List of conflicts in territory of the former Soviet Union

This article provides a list of conflicts that have occurred in the territory of the former Soviet Union. In December 1991, the dissolution of the Soviet Union resulted in the emergence of 15 independent countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.

Map of international boundaries among the Eastern Bloc during the Cold War (top), and after the Revolutions of 1989 and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 (bottom)

List

Central Asia

Conflict	Belligerents		Start	End	Detail	Fatalities
Tajikistani Civil War	/ Tajikistan Popular Front of Tajikistan[1] Communist Party of Tajikistan Socialist Party of Tajikistan / Russia Uzbekistan / Kazakhstan / Kyrgyzstan Supported by: Belarus[2] (weapons supplies) UNMOT Austria Bangladesh Bulgaria Czech Republic Denmark Ghana Hungary Indonesia Jordan  Nepal Nigeria Poland  Switzerland Ukraine Uruguay	United Tajik Opposition Islamic Renaissance Party Tajik Democratic Party Party of People's Unity Rastokhez Popular Movement Lali Badakhshan Afghanistan (until 1996) Jamiat-e Islami (until 1996)[3] Supported by: al-Qaeda[4] Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan Taliban Iran (alleged, denied by Iran)[5][6][7][8]	5 May 1992	27 June 1997	Began when ethnic groups from the Gharm and Gorno-Badakhshan regions of Tajikistan, which were underrepresented in the ruling elite, rose up against the national government of President Rahmon Nabiyev, in which people from the Leninabad and Kulob regions dominated. The war ended with the signing of the General Agreement on the Establishment of Peace and National Accord in Tajikistan and the Moscow Protocol.[9]	20,000[10]–150,000[11] killed
Batken conflict	Kyrgyzstan Russia (material support) Uzbekistan (military support)	Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan	30 July 1999	27 September 1999	Armed clashes between militants of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) and the Armed Forces of Kyrgyzstan	1,182 killed
Andijan massacre	Government of Uzbekistan National Security Service Ministry of the Interior People's Democratic Party of Uzbekistan Uzbek's Army Uzbek Ground Forces	Protesters in Andijan Alleged supported by: Hizb ut-Tahrir Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan Akromiya	13 May 2005		Protest and government massacre in the city of Andijan in Uzbekistan	187–1,500 killed
2010 Kyrgyz Revolution	Government of Kyrgyzstan Armed Forces of Kyrgyzstan Ministry of the Interior SCNS KR	SDPK Respublika A.M.S.P Ar-Namys Ata-Zhurt United Kyrgyzstan	6 April 2010	15 April 2010	Also known as the People's April Revolution, the Melon Revolution or the April Events. Began with the ousting of Kyrgyz president Kurmanbek Bakiyev in the capital Bishkek. The violence ultimately led to the consolidation of a new parliamentary system in Kyrgyzstan.[12]	118 killed
