To Open The SkyThe Front Pages of Christopher P. Winter
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Putin Invades Ukraine
Summary of EventsPreparations for this invasion came over several weeks as Putin amassed military equipment along Ukraine's borders. The equipment included tanks, artillery, and related weapons along with as many as 190,000 troops. In the Black Sea, 11 ships were on patrol. On Monday, 20 February 2022, came reports that Russian forces had moved into Donetsk and Lukansk. These provinces in the Donbas region of Ukraine had long been deemed breakaway provinces by Russia. On Tuesday, the Duma recognized them as independent republics, in contravention of international law and the Minsk Agreement. On Wednesday, as the military buildup continued, reports of Russians moving into the region grew. Fighting was also reported, and a school was shelled, but it was hard to pin down who was responsible — Russians or local separatists. By Thursday, there was no doubt: the invasion had begun. Military targets in Ukraine were hit by missiles and bombed by Russian fighter planes. As the day progressed, Chernobyl was captured and Kyiv came under siege. Massive movements of refugees began to flow toward the border with Poland. The West responded by deploying forces into countries along the eastern flank of NATO territory. Sanctions were imposed, becoming harsher as the battles intensified. The United Nations voted overwhelmingly to condemn Putin's aggression, and later the European Council expelled Russia. Germany reversed its position, pledging tanks to Slovenia that would let Slovenia move its tanks to Ukraine. Germany also began work on reducing its consumption of natural gas from Russia. Putin's imvasion quckly ran into trouble. Nimble Ukrainian units, equipped with drones from Turkey and the U.S., wreaked havoc on Russian tanks and armored vehicles throughout the country. The downed several attack helicopters and one bomber as well. On 14 April, they were able to sink the missile cruiser Moskva, pride of Russia's Black Sea fleet. At the same time, Russia punished Ukraine with cruise missiles and air strikes, crushing large numbers of civilian buildings in its major cities. World ReactionsThe world responded with almost universal condemnation, and reprisals came swiftly.
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