The Photos That Have Defined Russia's One-Year Invasion of Ukraine
In the early hours of Feb. 24, 2022, after months of posturing and threats, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his forces to launch an all-out assault on Ukraine from both Russian territory and that of its ally Belarus.
Initially marked by Russia's confident predictions that Kyiv would fall to Moscow within days, the war that followed has for Moscow become one of the greatest military humiliations in modern history, while the Ukrainian army, bolstered by modern weapons supplied by dozens of allies around the world, has defied predictions and showed itself to be a fighting force to be reckoned with.
But as Russia's forces shifted their focus eastward in the face of stiff resistance and setbacks, they left behind a trail of death and devastation in their wake.
To mark the first anniversary of the ongoing war, we take a look back at the key events of the conflict so far: the bloodiest battles, the most unexpected reversals, the worst atrocities, and the standout military and human triumphs that have defined it.
Initially marked by Russia's confident predictions that Kyiv would fall to Moscow within days, the war that followed has for Moscow become one of the greatest military humiliations in modern history, while the Ukrainian army, bolstered by modern weapons supplied by dozens of allies around the world, has defied predictions and showed itself to be a fighting force to be reckoned with.
But as Russia's forces shifted their focus eastward in the face of stiff resistance and setbacks, they left behind a trail of death and devastation in their wake.
To mark the first anniversary of the ongoing war, we take a look back at the key events of the conflict so far: the bloodiest battles, the most unexpected reversals, the worst atrocities, and the standout military and human triumphs that have defined it.
Feb. 24, 2022
Firefighters attempt to extinguish a fire in a residential building after bombs rain down on the city of Chuhuiv in Ukraine's eastern Kharkiv region, in one of the opening salvos of the war.
Aris Messinis / AFP
Feb. 25, 2022
A residential building in Kyiv shortly after being struck by the remains of a downed Russian missile on the second day of the Russian invasion.
State Emergency Service of Ukraine
Feb. 25, 2022
A family seeks shelter in one of Kyiv's underground metro stations, many of which were designed to be used as bomb shelters.
Oleksandr Ratushniak / UNDP Ukraine
March 1, 2022
The devastated Kharkiv regional administration headquarters in northeastern Ukraine after Russian shelling.
Pavel Dorogoy / AP / TASS
March 8, 2022
Civilians trapped inside the Kyiv region town of Irpin attempt to flee to safety over the ruins of a bombed-out bridge.
Yan Boechat / VOA
March 9, 2022
A pregnant woman is carried from a maternity hospital in Mariupol after it was hit by shelling, sparking global outcry. The woman and her baby later died.
Russia denied striking civilians, claiming the maternity hospital was being used as a headquarters by Ukrainian far-right forces.
Russia denied striking civilians, claiming the maternity hospital was being used as a headquarters by Ukrainian far-right forces.
Evgeniy Maloletka
April 2, 2022
The bodies of executed civilians line Yablunska Street in the town of Bucha, northwest of Kyiv, following the withdrawal of Russian troops on April 2, 2022. The body in the foreground has been identified as Mykhailo Kovalenko, whose relatives later said had been shot dead by Russian soldiers.
Ronaldo Schemidt / AFP
April 4, 2022
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visits the Kyiv suburb of Bucha following the withdrawal of Russian troops and the shocking discovery of civilians apparently executed in the streets.
April 6, 2022
Bombed-out residential buildings in the Kyiv region town of Borodianka.
Oleksandr Ratushniak / UNDP Ukraine
April 8, 2022
The bodies of the dead are placed in a makeshift morgue following a Russian missile attack on a busy railway station in the Donbas region city of Kramatorsk that left 57 people dead.
Hervé BAR / AFP
April 13, 2022
Palls of smoke rise from the cruiser Moskva, the flagship of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, following direct hits by two Ukrainian Neptune missiles. The cruiser later sank, killing an unknown number of sailors.
@ua_industrial / twitter
April 14, 2022
A view of the besieged port city of Mariupol.
Sergei Bobylev / TASS
June 15, 2022
Ukrainian servicemen fire a French self-propelled 155 mm/52-caliber Caesar towards Russian positions on the front line in Donbas.
Aris Messinis / AFP
June 15, 2022
A Russian missile strikes a busy shopping center in the central Ukrainian city of Kremenchuk, killing at least 20 people and injuring dozens more.
State Emergency Service of Ukraine
July 7, 2022
A Ukrainian flag is raised as Ukrainian troops retake Snake Island, off Ukraine's Black Sea coast following Russian occupation. The battle for the island — and in particular the explicit response from the Ukrainian troops charged with defending it when ordered to surrender by a Russian battleship — quickly became the stuff of legend.
State Border Guard Service of Ukraine
July 18, 2022
A stroller lies on the ground after a Russian missile strike on the city of Vinnytsia in central Ukraine left at least 20 people dead.
Sergii Volskyi / AFP
Aug. 9, 2022
Russian holidaymakers on a beach in annexed Crimea look up to see smoke rising following an explosion at the nearby Saki air base on Aug. 9, 2022.
Mulch / TASS
Oct. 8, 2022
Black smoke billows from the Crimean Bridge after a truck explodes, killing three people. Moscow blames Kyiv for what it calls an act of "terrorism."
AFP
Oct. 17, 2022
Downtown Kyiv following a massive Russian attack using Iranian drones.
National Police of Ukraine
Nov. 14, 2022
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky presents medals to Ukrainian servicemen following the recapture of the southern city of Kherson from Russian forces in November.
president.gov.ua
Jan. 14, 2023
A direct strike by a Russian missile on a residential building in the city of Dnipro leaves 40 people dead, including three children.
State Emergency Service of Ukraine
Feb. 16, 2023
Black smoke rises over the ruins of Bakhmut, the scene of the longest battle of the war so far. Neither military has overall control of the town despite months of fierce fighting.
Yasuyoshi Chiba / AFP