2010 South Kyrgyzstan ethnic clashes	Kyrgyz provisional government Supported by: Turkmenistan Iran Kazakhstan[13] China[14] Russia[15] Turkey[16] United States[17]	Kyrgyzstani Kyrgyz gangs Pro-Bakiyev Kyrgyz[18][19] Other pro- Bakiyev forces Tajik contractors[20] Tajikstani Tajiks Russian Tajiks Other mercenaries[21] Uzbekistani Kyrgyz1 Sokh Uzbekistani Kyrgyz Sogment Uzbekistani Kyrgyz[22] Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (alleged)[23] Kyrgyzstani Uzbeks Pro-provisional government civilians[24][25][26][27] Uzbekistani Uzbek civilians1 Sokh Uzbekistani Uzbeks[28][29] Sogment Uzbekistani Uzbeks[22]  Uzbekistan[28] (limited involv.)2[30][31]	19 May 2010	June 2010	Clashes between ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbeks in southern Kyrgyzstan, primarily in the cities of Osh and Jalal-Abad, in the aftermath of the ouster of former President Kurmanbek Bakiyev on April 7.	393–893 killed
Insurgency in Gorno-Badakhshan (2010–2015)	Tajikistan Armed Forces of Tajikistan	United Tajik Opposition Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan Lali Badakhshan Pamiris	19 September 2010	1 September 2015	Sporadic fighting in Tajikistan between rebel and government forces.	191–206 killed
Zhanaozen massacre	Government of Kazakhstan Ministry of Internal Affairs Police of Kazakhstan SOBR Internal Troops of Kazakhstan	Oil workers	16 December 2011	17 December 2011	Labor protest and government massacre in the city of Zhanaozen in Kazakhstan	14+ killed
2020 Dungan–Kazakh ethnic clashes	Ethnic Dungans	Ethnic Kazakhs	5 February 2020	8 February 2020	Clashes between ethnic Kazakhs and ethnic Dungans (a Muslim group with Chinese origins) in the village of Masanchi within the Korday District of Kazakhstan.[32]	11 killed[33]
2020 Kyrgyz Revolution	Government of Kyrgyzstan Pro-government parties Birimdik Mekenim Kyrgyzstan (factions) Kyrgyzstan party Kyrgyzstan Law Enforcement	* Protesters People's Coordinating Council[34] Ata Meken Socialist Party Bir Bol Respublika Reform Party United Kyrgyzstan Zamandash Social Democrats Chon Kazat Iyman Nuru Pro-Sadyr Japarov supporters[35] Mekenchil Mekenim Kyrgyzstan (factions) Protesters
2021 Kyrgyzstan–Tajikistan clashes	Kyrgyzstan	Tajikistan	28 April 2021	1 May 2021	Clashes between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan over water dispute.[36][37]	45 killed
2022 Kazakh unrest	Government of Kazakhstan CSTO[n 1]	Kazakh opposition Protesters	2 January 2022	11 January 2022	Protests across Kazakhstan that were sparked by an abrupt increase of gas prices, but have escalated into general protests. Kazakhstan's government has requested CSTO assistance in quelling the protests.	257 killed
2022 Karakalpak protests	Government of Uzbekistan National Security Service Ministry of the Interior Uzbek's Army Uzbekistan National Guard Supreme Council of Karakalpakstan	Karakalpakstan Protesters	1 July 2022	3 July 2022	Over proposed amendments by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to the Constitution of Uzbekistan which would have ended Karakalpakstan's status as an autonomous region of Uzbekistan and right to secede from Uzbekistan via referendum. A day after protests had begun in the Karakalpak capital of Nukus, President Mirziyoyev withdrew the constitutional amendments. The Karakalpak government said that protesters had attempted to storm government buildings.[38]	21 killed
2022 Kyrgyzstan–Tajikistan clashes	Kyrgyzstan	Tajikistan Afghan mujahids[39][40][41] (per Kyrgyzstan)	27 January 2022	20 September 2022	Clashes between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan	146 killed

