Shortly after Russia’s military operation into Ukraine began on February 24, 2022, the Kremlin realized the miscalculations it made, which resulted in huge military losses. Still, Moscow managed to invade about 20% of Ukrainian lands mostly due to the power asymmetry.
The Kremlin held illegal and fake referendums in four regions of Ukraine and annexed them to Russia. Russia’s annexation of Kherson, along with three other Ukrainian provinces, was a unilateral move that has been denounced as illegal both by the government in Kyiv and the United Nations.
Reorganizing its military, Ukraine first halted Russia’s advance and then began pushing back the invaders. The Russian fleet in Black Sea suffered heavy losses. Even famous Russian warship “Moscow” was destroyed by Ukrainian forces.