Post-Soviet conflicts Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-Soviet_conflicts

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This is a list of the crises and wars in the countries of the former Soviet Union following its dissolution in 1991. Those conflicts have different origins but two primary driving factors can be identified: ethnic and cultural tensions (which underlie many of the conflicts in the Caucasus and Central Asia), and Russian irredentism, meaning Russia's policies to restore its historical sphere of influence, much of which was lost after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Ethnic and cultural tensions in the post-Soviet space largely have their roots in the territorial delineations established during the early Soviet period (1920s–1930s), particularly through the policy of so-called national-territorial delimitation (in Russian: национально-территориальное размежевание, transliteration: natsionalno-territorialnoye razmezhevaniye). Although this policy officially aimed to create coherent national republics based on ethnic, linguistic, and economic criteria,^[1][2] it often resulted in complex borders that left many minorities isolated within entities dominated by other groups. These decisions, compounded by later policies of centralization and russification contributed to the emergence of interethnic tensions following the breakup of the USSR.^[3][4]

Throughout most of the Soviet era, such tensions remained latent, largely due to the authoritarian nature of the regime, which suppressed any form of identity-based or political expression. However, starting in 1985, the implementation of perestroika and glasnost reforms by Mikhail Gorbachev introduced a certain degree of freedom of expression, allowing national demands to surface in several republics and autonomous regions.^[5] It was in this new climate that the regional Soviet of Nagorno-Karabakh (a majority-Armenian region) formally requested to be transferred to the Armenian SSR—an event that triggered the first post-Soviet conflict: the First Nagorno-Karabakh War.

After the fall of the USSR, 25 million Russians found themselves outside the borders of the newly formed Russian Federation.^[6] Despite this event which could have triggered the emergence of irredentist sentiment, the Russian political class showed almost no will of this type. This can be explained by the context of the time. Russia in the 1990s and early 2000s was grappling with significant internal problems, including economic crisis (linked to the transition to a market economy), constitutional crisis, internal war (Chechnya), dysfunctional public services, and more... These issues effectively relegated foreign policy to the sidelines.^[7]

At the same time, several former Warsaw Pact countries joined NATO, viewing the alliance as a source of security and a path towards deeper integration with the West.^[8] Russian leaders consistently condemned this expansion, perceiving it as a direct threat to Russia. In 1994, president Boris Yeltsin declared, "Our attitude towards NATO expansion plans [...] remains and will remain invariably negative. [...] This decision can lead to a deterioration of trust between Russia and Western countries."^[9]

Despite these denunciations, the Russian government took little to no concrete actions to counter these waves of NATO expansion. On the contrary, cooperation was even established with the signing of a NATO-Russia Founding Act in 1997. This apparent contradiction between rhetoric and action can once again be attributed to the broader Russian context of the time: Russia had lost its superpower status and, as mentioned earlier, was in a concerning internal situation. To avoid completely losing its influence on the international stage, Russian leaders sought to fully integrate into the world order, which at the time was reflected in the desire to establish good relations with the United States, the hyperpower [es] of the era, hence the wish for positive relations with NATO.^[10][11]

Vladimir Putin's rise to power in 2000 marked a turning point in Russian domestic and foreign policy. Although he initially maintained the same approach as his predecessor regarding relations with the West, the stated goal was to restore the Russian state, weakened by the previous decade, and to strengthen its authority on the international stage. During his early terms, Putin primarily sought to economically revitalize the country, benefiting from the rise in hydrocarbons prices. Foreign policy remained relatively moderate, despite persistent tensions regarding NATO expansion and Western influence in the post-Soviet space. However, a major turning point occurred in 2007 with Vladimir Putin's speech at the Munich Security Conference. He openly denounced the unilateralism of the United States, criticized NATO expansion as a provocation, and reaffirmed Russia's intention to defend its strategic interests.^[12][13] This speech is widely interpreted as the end of the cooperation phase and the beginning of a more aggressive foreign policy.

The first concrete manifestation of this new orientation occurred in 2008 with the Russo-Georgian War. For several years, Georgia, under the presidency of Mikheil Saakashvili, had expressed its desire to join Euro-Atlantic structures, even formally applying for NATO membership in April 2008.^[14] This rapprochement was viewed negatively by Moscow, which saw the expansion of the Atlantic Alliance as a direct threat to its strategic interests in the Caucasus. On August 7, 2008, the situation deteriorated when Georgian authorities attempted to retake South Ossetia by force,^[15][16] a separatist region supported by Russia since the 1990s. In response, Moscow took advantage of the situation and intervened militarily under the pretext of defending the Ossetian and Russian populations of the region.^[17] After eight days of fighting, Georgia was forced to sign a ceasefire. Russia then recognized the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, two secessionist regions, and established permanent military bases there.^[18] This conflict marked a decisive step: for the first time since the end of the Soviet Union, Russia explicitly used force to pressure a neighboring state to deter it from integrating into Western structures, thus asserting its role as a regional power and initiating a more pronounced shift towards irredentist policies.

The 2008 Russo-Georgian War constituted an important precedent, demonstrating that Russia was now prepared to use force to defend its post-Soviet sphere of influence. However, this intervention remained limited in its immediate territorial objectives, with Moscow content to recognize the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia without proceeding to formal annexation. The true conflict demonstrating Russia's irredentist and expansionist will was the Ukrainian conflict, which began in 2014 and intensified in 2022.

