them to build this pipeline. This could severely hamper Russian influence on the west as many nations are relying on Russian gas to fuel their homes.

The Russo-Ukrainian war, which has been ongoing for seven years has many different factors that are constantly changing by the day. With so many different factors, whether that be economic reasons, territorial gains, power struggles, or backing up allies, it is impossible to predict what Russia’s next move will be as the world watches holding their breath.