Caucasus

North Caucasus

See also: Wars in the Caucasus

Map of the Caucasus, showing unrecognized breakaway states (Abkhazia and South Ossetia) within Georgia as a result of the Russo-Georgian War in 2008. These areas are regarded by the international community as being occupied by Russia.

Conflict	Belligerents		Start	End	Detail	Fatalities
East Prigorodny conflict	North Ossetia Russian Federation	Ingush rebels	30 October 1992	6 November 1992	Inter-ethnic conflict in the Eastern part of the Prigorodny district.	600 killed[42]
First Chechen War	Russian Government Loyalist opposition	Chechen Republic of Ichkeria Foreign volunteers: Foreign Mujahideen[43][44][45][46] UNA-UNSO UNSO's "Argo" squad Viking Brigade Grey Wolves[47][48][49][50]	11 December 1994	31 August 1996	Russian troops invaded after Chechnya declared independence, but withdrew in 1996 leading to a de facto Chechen independence.	46,500 killed[51]
War in Dagestan (1999)	Russia Armed Forces Army Navy Air Force VDV Spetsnaz GRU FSB MVD Militsiya Internal Troops OMON Dagestan Dagestani police and local militia	Islamic Djamaat of Dagestan CPID Chechnya IIPB SPIR Religious Police	7 August 1999	14 September 1999	The Islamic International Brigade invaded the neighbouring Russian republic of Dagestan in support of the Shura of Dagestan separatist movement.	2,775 killed
Second Chechen War	Russia Provisional Council (until 2000) Chechen Republic (from 2000)	Chechen Republic of Ichkeria (1999–2007) Caucasian Front (2005–2007) Caucasus Emirate (2007–2009) North Caucasian volunteers Mujahideen[52][53][54][55] Grey Wolves[47][48]	7 August 1999	16 April 2009	Russia restores federal control of Chechnya.	20,500 killed[56]
Insurgency in Ingushetia	Russia Ingushetia	Chechen Republic of Ichkeria (until October 2007) Caucasian Front (until October 2007) Caucasus Emirate (from October 2007) Vilayat Galgayche (from October 2007) Ingush opposition (2007–2008) ad hoc revenge groups	21 July 2007	19 May 2015	Separatist insurgency in Ingushetia.	871 killed
Insurgency in the North Caucasus	Russia List Astrakhan Oblast Bashkortostan Chechnya Dagestan Ingushetia Kabardino-Balkaria Karachay-Cherkessia Moscow North Ossetia–Alania Novgorod Oblast Saint Petersburg Stavropol Krai Volgograd Oblast Kadyrovtsy Other loyalists	Caucasus Emirate (2009–17) List Vilayat Dagestan Vilayat Galgayche Vilayat Iriston (2009) Vilayat KBK (2009–17) Vilayat Nokhchicho Riyad-us Saliheen Brigade (2009–16) Arab Mujahideen (2009–12) Turkish Mujahideen (2009–17)[57][58][59][60] Imam Shamil Battalion (2017)[61] Islamic State Wilayat al-Qawqaz[62][63]	16 April 2009	19 December 2017	Separatist insurgency in Chechnya, Dagestan, and other parts of the North Caucasus region.	3,500 killed
Low-level Islamic State insurgency in the North Caucasus	Russia Chechnya Dagestan Ingushetia Kabardino-Balkaria Kalmykia Karachay-Cherkessia North Ossetia–Alania Adygea Krasnodar Krai Rostov Oblast Stavropol Krai Volgograd Oblast Moscow Oblast Moscow Azerbaijan Qusar District Georgia Adjara Tbilisi	Islamic State Caucasus Province Khorasan Province[64] Azerbaijan Province al-Qaeda Imam Shamil Battalion (2017-2019) Other Islamist groups and lone wolves	20 December 2017	Present	ongoing terror activity of the Islamic State branch in the North Caucasus after the insurgency of the Caucasus Emirate.	250+ killed

