The key date in the history of russo-ukranian conflict:

 April 1, 2022: first Russian crimes discovered

After the withdrawal of Russian troops from the Kyiv region at the end of March 2022,
Ukrainian forces are reinvesting several localities neighboring the capital. In Boutcha, they
discovered hundreds of civilian corpses. Some have their hands tied, which seems to indicate
summary executions. In response, the UN took the symbolic decision to suspend Russia from
the Human Rights Council.
 May 20: the fall of Mariupol
The strategic port of Mariupol has found itself under siege since the start of the Russian
invasion. His fierce resistance for nearly three months notably that of the fighters sheltered in
the enormous metallurgical complex of Azovstal ended up becoming the symbol of the
Ukrainians' fight against the Russian invader. On May 20, Russia announced that it had taken
control of the city, after Kyiv ordered its soldiers to stop the fighting.
 September 2022: Ukraine on the offensive
At the beginning of the month, the Ukrainian armed forces launched a large-scale counter-
offensive in the Kharkiv region, in the northeast of the country. Volodymyr Zelensky affirmed
on September 12 that the operation made it possible to retake nearly 6,000 km² from the
Russians. The Ukrainian army continued its breakthrough in the region and liberated nearly
2,500 km² at the end of September.
For his part, Vladimir Putin decreed on September 21 a partial mobilization of 300,000
reservists. The announcement pushes tens of thousands of young people to flee abroad.
On September 30, the Russian president validated the annexation of the occupied territories of
Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson to Russia, after the results of the annexation
“referendums”. Ukraine and the West condemn this sham of democracy and impose new
sanctions against Russia.
 Early November 2022: the city of Kherson liberated
After fierce fighting, the Ukrainian army entered the city of Kherson, in the south of the
country, ending more than eight months of Russian occupation. Moscow had ordered the
withdrawal of its troops from the west bank of the Dnieper River two days earlier. Ukrainian
President Volodymyr Zelensky is going there on November 14. Although liberated, the city
still suffered numerous deadly strikes from the Russian army.
 January 2023: fall of Soledar, first Russian victory since the end of June 2022.
As of January 11, Russia claims to have taken control of the town of Soledar, in eastern
Ukraine, a first notable Russian victory on the ground after several humiliating setbacks in
recent months. This announcement was initially denied by Kyiv, leaving uncertainty
remaining over the fate of Soledar. Ukraine finally confirmed on January 25 the fall of the
city, reduced to ruins by the fighting.
  January 25, 2023: tanks for Ukraine
After several weeks of procrastination, Chancellor Olaf Scholz authorized his NATO allies on
January 25 to deliver their German Leopard tanks, the most common model in Europe.
Germany itself will initially deliver 14 armored vehicles to Ukraine. US President Joe Biden
also announced the delivery of 31 Abrams tanks. But Berlin and Washington refuse to send
combat planes to Ukraine, although requested by Kyiv.
 June 6, 2023: the Kakhovka dam partially destroyed
The Kakhovka hydroelectric dam, located in the Russian-occupied areas of the Kherson
region in southern Ukraine, was partially destroyed on June 6, with Moscow and Kiev
accusing each other of being responsible. Tens of thousands of people are displaced, while the
death toll rises to several dozen.
 June 19, 2023: eight localities reconquered by the Ukrainian army
Begun at the beginning of June, the Ukrainian counter-offensive progressed slowly. On June
19, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the reconquest of eight localities from the
Russian army, for a reconquered territory of 113 square kilometers.
 June 24, 2023: Prigozhin's rebellion in Russia
A month after its most resounding feat of arms, the capture of Bakhmout after months of
fierce battle, and the Wagner militia turned against the Kremlin. The leader of the Wagner
paramilitary group Yevgeni Prigozhin claimed on June 24 to have taken Rostov-on-Don, the
nerve center of the Russian military command, and wanted to remove the Minister of
Defense, Sergei Shoigu and the Chief of Staff Valéri Gerassimov.
Wagner's Rebellion: The Russian State Faces the Mercenary Dilemma
For 24 hours, the mercenaries headed towards Moscow, threatening the government, but
eventually turned back. Vladimir Putin then denounces an “armed revolt”, “a military putsch”,
led by “traitors” who attempted “a stab in the back”. At the end of a lightning mutiny, the
Russian president left three options for the group's mercenaries: return to civilian life, join the
regular army or follow their leader into exile in Belarus, suggesting that Wagner would no
longer fight in Ukraine.