Ukraine Invasion — Explained - NPR

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Ukraine invasion — explained The roots of Russia's invasion of Ukraine go back decades and run deep. The current conflict is more than one country taking over another; it is — in the words of one U.S. official — a shift in "the world order."

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A war propaganda poster says "For a world without Nazism" in the town of Yefremov, Russia Charles Maynes/NPR hide caption

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State of the World from NPR

What four years of war in Ukraine looks like from Russia

March 10, 2026 • Russia’s so-called “special military operation” in Ukraine recently passed the four year mark. And over that time it has become the deadliest conflict on the European continent since World War II. Over 1.5 million people are dead, injured or missing, according to western governments and think tanks. Our correspondent in Moscow tries to answer one of the most persistent and difficult questions of this war: do Russians support it?

What four years of war in Ukraine looks like from Russia

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Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, center, attends a rally in Tehran, Iran, on May 31, 2019. Vahid Salemi/AP hide caption

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State of the World from NPR

Who will be Iran’s next leader?; How Ukraine might help defend the Gulf

March 5, 2026 • A panel of clerics in Iran are meeting to decide on the next leader of the fundamentalist regime after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in recent airstrikes. After nearly 40 years of his rule, the choice could either cement hardline continuity under his son or usher in a fundamentally transformed regime. We hear about likely candidates.

Who will be Iran’s next leader?; How Ukraine might help defend the Gulf

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Nelia Stepanivna Thomashevska, an 80-year-old resident of Kyiv, Ukraine, waves from her kitchen window. Eleanor Beardsley/NPR hide caption

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Kyiv's elderly endure blackouts and bombardment, clinging to warmth and hope

February 28, 2026 • In Kyiv's darkened high-rises, as Russian strikes batter the Ukrainian capital, older residents endure freezing nights and power cuts, relying on volunteers, pets and faith to survive another winter.

Kyiv’s elderly stay at home despite Russian attacks and power cuts

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The Sunrise cheerleading team from Kharkiv, Ukraine, competes in the Ukraine Cheer Cup competition in the capital, Kyiv, on Dec. 13, 2025. Anton Shtuka for NPR hide caption

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A team of midlife cheerleaders in Ukraine refuses to let war defeat them

February 27, 2026 • Ukrainian women in their 50s and 60s say they've embraced cheerleading as a way to cope with the extreme stress and anxiety of four years of Russia's full-scale invasion.

Amidst ongoing war, Ukrainian grandmothers are finding joy in cheerleading

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In this photo provided by Ukraine's 65th Mechanized Brigade press service, a soldier smokes a cigarette at his position on the frontline in the Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. Andriy Andriyenko/Ukraine's 65th Mechanized Brigade via AP hide caption

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State of the World from NPR

After four years of war in Ukraine, how does each side see the conflict?

February 24, 2026 • It has been four years since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, starting a war the Kremlin believed would end in a matter of days with Ukraine capitulating. Now after years of death and destruction, the war grinds on with no end in sight as U.S.-sponsored peace talks appear to be at an impasse. NPR has correspondents in both Kyiv and Moscow and we hear from them about how both countries view the conflict now.

After four years of war in Ukraine, how does each side see the conflict?

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A woman with a bouquet of flowers walks past a high-rise residential building heavily damaged by a Russian drone strike in the Shevchenkivskyi district of Kyiv, Ukraine, on May 25, 2025. Vitalii Nosach/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images hide caption

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Russia thought it would take days to seize Ukraine. 4 years later, war is still raging

February 24, 2026 • Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine four years ago, and the fighting continues. Here's a look at where the war stands today.

Sgt. Mykhailo "Misha" Varvarych, commander of Ukraine's 80th Airborne Assault Brigade, delights in the ocean waters of Daytona Beach, Fla., on Jan. 28, 2023. For Varvarych, an amputee who received treatment and prosthetics in the United States, to live with joy and hope has become a weapon against war. Carol Guzy for NPR hide caption

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Ukraine's combat amputees cling to hope as a weapon of war

February 22, 2026 • Along with a growing number of war-wounded amputees, Mykhailo Varvarych and Iryna Botvynska are navigating an altered destiny after Varvarych lost both his legs during the Russian invasion.