South Caucasus

Conflict	Belligerents		Start	End	Detail	Fatalities
First Nagorno-Karabakh War	Azerbaijan (from 1991) Soviet Union (until 1991)[a] Azerbaijan SSR Foreign groups: Hezbe Wahdat[69] Hezb-e-Islami[70] Grey Wolves[71] Chechen volunteers[72] UNA-UNSO[73][74][75] Slavic mercenaries[76] Turkish volunteers[77][78]	Nagorno-Karabakh[b] Armenia[c] Armenian Revolutionary Federation Foreign groups: Kuban Cossacks[79] Ossetian volunteers[80] Slavic mercenaries[76]	20 February 1988	12 May 1994	The secessionist conflict leads to de facto independence of Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic).	28,000–38,000 killed[85]
South Ossetia war (1991–1992)	Georgia	South Ossetia Russia[86] (1992)	5 January 1991	24 June 1992	The separatist conflict leads to South Ossetia's de facto independence from Georgia.	1,000 killed[87]
Georgian Civil War 1991–1992 Georgian coup d'état	Pro-Gamsakhurdia forces 22 December 1991 – 6 January 1992 Government of Georgia National Guard of Georgia 6 January 1992 – March 1992 National Disobedience Committee[88][89] March 1992 – September 1993 Gamsakhurdia's government-in-exile Partisans Units of the National Guard 2 September 1993 – 6 November 1993 Zugdidi-based government of Gamsakhurdia 6 November 1993 – 31 December 1993 Partisans Supported by: Chechen Republic of Ichkeria	Pro-Shevardnadze forces 22 December 1991 – 6 January 1992 Rebel factions of the National Guard Mkhedrioni Tetri Artsivi Merab Kostava Society Union of Afghans 2 January 1992 – 10 March 1992 Military Council[88] Interim Government 10 March 1992 – October 1992 State Council Interim Government October 1992 – 31 December 1993 Government of Georgia Georgian Armed Forces Internal Troops of Georgia National Guard of Georgia Supported by: Russia	22 December 1991	31 December 1993	A civil war leads to the overthrow of the first President of Georgia Zviad Gamsakhurdia and his replacement with new President Eduard Shevardnadze.	2,000 killed[90]
War in Abkhazia (1992–1993)	Georgia	Abkhazia Confederation of Mountain Peoples of the Caucasus Supported by: Russia[d]	14 August 1992	30 September 1993[91][e]	Abkhaz separatism leads to the de facto independence of Abkhazia from Georgia.	10,000–30,000 killed[93]
Ganja Uprising	Huseynov militia Supported by: Russia	Azerbaijani Government APFP	4 June 1993	15 June 1993	A mutiny against Azerbaijani President Abulfaz Elchibey replaces him with Heydar Aliyev	Unknown
1995 Azerbaijani coup attempt	Special Purpose Police Unit Turkish putschists Supported by: Nationalist Movement Party[94]	Government of Azerbaijan Azerbaijani Armed Forces Supported by: Government of Turkey Russia	13 March 1995	17 March 1995	A failed attempt to reinstall former president Abulfaz Elchibey	31 killed
War in Abkhazia (1998)	Georgian insurgents White Legion Mkhedrioni Forest Brothers	Abkhazia	18 May 1998	26 May 1998	Ethnic Georgians in Abkhazia launched an insurgency against the Abkhazian secessionist government.	100 killed[95]
1998 Georgian attempted mutiny	Georgian Government Georgian Army Georgian Police	Mutineers from the Senaki Military Brigade Zviadists	18 October 1998	19 October 1998	An abortive mutiny led by pro-Gamsakhurdia officers from the Senaki Military Brigade to remove new President Eduard Shevardnadze from power.	5 killed[96]
2001 Kodori crisis	Chechen division under Gelayev Georgian guerrillas[97]	Abkhazia Abkhaz military	4 October 2001	18 October 2001	Georgian guerrillas unsuccessfully try to regain control over Abkhazia with the help of Chechen fighters.	At least 40 killed[98]
