Fact Check: Ukraine attacked Russia first

Fact Check: "Ukraine attacked Russia first"

What We Know

The claim that "Ukraine attacked Russia first" suggests that Ukraine initiated hostilities leading to the ongoing conflict. However, historical context and recent events provide a different narrative. The current conflict escalated significantly on February 24, 2022, when Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine, which Russian President Vladimir Putin described as a "special military operation" aimed at "demilitarizing" and "denazifying" Ukraine (source-3). Prior to this invasion, tensions had been mounting since 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea and supported separatist movements in Eastern Ukraine, leading to ongoing skirmishes and military engagements (source-1).

In the lead-up to the invasion, there were numerous incidents of Russian aggression, including cyber-attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure and military buildups along the Ukrainian border (source-1). The narrative that Ukraine attacked Russia first lacks substantial evidence and is contradicted by the timeline of events leading to the invasion.

Analysis

The assertion that Ukraine was the aggressor is not supported by credible evidence. The timeline of the Russian invasion indicates that Russia had been preparing for military action against Ukraine well before the invasion began. Reports from various sources indicate that Russia had amassed troops near the Ukrainian border and conducted military exercises in the months leading up to February 2022 (source-6).

Furthermore, the narrative of Ukraine attacking Russia first appears to be a strategic framing by Russian state media to justify the invasion. The Kremlin has consistently portrayed Ukraine as a threat, despite the lack of evidence supporting this claim. The majority of independent analyses and reports from international observers have characterized Russia's actions as unprovoked aggression (source-3).

The reliability of sources supporting the claim that Ukraine attacked first is questionable, often stemming from state-controlled media or politically biased outlets. In contrast, independent journalism and international watchdogs have documented the sequence of events leading to the invasion, consistently placing Russia as the aggressor (source-4).

Conclusion

The claim that "Ukraine attacked Russia first" is False. The evidence indicates that Russia initiated the conflict with its invasion in February 2022, following years of escalating tensions and aggressive actions towards Ukraine. The framing of Ukraine as the aggressor does not align with the documented timeline of events and is largely seen as a narrative constructed by Russian authorities to rationalize their military actions.