Relatives of Kenyan nationals conscripted by the Russian army in Ukraine pose with photos of their family members during a demonstration demanding urgent government action to repatriate their kin, in Nairobi on Feb.19, 2026. Simon Maina/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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'Given a gun and sent to die': Kenyans lured to fight for Russia in Ukraine

February 21, 2026 • Kenya's intelligence service warns that over 1,000 citizens may have been recruited to fight for Russia in Ukraine, many under false pretenses.

'Given a gun and sent to die': Kenyans lured to fight for Russia in Ukraine

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Protesters hold placards at a small demonstration held by Ukrainians, Russians and Kenyans against Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in front of the Russian Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, on Feb. 26, 2022. AP hide caption

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1,000 Kenyans were recruited to fight for Russia in Ukraine, intelligence report says

February 19, 2026 • A new Kenyan intelligence report said the Kenyans were recruited to fight for Russia in Ukraine after being misled with false promises of jobs in Russia before being sent to the front lines.

A Kyiv fisherman drills a hole through the frozen Dnipro River in Ukraine. Ice fishing is a cherished winter past-time and a peaceful respite from the war. Eleanor Beardsley/NPR hide caption

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State of the World from NPR

Ice fishing is a peaceful retreat for war-weary Ukrainians

February 17, 2026 • Kyiv residents venture onto the city’s frozen Dnipro River for a favorite past-time of ice fishing. The activity is a much-needed respite in Ukraine as the Russian invasion enters a fifth year.

Ice fishing is a peaceful retreat for war-weary Ukrainians

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Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych holds his crash helmet as he stands outside the sliding center at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Thursday. Alessandra Tarantino/AP hide caption

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2026 Milan Cortina Olympics

Ukrainians rally in support of Olympian Vladyslav Heraskevych, banned for his helmet

February 12, 2026 • Ukrainians are uniting in solidarity with Olympic skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych after he was disqualified for wearing a helmet with images of Ukrainian athletes killed during Russia's invasion.

Police officer Piotr Porkoski stands in front of the portion of the Warsaw-Ukraine train line where Polish authorities say two Ukrainian perpetrators hired by Russia's government used explosives to attempt to blow up the track last November. A train conductor noticed the warped rail and called the police. Rob Schmitz/NPR hide caption

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State of the World from NPR

Russia’s Hybrid War on Europe

February 5, 2026 • Ever since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, experts say Russia has stepped up its hybrid war on Western Europe. Attacks on critical infrastructure or using drones to shutdown airports are meant to undermine support for Ukraine. We go to Poland to see one such attack.And in Kyiv, Ukrainians are getting through Russian attacks that have shut down the power grid in the coldest months by holding dance parties on ice.

Russia’s Hybrid War on Europe

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A resident in Kyiv, Ukraine, helps his 2-year-old daughter use a headlight during a power outage at their apartment amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Andrew Kravchenko/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Ukrainians are sharing hacks online on how to survive winter power cuts

January 26, 2026 • After repeated Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy grid, Ukrainians face long outages during a cold winter at war. On social media, Ukrainians share tips for keeping warm at home.

A residential building is damaged after a Russian air strike during a heavy snow storm in Kyiv, Ukraine, early Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. Efrem Lukatsky/AP hide caption

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Ukrainian drones set fire to Russian oil depot after Moscow launches new hypersonic missile

January 10, 2026 • The strike comes a day after Russia bombarded Ukraine with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles, including a powerful new hypersonic missile that hit western Ukraine.

Rescue workers put out a fire at a residential building damaged by a Russian strike in Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday. Efrem Lukatsky/AP hide caption

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Russia uses its new Oreshnik missile in a big attack on Ukraine and a warning to West

January 9, 2026 • For only the second time, Russia used a new ballistic missile that it says flies at 10 times the speed of sound and is unstoppable by air defenses.

Members of a youth orchestra outside Kyiv perform a composition they wrote about the sounds of the war in Ukraine at night. Hanna Palamarenko/NPR hide caption

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State of the World from NPR

Looking Back: Making Music from the Sounds of War

December 29, 2025 • As we look back at our international reporters' most memorable stories of the last year we revisit a story about a Ukrainian youth orchestra.  Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, the country has been hit with more than 50,000 drone strikes. The constant threats of war have changed many things about life in Ukraine, including the way the night time sounds. We meet members of a youth orchestra outside Kyiv who are marking the new sounds of their country with a sonic poem.