Pankisi Gorge crisis	Georgia Supported by: United States Russia	Chechen militants Mujahideen in Chechnya Other jihadists	November 2000	October 2002[f]	An incursion by Al-Qaeda forces into Georgia on behalf of Chechen rebels fighting in the North Caucasus. They were forced out in 2004 by Georgian forces with American and Russian backing.	Unknown
2004 South Ossetian clashes	Georgia	South Ossetia Russia	7 July 2004	5 November 2004	Clashes between Georgian and South Ossetian troops result in several deaths.	22 killed
2006 Kodori crisis	Georgia Interior Ministry of Georgia Police of Georgia	Monadire	22 July 2006	28 July 2006	Georgian police and special forces drive a local rebellious militia out of the Georgian-controlled Kodori Valley in Abkhazia.	1 killed
Russo-Georgian War	Russia South Ossetia[note 1] Abkhazia[note 2]	Georgia	1 August 2008	16 August 2008	A war between Georgia on one side and Russia, South Ossetia and Abkhazia on the other side confirms the de facto independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia and leads to their recognition by Russia and Nicaragua.[100]	500 killed[101]
2009 Georgian mutiny	Georgian Army Georgian Police	Mutineers from the Mukhrovani Separate Tank Battalion	5 May 2009	5 May 2009	An alleged abortive mutiny by a Georgian Army tank battalion based in Mukhrovani village with a goal of removing President Saakashvili from power.	None killed
2010 Mardakert clashes	Azerbaijan	Nagorno-Karabakh Armenia	18 June 2010	1 September 2010	Sporadic border war on the Armenian–Azerbaijan border and at the line of contact between the Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan.	7–8 killed
2016 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict	Azerbaijan	Artsakh Armenia	1 April 2016	5 April 2016	Armenian and Azerbaijani forces fight a four-day long conflict along the border of the unrecognized Republic of Artsakh. Azerbaijani forces make minor territorial gains, some of which are retaken by Armenian forces before the end of the conflict.	400–1,600 killed
July 2020 Armenian–Azerbaijani clashes	Azerbaijan	Armenia	12 July 2020	16 July 2020	Armenian and Azerbaijani forces engage in border clashes along the Tavush Province of Armenia and Tovuz District of Azerbaijan. The death of Azerbaijani major general Polad Hashimov sparks the July 2020 Azerbaijani protests. Turkey and Azerbaijan organize large-scale military exercises following the clashes, and tensions persist until the beginning of the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War 2 months later.	29–133 killed
Second Nagorno-Karabakh War	Azerbaijan Turkey (alleged by Armenia)[102][103][104] Syrian mercenaries[g][108][109]	Artsakh Armenia	27 September 2020	10 November 2020	Azerbaijan retakes most of the territories previously controlled by the Republic of Artsakh. Russian peacekeepers introduced into the remaining disputed area.	7,000 killed[110]
Armenia–Azerbaijan border crisis	Azerbaijan	Armenia	12 May 2021	present	Border clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia.	353 killed
Blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh	Azerbaijan	Russian peacekeepers Artsakh	12 December 2022	30 September 2023	Azerbaijan blockades the Republic of Artsakh.	Unknown
2023 Azerbaijani offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh	Azerbaijan[h]	Artsakh[i]	19 September 2023	20 September 2023	Azerbaijan launches an attack on the Republic of Artsakh after nine months of blockade. The Artsakh Defence Army disbands, the government of the Republic of Artsakh agrees to dissolve itself entirely by January 1, 2024, and almost the entire population of Artsakh flees to Armenia.	200 killed[111]

