Russian annexation of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts
Okay, let's say that you have some toys, and your friend wants to play with them too. You both agreed to share the toys, but then your friend suddenly decides that the toys are all theirs and takes them away without asking you. That's not very nice, right?
Well, something similar happened between Russia and Ukraine. There are some parts of Ukraine that are close to Russia, where many people speak Russian instead of Ukrainian. These areas are called oblasts. Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia are all oblasts in Ukraine.
In 2014, some people living in these oblasts didn't like the Ukrainian government and wanted to be closer to Russia. Russia said they wanted to help these people, and they sent soldiers to take control of Crimea (another part of Ukraine). After that, the people in Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia tried to use the same method to join Russia too.
The Ukrainian government didn't want to give up these oblasts, but Russia didn't listen and took control of them anyway. This is called the "Russian annexation." It's like your friend taking all your toys and saying they're theirs now, even though you didn't say they could have them.
The annexation caused a lot of problems for Ukraine and Russia's relationships. Many countries didn't agree with what Russia did and put sanctions on them. People are still arguing about who these oblasts belong to, and the situation is not yet resolved.
Well, something similar happened between Russia and Ukraine. There are some parts of Ukraine that are close to Russia, where many people speak Russian instead of Ukrainian. These areas are called oblasts. Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia are all oblasts in Ukraine.
In 2014, some people living in these oblasts didn't like the Ukrainian government and wanted to be closer to Russia. Russia said they wanted to help these people, and they sent soldiers to take control of Crimea (another part of Ukraine). After that, the people in Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia tried to use the same method to join Russia too.
The Ukrainian government didn't want to give up these oblasts, but Russia didn't listen and took control of them anyway. This is called the "Russian annexation." It's like your friend taking all your toys and saying they're theirs now, even though you didn't say they could have them.
The annexation caused a lot of problems for Ukraine and Russia's relationships. Many countries didn't agree with what Russia did and put sanctions on them. People are still arguing about who these oblasts belong to, and the situation is not yet resolved.