Looking Back: Making Music from the Sounds of War

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President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shake hands at the start of a joint news conference following a meeting at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club, in Palm Beach, Fla., Sunday. Alex Brandon/AP hide caption

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The U.S. offers Ukraine a 15-year security guarantee for now, Zelenskyy says

December 29, 2025 • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the United States is offering his country security guarantees for 15 years as part of a proposed peace plan.

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In this grab from a video provided by the Press Service Of The President Of Ukraine on Friday, Dec 12, 2025, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy records a video at the road entering of Kupiansk, Ukraine. AP/Press Service Of The President Of Ukraine hide caption

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U.S. envoys arrive in Berlin for latest round of Ukraine peace talks with Zelenskyy

December 14, 2025 • U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner will meet Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday as Trump grows increasingly exasperated by delays.

Pavel Talankin, a teacher, videographer and filmmaker from Russia, directed "Mr Nobody Against Putin", an award-winning 90-minute documentary which exposes the intensity of the propaganda at Talankin's school in Karabash, Russia. Michal Cizek/AFP via Getty hide caption

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State of the World from NPR

How Have Russian Schools Changed Since the War in Ukraine Began?

December 10, 2025 • Life for Russians has changed in myriad ways since the start of the full scale war in Ukraine in 2022. It has affected everything from what they can say to what they can buy. But perhaps the most far reaching change is in what Russians learn. Our correspondent in Moscow tells us about a new undercover documentary that shows the changes to Russian schools.

How Have Russian Schools Changed Since the War in Ukraine Began?

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This handout photograph, taken on Nov. 12 by the press service of the 93rd Kholodnyi Yar Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, shows an aerial view of destroyed buildings in the front-line town of Kostyantynivka, Donetsk region, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Iryna Rybakova/93rd Separate Mechanized Brigade/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Ukraine's last eastern strongholds hang on as Russia fights to take Donbas

December 9, 2025 • Russia is pushing to take over all of eastern Ukraine's Donbas region, where one resident tells NPR that she feels her "life depends on how our guys at the front hold on."

State of the World from NPR

Ukraine’s Government is Rocked by a Corruption Scandal

December 8, 2025 • Even as Ukraine is engaged in high stakes peace talks with the U.S. and Russia, the country is dealing with a massive corruption scandal which has reached very high levels of the government. Though President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has not been implicated, it has been a challenge for him. We go to Kyiv to get reaction from Ukrainians. 

Ukraine’s Government is Rocked by a Corruption Scandal

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From left: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz chat on the 10 Downing Street doorstep after a meeting in London on Monday. Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Zelenskyy heads to London for more Ukraine peace talks. Here's what to know

December 8, 2025 • The talks signal fresh support from European allies. But they follow stalled U.S. negotiations in Miami and comments from President Trump's son suggesting Washington is ready to pull back.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, third right, Russian Presidential foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov, fourth right, and Russian Direct Investment Fund CEO Special Presidential Representative for Investment and Economic Cooperation with Foreign Countries Kirill Dmitriev, right, attend talks with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, second left, and Jared Kushner, President Trump's son-in-law, third, at the Senate Palace of the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Dec. 2. Alexander Kazakov/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP hide caption

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Putin says there are points he can't agree to in the U.S. proposal to end Ukraine war

December 4, 2025 • Russian President Vladimir Putin made the remarks to an Indian broadcaster before landing in India for a state visit, but refused to elaborate on what Russia could accept or reject.

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends talks with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, right back to a camera, and Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law, left back to a camera, at the Senate Palace of the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025 Alexander Kazakov/Sputnik via AP hide caption

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State of the World from NPR

What are the Results of U.S. talks in Russia to end the war in Ukraine?

December 3, 2025 • U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff visited Moscow this week to present the revised Ukraine peace proposal. We’ll hear how they were received. And Marco Rubio won’t attend a NATO meeting of foreign ministers about Ukraine, the first time in more than 20 years the U.S. Secretary of State won’t be at such a meeting. We’ll get reaction from Europe. And we’ll hear from a former U.S. ambassador to NATO on what the alliance’s role in a Ukraine peace deal should be. 

State of the World from NPR-12.03.2025

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