Eastern Europe

Conflict	Belligerents		Start	End	Detail	Fatalities
Gagauzia conflict	Gagauz Republic	/ Moldavian SSR (until 1991) Moldova (from 1991)	12 November 1989	14 January 1995	Ended in the reintegration of Gagauzia into Moldova as an autonomous region.	Unknown
Transnistria War	Transnistria Russia[112][113] Supported by: Ukraine[114]	/ Moldova[j] Supported by:  Romania	2 November 1990	21 July 1992	Separatism in Transnistria leads to its de-facto secession from Moldova with Russian backing.	1,000 killed
1993 Russian constitutional crisis	Presidential forces: Main Administration of Protection Ministry of the Interior Ministry of Defence Kantemir Division Taman Division Pro-Yeltsin demonstrators and organizations Federalists and anti-communists Diplomatic support: [115][116] Poland Czech Republic Romania Slovakia Hungary Bulgaria Estonia Latvia Lithuania Moldova Ukraine Georgia Armenia Azerbaijan Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan Tajikistan Australia Canada Germany India Israel Italy Japan South Korea New Zealand United Kingdom United States European Economic Community NATO	Parliamentary forces: Congress of People's Deputies Supreme Soviet Anti-Yeltsin opposition: National Salvation Front Russian National Unity Labour Russia Other opposition forces[note 3] Support: Transnistria[k][117]	21 September 1993	4 October 1993	Political stand-off between the Russian president and the Russian parliament that was resolved by using military force.	147 killed
Euromaidan and the Revolution of Dignity	Government of Ukraine Ministry of Internal Affairs Berkut[118] Internal Troops[119] Militsiya Security Service Alpha Group[120] Pro-government groups Pro-government civilian protestors[121][nb 1] Hired supporters[123] Titushky[124][125][nb 2] Militant groups: Red Sector[127] Donbas People's Militia[128] Ukrainian Front[129] Don Cossacks[130] Night Wolves[131] Parties Pro-government Party of Regions Supported by: Russia	Anti-government protesters Maidan People's Union AutoMaidan[132] Vidsich[133] Batkivshchyna[134] Svoboda[135] UDAR Right Sector[136] UNA–UNSO[137] Other groups Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People[138] Democratic Alliance[139] United Left and Peasants[140] Spilna Sprava[141] Congress of Ukrainian Nationalists[142] Misanthropic Division[143] Unafilliated protesters Defected police officers[144] Afghan War veterans[145] University students Anti-government but anti-protest parties Communist Party[nb 3] Russian Bloc Progressive Socialist Party Labour Ukraine People's Democratic Party Ukraine – Forward!	21 November 2013	22 February 2014	Euromaidan is the name given to civil unrest that started when the Ukrainian government cancelled an association agreement with the EU in favour of closer ties with Russia. The protests escalated and led to the Revolution of Dignity, which toppled the Ukrainian government.	121 killed
Russian invasion of Crimea	Russia	Ukraine	27 February 2014[note 4]	26 March 2014	In February 2014, Russia invaded Crimea. In March, following the takeover of Crimea by pro-Russian separatists and Russian Armed Forces,[157] a referendum (not recognised by the new Ukrainian authorities)[158] was held on the issue of reunification with Russia.[159] This took place in the aftermath of the Revolution of Dignity.[160] Russia then annexed Crimea on 18 March.	3 killed
2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine	Pro-Russian separatists Russia	Ukraine	23 February 2014	2 May 2014	As a result of the revolution in Kyiv, a pro-Russian unrest in the eastern regions of the country escalated into mass protests and violence between those supporting and opposing the new authorities. In Crimea, the events served as a pretext for a Russian annexation of the region. In Donbas, the situation quickly escalated into a war. Protests in other regions included seizure of government buildings in Kharkiv and deadly clashes in Odesa.	Unknown
War in Donbas	Donetsk People's Republic Luhansk People's Republic Russia	Ukraine	12 April 2014	24 February 2022[l]	As a result of the unrest, a full-fledged war began in the Ukrainian Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, known collectively as Donbas. The separatist republics were proclaimed and captured a strip of land on the border with Russia. Major combat ended with the signing of the second Minsk agreements in early 2015, with a stalemate lasting until the start of the full-scale invasion by Russia of February 2022.	14,000 killed[161]
Russian invasion of Ukraine	Russia  Donetsk PR[m]  Luhansk PR[m]  Belarus[n]  North Korea	Ukraine	24 February 2022	present	On 24 February 2022, the War in Donbas escalated when Russian government forces began bombing Ukrainian cities. After the bombings, Russian troops launched an operation on Ukrainian soil and began sending in troops on Ukrainian territory, launching a 'full-scale' invasion. This invasion was supported militarily by the separatist Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic and non-militarily by Belarus. Ukraine received military aid from the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and other countries from the Western world. On 30 September 2022, Russia, amid an ongoing invasion, annexed four oblasts of Ukraine – Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, which were not fully under Russian control at the time. The annexation is the largest in Europe since World War II, surpassing Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea.	See fatalities
2023 Belgorod Oblast incursions	Russia	Russian opposition Belarusian militant groups Polish militant groups Chechen militant groups  Ukraine (alleged by Russia, denied by Ukraine)[o]	22 May 2023	17 December 2023	Pro-Ukrainian armed rebels invasion of Russia	Unknown
Wagner Group rebellion	Russia  Ministry of Defense  Armed Forces  FSB  National Guard  Kadyrovites	PMC Wagner	23 June 2023	24 June 2023	Mutiny of Wagner PMC against the Russian government	15–31 killed
March 2024 western Russia incursion	Russia	Ukraine[166] Russian Opposition	12 March 2024	7 April 2024	Pro-Ukrainian Groups And Russian Opposition Groups Invading Western Russia In The Belgorod And Kursk Oblasts	Unknown (both sides casualties are highly inflated)
Kursk offensive (2024–2025)	Russia North Korea[p]	Ukraine	6 August 2024	16 March 2025	Ukrainian occupation of Kursk Oblast	Around 20,000-30,000 Killed and Wounded

See also

• List of wars: 1990–2002
• List of wars: 2003–present
  • Second Cold War
• Community for Democracy and Rights of Nations

