IN PICTURES - A look back at the 10 major events of the war in Ukraine, one year after the start of the Russian invasion

On February 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" in Ukraine. From the declaration of war, to the fall of the key city of Mariupol, to the current battle of Bakhmout, Europe 1 looks back on 10 events that marked the 365 days of the Russian invasion in Ukraine.

Ophélie Artaud 06h00, February 24, 2023

On February 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" in Ukraine.
From the declaration of war, to the fall of the key city of Mariupol, to the current battle of Bakhmout, Europe 1 looks back on 10 events that marked the 365 days of the Russian invasion in Ukraine.

A year ago, to the day, Vladimir Putin launched what he calls a "special military operation" in Ukraine.

Initially, the stated objective was to defend the pro-Russian separatist groups present in the Donbass.

The day before, on February 23, 2022, the Russian president had announced that he would recognize the two separatist "people's republics" of Lugansk and Donetsk.

For Ukrainians, February 24, 2022 is just the beginning of a long year of war, under the constant threat of bombardment.

Europe 1 returns in pictures to the major events of these 365 days of war in Ukraine.

February 24, 2022: Vladimir Putin announces the start of a "special military operation" in Ukraine, kyiv bombed

On February 24 at 4 a.m., the Ukrainian capital kyiv wakes up under the bombs.

Russia has just started its "special military operation", as Vladimir Putin announced in a televised intervention.

Russian soldiers cross the border to defend separatists in the Donbass region, according to Vladimir Putin.

Immediately, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declares the establishment of martial law in the country.

Ukrainians are also beginning to flee to neighboring countries.

A declaration of war which immediately provoked the reactions of the international community: the leaders of 27 countries of the European Union met the same evening in Brussels and announced the establishment of sanctions vis-à-vis Russia.

While Vladimir Putin has just declared war on Ukraine, the population is leaving the city of kyiv in an emergency.

March 4, 2022: a fire hits the site of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant

On the night of March 3 to 4, 2022, Russian bombardments hit the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe, raising fears of a large-scale nuclear accident.

But thanks to the quick action of Ukrainian firefighters, the fire was quickly brought under control and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirms that no equipment has been damaged and detects no change in the level of radioactivity. .

On the night of March 3 to 4, a missile hit the Zaporijia nuclear power plant, raising fears of a large-scale nuclear incident.

April 4, 2022: the world discovers the horrors committed in the city of Boutcha

Located about thirty kilometers north of kyiv, the town of Boutcha was the victim of intensive bombardments from the start of the Russian invasion.

Vladimir Putin's army took control of it on February 27 and stayed there for just over a month.

Ukrainian forces retook Boutcha on March 31 and discovered the horrors committed in the city: the bodies of civilians litter the streets, some are even tied with their hands behind their backs and seem to have been executed with a bullet in the back of the neck.

A few days later, about fifty corpses are also identified in a mass grave.

From April 4, the world discovers with horror the images of the acts committed in Boutcha.

The international community reacted quickly, condemning "war crimes", in the words of Joe Biden.

On their side,

the Twenty-seven take steps to sanction Moscow, in particular through the limitation of Russian coal and oil imports.

As for Russia, it denies any violence against civilians, Vladimir Putin even claiming that it would be a “fake”.

As the Russian army leaves the town of Boutcha, the world discovers that hundreds of people, mostly civilians, have been killed there.

End of April 2022: the martyr city of Mariupol falls into Russian hands

During the first two months of the war, Mariupol was besieged by the Russian army.

Moscow wants to take control of this port city, in particular because of its strategic position.

Quickly, Mariupol became one of the symbols of the Russian invasion, especially after the bombardment of its maternity hospital, or its theater, in which a thousand civilians had taken refuge.

At the end of April, the last Ukrainian fighters as well as the inhabitants were entrenched on the metallurgical site of Azovstal, on which Russia launched an assault.

Ukraine calls for the establishment of emergency humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians.

On April 20, Vladimir Putin claims that Russian forces have taken control of the city.

Mariupol finally gave in a month later, on May 21, after weeks of intense fighting.

The Azovstal factory has become the symbol of Ukrainian resistance in the city of Mariupol.

May 30, 2022: Europeans agree on a first embargo on Russian oil

On 30 and 31 May, the 27 are meeting in Brussels for an extraordinary summit devoted to the question of Ukraine.

They agree to put in place an embargo on crude oil and petroleum products from Russia.

The goal is to reduce Russian oil imports by 90% by the end of 2022. The embargo came into effect on December 5.

The Twenty-Seven agree on an embargo on Russian oil.

August - September 2022: the Ukrainian counter-offensive in the Kherson and Kharkiv regions

While the war had been bogged down for a few weeks, Ukraine launched a counter-offensive, first in the direction of Kherson, in the south of the country, then a second in the east, to retake the Kharkiv region.

The Ukrainians regain ground and manage to recover towns controlled by the Russians, such as Izium.

Weakened, Vladimir Putin announces a partial mobilization on September 21.

Hundreds of Russian men then fled their country to avoid being sent to the Ukrainian front.

On September 30, the Russian president also announced the annexation of the regions of Lugansk, Donestsk, Kherson and Zaporijia, after "referendums".

For its part, the Ukrainian army managed to recover Kherson on November 11.

On November 11, the city of Kherson was completely liberated.

October 8, 2022: the Crimean bridge bombed

It linked Crimea, this region annexed by Moscow in 2014, to Russia.

On October 8, the explosion of a car bomb caused a violent fire on the Kerch bridge, also called the Crimean bridge, which partially collapsed.

A new setback for Russia, because this 19 kilometer long infrastructure was an economic and geopolitical symbol for Vladimir Putin, who had it built and then inaugurated in 2018 to the detriment of Ukraine and international law.

The Crimean Bridge explosion is another setback for Russia.

November 15, 2022: a missile kills two people on Polish soil

On November 15, in the middle of the day, a "Russian-made projectile" fell in Przewodow, a Polish village located 6 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.

Two people die in the missile explosion.

That day, Russia bombed the Lviv region, bordering Poland, and the possibility that a Russian missile had fallen on a NATO member country raised fears of an escalation risk.

Finally, the hypothesis of an accidental Ukrainian missile launch is favoured.

For Polish President Andrzej Duda, this event is "probably an unfortunate accident, alas".

The fall of a missile on Ukrainian soil raised fears of the risk of an escalation.

January 25, 2023: Germany accepts delivery of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine

After several days of negotiations, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced on January 25 the dispatch of 14 Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.

Armored fighting vehicles that are among the most powerful in the world and have long been coveted by kyiv.

A way for the Twenty-Seven to continue to support Ukraine, a year after the start of the Russian invasion.

Leopard 2 tanks were highly coveted by kyiv.

February 2023: the Battle of Bakhmout

For several weeks, the front has moved to Bakhmout, in the Donbass, where violent clashes have taken place between Russian and Ukrainian troops.

Everything has accelerated since last January 16, when the Russians took the town of Soledar, opening the way to Bakhmout for them.

In this key city, the situation is currently "extremely difficult", in the words of Volodymyr Zelensky.

A new battle that seems to suggest that the fighting is far from over in Ukraine, a year after the start of the Russian invasion.

The fighting is now focused on the Bakhmout region.