The war between Ukraine and Russia began in 2015 and is still ongoing.
On the night of August 29th, 2014, Russian soldiers disguised as Ukrainian separatists took over a military base in Simferopol, Crimea. They were led by an officer named Igor Girkin. Girkin was a former member of the Russian secret service, who had been living in Moscow since retiring from his position in 2006. However, he was called back into action when the conflict began. He had been tasked with creating unrest within Crimea and then taking control of the peninsula by military force.
As part of his plan to take over Crimea, Girkin created an online persona known as Igor Strelkov. Strelkov claimed to be a local separatist who wanted to protect the rights of ethnic Russians living on the peninsula. He also claimed that he was fighting against “the fascist junta” that had taken control of Ukraine after former president Viktor Yanukovych fled to Russia.
The unrest caused by Strelkov’s actions led to more violence and ultimately led to Russia sending troops into Crimea on February 27th, 2014. By March 18th, 2014, Putin officially annexed Crimea from Ukraine after a referendum vote held on March 16th showed overwhelming support for joining Russia.