Notes

1. Soviet authorities generally sided with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh.^[65] Soviet troops were present in Nagorno-Karabakh for 2+1⁄2 years and supported Azerbaijani militias.^[66] Soviet troops directly intervened during Operation Ring in April–May 1991 on the Azerbaijani side.^[67][68]
2. Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast (NKAO) until 1991.
3. Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic (Soviet Armenia) until 1990 (renamed Republic of Armenia)/1991 (declared independence).
4. See Russia's role in the conflict section for more details
5. Ceasefire agreement was signed on 1 December 1993,^[92] although fighting continued during 1994.
6. The International Crisis Behaviour Project at Duke University defines the crisis as having lasted from 27 July 2002, the date of an attack by Chechen separatists on Russian forces at Itum-Kale in Russia, to 7 October 2002, when Russia and Georgia agreed to joint patrols on their mutual border.^[99] This period also included Russian airstrikes on Georgian territory, Georgia's most consequential security operation in the Gorge, and the final exit of Ruslan Gelayev. There had been an armed separatist presence in the Gorge since 1999, and Russia's forceful objections begun, at the latest, in November 2002. Russia's first coercive measures against Georgia took place the next month.
7. Denied by Azerbaijan^[105][106] and Turkey.^[107]
8. See § Foreign involvement for more details.
9. See § Foreign involvement for more details.
10. Soviet Socialist Republic of Moldova until 23 May 1991. Constituent republic of the Soviet Union until 27 August 1991.
11. Transnistria is a separatist and internationally unrecognized de facto state, regarded as Moldovan territory by all United Nations members.
12. War escalated as Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022, however the term "war in Donbas" is not generally used for events occurring after the invasion started.
13. The Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic were Russian puppet states, having declared their independence from Ukraine in May 2014. Several months into the invasion, Russia declared that it had formally annexed both entities in September 2022. They continue to exist as republics of Russia.
14. In 2022, Belarus allowed Russia to use its territory to launch the invasion^{[162][163][164]} and to launch missiles into Ukraine.^[165] See: Belarusian involvement in the Russian invasion of Ukraine
15. See § Ukrainian involvement for more details.
16. From November 2024^[167]

1. South Ossetia's status is disputed. It considers itself to be an independent state, but this is recognised by only a few other countries. The Georgian government and most of the world's other states consider South Ossetia de jure a part of Georgia's territory.
2. The political status of Abkhazia is disputed. Having unilaterally declared independence from Georgia in 1992, Abkhazia is formally recognised as an independent state by 5 UN member states (two other states previously recognised it but then withdrew their recognition), while the remainder of the international community recognizes it as de jure Georgian territory. Georgia continues to claim the area as its own territory, designating it as Russian-occupied territory.
3. Supporters of Alexander Rutskoy, the Supreme Soviet and the Congress of People's Deputies frequently used those flags. The Russian tricolor itself only remained hoisted at the White House building (see video documentary Archived July 23, 2011, at the Wayback Machine).
4. There are "some contradictions and inherent problems" regarding the date on which the Russian operation began.^[148] The Ukrainian Government maintains, and the European Court of Human Rights agrees, that Russia controlled Crimea from 27 February 2014,^[149] when unmarked Russian special forces took control of its political institutions.^[150] The Russian Government later made 27 February "Special Operations Forces Day".^[151] In 2015, the Ukrainian parliament officially designated 20 February 2014 as "the beginning of the temporary occupation of Crimea and Sevastopol by Russia",^[152] citing the date inscribed on the Russian medal "For the Return of Crimea".^[153] In 2018, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed that the earlier "start date" on the medal was due to a "technical misunderstanding".^[154] President Putin stated in a film about the annexation that he ordered the operation to "restore" Crimea to Russia following an all-night emergency meeting on 22–23 February 2014.^{[148][155][156]}

1. Reports of some protesters attending under duress from superiors^[122]
2. Titushky are provocators during protests.^[126]
3. Early November 2012 Communist Party party leader Petro Symonenko stated that his party will not co-operate with other parties in the new parliament elected in the 2012 Ukrainian parliamentary election.^[146] Nevertheless, in at the time in parliament its parliamentary faction usually voted similarly to the Party of Regions parliamentary faction.^[147]