Putin’s Russia – Invasion of Ukraine: How Did the War Change the World and Russia Itself?

How did an unremarkable KGB officer become one of the most powerful and controversial leaders in the world? In this special series of the 4 Minutes podcast, we closely follow Vladimir Putin’s rise to power – from his childhood in Soviet Leningrad to his intelligence career and the key moments of his rule that reshaped Russia and the world. What events shaped his policies? What are the roots of the current conflict? And what does the future hold for Russia?

Join us for this compelling series and understand how Putin’s Russia came to be. 🎙️

Transcript

Welcome to the final chapter of this week’s series Putin’s Russia. In this episode, we examine one of the most devastating and defining events in modern European history — Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. We’ll explore what led up to it, how it began, how it unfolded, what key moments defined it, and what it means for the world today.

Tensions between Moscow and Kyiv had been building since 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea and ignited a war in the Donbas region. For eight years, the eastern part of Ukraine saw a proxy conflict, with Russia backing separatists through arms, funding, and direct military involvement. The West responded with sanctions and diplomatic pressure but was cautious to avoid a full-blown confrontation. Meanwhile, Putin was thinking long term — building up the military, silencing domestic opposition, and preparing the public for conflict.

From spring 2021, satellite images began to show a growing Russian military presence near Ukraine’s borders. In December, the Kremlin officially demanded security guarantees, including a promise that Ukraine would never join NATO — demands that were unacceptable to the West. Tensions peaked on the night of February 24, 2022, when Vladimir Putin announced the start of a “special military operation.” Airstrikes and ground invasions began within minutes.

Thus began the largest armed conflict on European soil since the end of World War II.

Russia’s initial goals were clear — to rapidly capture Kyiv, overthrow the elected government, and install a pro-Russian regime. Tanks advanced from Belarus, Crimea, and the east. Many analysts expected Ukraine’s capital to fall within days. But Ukraine resisted. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy remained in Kyiv and famously rejected evacuation, saying, “I need ammunition, not a ride.” The Ukrainian people united and fought back fiercely.

The first major turning point came when Russian forces withdrew from Kyiv. The blitzkrieg had failed.

Fighting then shifted to the east and south. Mariupol became a symbol of Russian brutality — the city was nearly destroyed, with thousands of civilians killed and a theater sheltering children bombed. In Donbas, a grinding war of attrition began. Russia mobilized hundreds of thousands of troops, deployed the Wagner mercenary group, and began targeting Ukrainian infrastructure — power grids, supply lines, hospitals.

Ukraine responded with counteroffensives — liberating Kherson, striking Russian supply hubs, and using modern Western weapons. The war turned into a long, exhausting conflict. Both sides suffered enormous losses. The West supported Ukraine with unprecedented aid — not just military and humanitarian, but political and moral. Millions of refugees found safety across Europe. Russia, meanwhile, faced waves of sanctions, economic isolation, and the exit of Western companies. Yet the regime endured — through repression, propaganda, and support from countries like China, Iran, and North Korea.

What motivated the Kremlin? This wasn’t just about Ukraine. Putin saw NATO expansion, democratization in former Soviet states, and the West’s growing influence in the region as existential threats. The invasion was a bold attempt to reverse Ukraine’s westward trajectory and send a message to the world: Russia is still a great power.

The years of conflict brought additional tragedies — mass graves in Bucha, the deportation of thousands of children, torture of prisoners, and a constant stream of lies from state-controlled media. The war has been waged not only on the battlefield, but also in the minds of people — through disinformation, cyberattacks, and attempts to divide public opinion in the West.

Today, more than two years later, the outcome remains uncertain. The front lines have shifted multiple times, but no clear victor has emerged. The losses are staggering, and sentiment is shifting on both sides. There are no serious peace talks, no ceasefire in sight. And the world is feeling the consequences — energy crises, inflation, polarization, and deep uncertainty about the future of the global order.

This war has changed the world. Ukraine is no longer just Russia’s neighbor — it has become a symbol of resistance, courage, and the struggle for freedom. And Russia is no longer merely an authoritarian state — it is an open aggressor that has violated international law.

This concludes today’s episode and the thematic week of our series Putin’s Russia, in which we traced the journey from Putin’s rise to power to the eruption of open warfare. Next week, we’ll return to the topic — focusing on how international sanctions, global isolation, and internal repression have reshaped not only the Russian economy but Russian society itself.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X, where we share visuals, timelines, and sources for each episode.
Thank you for listening — we’ll be back next week with more.