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Russia–Ukraine: origins, war since 2014 and timeline
This dossier traces the Russia–Ukraine war from the seizure of Crimea and the start of fighting in the Donbas in 2014, through the full-scale invasion of 24 February 2022 and its military, diplomatic, economic and humanitarian consequences. It distinguishes recognised sovereignty, claimed annexations and actual military control.
Earlier milestones explain relations between the two states since Ukrainian independence in 1991: the 1994 Budapest security assurances, the 1997 friendship treaty, the 2003 Tuzla crisis, gas disputes and the 2010 Kharkiv agreements. The suspension of preparations for the European Union agreement in November 2013 opens the Euromaidan crisis. These antecedents are distinguished from the war that began in 2014; each entry links to its sources.
The timeline follows Ilovaisk, Donetsk airport, Debaltseve, the Minsk agreements, disengagement attempts, fighting and the humanitarian crisis in Avdiivka in 2017, the trade blockade, detainee exchanges and the Kerch maritime crisis. It then documents the war’s expansion, Ukrainian territorial recaptures, Bakhmut, international justice, grain, energy, external assistance and negotiations. Retrospective investigations are identified and claims remain attributed.
This selection of turning points includes canonical occurrences from the archived energy dossier. It expands previously sparse years without providing an exhaustive daily record: local fighting, successive sanctions, all weapons deliveries and population displacement are not detailed. Cumulative military losses and complete territorial control remain coverage limitations.
Last updated : 80 key moments
Kstovo industrial area, 29 August 2007. Archive image; it does not show the attack. Vmenkov, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/, unchanged. — Vmenkov / Wikimedia Commons — CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ — 29 août 2007, sans modification.
Where things stand
On 31 October 2026, residents evacuated from Russian-occupied Oleshky reached Kyiv-controlled territory after travelling through Russia and Belarus. The exact number arriving has not been published. The truce remains local. Washington has authorised a potential sale of 500 Patriot interceptors, with no evidence of delivery; the proposed €45 billion in EU loans for 2027 remains subject to adoption.
Reported information
Commission proposes €45 billion in Ukraine loans for 2027
The European Commission proposed on 30 October 2026 the allocation of the remaining €45 billion of the European loan for Ukraine for 2027. The arrangement still requires adoption by the Council of the EU before disbursements.
Commission headquarters, May 2016. Archive illustration. almathias, CC0. — almathias / Pixabay / Wikimedia Commons — CC0 1.0 https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ — 7 mai 2016, sans modification.
The proposal earmarks €31.7 billion for defence industrial capacity and up to €13.3 billion for budget support. The latter would be split equally between the Ukraine Facility and macro-financial assistance.
This envelope is the second half of the €90 billion loan programme covering 2026 and 2027. It is therefore not a new €45 billion grant on top of that programme.
Budget funding is subject to conditions including the rule of law and anti-corruption measures. The Commission plans to prepare payments from early 2027 following Council adoption: the announcement does not establish that a payment has already been made.
Dnipro: Ukrainian authorities report at least 14 killed in station strike
At least 14 people were killed and 14 injured in a drone strike on a railway platform in Dnipro on 29 October 2026, Ukrainian authorities said. They attribute the attack to Russia.
Platforms at Dnipro’s main station, May 2021. Archive illustration; neither the strike nor its aftermath is shown. — Toss12 / Wikimedia Commons — CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ; 14 mai 2021, sans modification.
Railway operator Ukrzaliznytsia says a commuter train and a passenger train were at the targeted platform. The regional governor reports that six of the injured are in serious condition, including an 11-year-old child.
Reuters and AFP separately report the attack and the Ukrainian statements. The casualty count remains a provisional toll attributed to the authorities. The strike comes while a humanitarian truce limited to Russian-occupied Oleshky in Kherson region does not apply to Ukraine as a whole.
Oleshky: both sides report thirty hours without truce violations
Ukrainian and Russian human rights ombudsmen said separately on 28 October 2026 that no incidents had been recorded during the first thirty hours of the local truce in Oleshky. The town in Ukraine’s Kherson region is under Russian occupation.
St Michael’s Church in Oleshky, April 2016. Archive photograph; it does not show the town’s current condition or the humanitarian operation. Dmytro Petishkin, CC BY 4.0. — Dmytro Petishkin / Wikimedia Commons — CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ; 17 avril 2016 ; redimensionnement.
According to Anadolu, both officials say they remain in contact to coordinate arrangements. The pause in fighting is intended to facilitate aid deliveries and the departure of civilians who wish to leave.
The Associated Press reports that around 2,000 residents remain and face shortages of food and medicine. The operation aims to bring essential supplies and prepare evacuations, but the sources consulted do not establish a complete tally of deliveries or departures already completed.
The truce is geographically limited. It is not a general ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine: fighting and strikes continue elsewhere. The account of no recorded incidents remains attributed to officials on both sides.
Ukraine: EU authorises €4.9 billion for reimbursements and training
The Council of the European Union announced eight decisions on 26 October mobilising about €4.9 billion for Ukraine through the European Peace Facility. Most of the funding concerns military assistance already delivered.
European flag, archive image uploaded in 2005. Institutional illustration, not the Council decision in 2026. — Robo Blazek (Robo) / Wikimedia Commons — domaine public, libéré par l’auteur — image d’archives mise en ligne le 13 juillet 2005, sans modification.
According to the Council, €4.7 billion will partially reimburse member states that supplied that assistance. An additional €230 million funds the EU training mission EUMAM Ukraine.
This is therefore neither a new €4.9 billion weapons delivery nor a transfer of the entire amount to Kyiv. Adoption authorises the funds’ use; it does not establish that all reimbursements have already been paid.
The measures implement part of a wider €6.6 billion political agreement. The two amounts should not be added together. The announcement does not specify a detailed payment schedule or country-by-country allocation.
On 16 October 2026, AP reports, citing officials, Russian strikes across nine Ukrainian regions, with at least fifteen people injured and emergency power outages.
The report describes damaged homes and hundreds of thousands of households affected by outages. This toll remains attributed to the officials cited and may be revised.
The attacks continue the sequence already documented in this dossier on 14–15 October. Their immediate damage does not establish the condition of the entire energy network or a change in the frontline.
Zelensky ends pause on Russian refinery strikes; fire reported in Ryazan
Volodymyr Zelensky announced the resumption of Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries in a Financial Times interview published on October 15, 2026. Reuters reports a refinery fire in Russia’s Ryazan region the same day, citing its governor.
Archive portrait of Volodymyr Zelensky from the May 2024 Easter greetings, cropped in 2025. Presidency of Ukraine / Wikimedia Commons, CC0. — Présidence de l’Ukraine / Wikimedia Commons — CC0 1.0 (https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). Portrait d’archives de mai 2024, recadré par Ooligan en 2025 ; aucune modification supplémentaire.
The Ukrainian president says he suspended energy strikes for three days in response to US requests. He accuses Russia of continuing to attack Ukrainian infrastructure during the pause. These details remain attributed to his account.
According to Reuters, Governor Pavel Malkov attributes the Ryazan fire to a Ukrainian drone attack and says emergency services are responding. He says material damage is being assessed.
Zelensky’s announcement and the Russian report are distinct elements: the sources consulted do not independently establish the damage or consequences for refinery production.
Ukraine: Starshield service on the move reportedly restored, with limits still unclear
On 15 October 2026, a Ukrainian Defense Ministry source told the Kyiv Independent that Starshield service on the move had been restored. The military version of SpaceX’s satellite connection had faced restrictions the previous day.
Archive image: Starlink dish beside a home, 29 January 2024. Civilian equipment shown for illustration, with no established link to Ukrainian units. Wikideas1, CC0. — Wikideas1 / Wikimedia Commons — CC0 1.0, https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/. Photo d’archives du 29 janvier 2024, sans modification.
According to Reuters, restrictions above 160 km/h had disrupted drone missions along the frontline. The ministry is still seeking to establish their causes and circumstances.
The Kyiv Independent nevertheless reports that a Ukrainian drone industry source describes performance varying between cases. Its ministry source did not specify whether every restriction had been removed. The announced restoration therefore does not establish a uniform return of all capabilities.
Reuters has no independent confirmation of a White House order imposing the restrictions. The origin of the decision remains separate from the resumption reported by Ukrainian officials.
UN publishes a toll of 328 civilians killed in September 2026
On 15 October 2026, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission publishes its verified September toll: at least 328 civilians killed and 2,105 injured in Ukraine.
The figures concern September, not the publication day alone. The mission also records renewed coordinated attacks on electricity and heating infrastructure.
These are verified minimum figures. Limited access and a lack of independent sources prevent verification of many allegations concerning occupied territory and Russia; figures announced by Russian authorities are therefore not added to this total.
Frozen Russian assets: Merz and Orpo defend European control
In Brussels on 15 October 2026, Friedrich Merz said Russian assets frozen in Europe should remain under European control, Reuters reports. Petteri Orpo also rejected releasing them, according to the Kyiv Independent.
Archive portrait of Friedrich Merz, 5 May 2025, at the signing of Germany’s coalition agreement. Sandro Halank / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. — Sandro Halank, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/. Portrait du 5 mai 2025, recadrage et ajustement préexistants par TDKR Chicago 101 et Nagae Iku ; aucune modification supplémentaire.
The Finnish prime minister wants work to continue on ways to use the assets to support Ukraine. He was speaking as European leaders gathered for a two-day summit.
These positions respond to Financial Times reporting about a US proposal to transfer some assets to a Washington-supervised mechanism. Reuters says it could not independently verify that proposal.
The statements establish these leaders’ positions. They do not demonstrate a transfer of funds or a new collective European Union decision on their use.
Ukraine: Russian strikes damage energy network and hit residential buildings
Russian strikes hit Kyiv and Ukrainian energy facilities overnight on 13–14 October 2026. Volodymyr Zelensky reported 600,000 people without electricity, according to Reuters and AFP.
Archive, 7 October 2026: remains of an unexploded missile in Kyiv, according to Ukraine’s emergency service. This image does not show the 14 October strikes. DSNS, CC BY 4.0. — State Emergency Service of Ukraine / dsns.gov.ua / Wikimedia Commons — CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. Archives du 7 octobre 2026 ; aucune modification.
Kyiv Independent journalists in the capital reported explosions, power outages and the temporary suspension of all three metro lines. Their reporting also documents rescue efforts at a damaged residential building.
Death tolls remain provisional: the Kyiv Independent reports five deaths in Kyiv, while AFP’s wider account mentions at least seven deaths in overnight attacks across the country. These different geographic totals must not be added together.
Reuters reports that Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed strikes against seven energy facilities. This claim does not independently verify each target or the damage it sustained.
Sberbank acknowledges attack on its Balakovo data center
On 14 October 2026, Sberbank acknowledged an attack on its data center in Balakovo, in Russia’s Saratov region, according to AFP. The bank says its systems continue to operate normally.
AFP relays a statement by bank executive Alexander Vedyakhin quoted by Russian news agency TASS. The company’s account establishes its acknowledgment of the attack without quantifying the damage.
Meduza separately reports a rise in outage reports on Sboi.rf and Downdetector: users describe difficulties with payments and access to online services. These reports are not an exhaustive measurement of interruptions.
CNews says the bank is not disclosing the scale of physical consequences. The material consulted does not establish the precise duration of disruptions or link every reported incident to this attack.