In February 2014, the pro-European Maidan movement led to the ousting of President Viktor Yanukovych,^[19] which Moscow perceived as a Western-backed coup.^[20] In March, Russia annexed Crimea, a peninsula strategically important due to its majority Russian population and the presence of the Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol. This action was widely condemned by the international community.^[21] Simultaneously, pro-Russian separatist insurgencies erupted in eastern Ukraine, notably in the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, indirectly supported by Moscow.^[22] This dual movement—the annexation of Crimea and the destabilization of Donbass—marked a break with the more moderate policy of post-Soviet Russia, indicating a clear irredentist will.^[23] The conflict then stabilized into a low-intensity war, punctuated by the Minsk agreements (2014 and 2015), without a real settlement. While Ukraine strengthened its ties with the European Union and NATO, Russia pursued a hybrid influence policy and consolidated its hold on Crimea. In February 2022, citing the protection of Russian-speaking populations, Moscow launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine.^[24] This invasion marked a major turning point in post-Soviet history: for the first time, Russia undertook a full-scale conventional war against a sovereign former Soviet state, implicitly claiming irredentist objectives and openly challenging the international order established after the end of the Cold War.

Some post-Soviet conflicts ended in a stalemate or without a peace treaty, and are referred to as frozen conflicts. This means that a number of post-Soviet states have sovereignty over the entirety of their territory in name only. In reality, they do not exercise full control over areas still under the control of rebel factions. In many instances, these territories have institutions which are similar to those of fully-fledged independent states, albeit with little or no international recognition, including Abkhazia and South Ossetia in Georgia; Transnistria in Moldova; and previously, the Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic in Ukraine.^[25]

Recognition of these states varies. Transnistria has not received recognition from any UN member state, including Russia. Abkhazia and South Ossetia have received recognition from Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Nauru and Syria. The Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics had received recognition from Russia, Syria, and North Korea before their unrecognized annexation by Russia.

Conflict	Belligerents		Start	End	Detail	Fatalities
Tajikistani Civil War	/ Tajikistan Popular Front of Tajikistan[26] Communist Party of Tajikistan Socialist Party of Tajikistan / Russia  Uzbekistan / Kazakhstan / Kyrgyzstan Supported by:  Belarus[27] (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)[28] Supported by:  al-Qaeda[29] Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan Taliban  Iran (alleged, denied by Iran)[30][31][32][33]	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.[34]	20,000[35]–150,000[36] 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.[37]	118 killed
2010 South Kyrgyzstan ethnic clashes	Kyrgyz provisional government Supported by:  Turkmenistan  Iran Kazakhstan[38]  China[39]  Russia[40] Turkey[41]  United States[42]	Kyrgyzstani Kyrgyz gangs Pro-Bakiyev Kyrgyz[43][44] Other pro- Bakiyev forces Tajik contractors[45] Tajikstani Tajiks Russian Tajiks Other mercenaries[46] Uzbekistani Kyrgyz1 Sokh Uzbekistani Kyrgyz Sogment Uzbekistani Kyrgyz[47] Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (alleged)[48] Kyrgyzstani Uzbeks Pro-provisional government civilians[49][50][51][52] Uzbekistani Uzbek civilians1 Sokh Uzbekistani Uzbeks[53][54] Sogment Uzbekistani Uzbeks[47]  Uzbekistan[53] (limited involv.)2[55][56]	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.[57]	11 killed[58]
2020 Kyrgyz Revolution	Government of Kyrgyzstan Pro-government parties Birimdik Mekenim Kyrgyzstan (factions) Kyrgyzstan party Kyrgyzstan Law Enforcement	* Protesters People's Coordinating Council[59] Ata Meken Socialist Party Bir Bol Respublika Reform Party United Kyrgyzstan Zamandash Social Democrats Chon Kazat Iyman Nuru Pro-Sadyr Japarov supporters[60] 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.[61][62]	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.[63]	21 killed
2022 Kyrgyzstan–Tajikistan clashes	Kyrgyzstan	Tajikistan Afghan mujahids[64][65][66] (per Kyrgyzstan)	27 January 2022	20 September 2022	Clashes between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan	146 killed

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[67]
First Chechen War	Russian Government Loyalist opposition	Chechen Republic of Ichkeria Foreign volunteers: Foreign Mujahideen[68][69][70][71] UNA-UNSO UNSO's "Argo" squad Viking Brigade Grey Wolves[72][73][74][75]	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[76]
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[77][78][79][80] Grey Wolves[72][73]	7 August 1999	16 April 2009	Russia restores federal control of Chechnya.	20,500 killed[81]
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)[82][83][84][85] Imam Shamil Battalion (2017)[86] Islamic State Wilayat al-Qawqaz[87][88]	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[89] 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

Conflict	Belligerents		Start	End	Detail	Fatalities
First Nagorno-Karabakh War	Azerbaijan (from 1991)  Soviet Union (until 1991)[a]  Azerbaijan SSR Foreign groups: Hezbe Wahdat[94] Hezb-e-Islami[95] Grey Wolves[96] Chechen volunteers[97] UNA-UNSO[98][99][100] Slavic mercenaries[101] Turkish volunteers[102][103]	Nagorno-Karabakh[b]  Armenia[c] Armenian Revolutionary Federation Foreign groups: Kuban Cossacks[104] Ossetian volunteers[105] Slavic mercenaries[101]	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[110]
South Ossetia war (1991–1992)	Georgia	South Ossetia Russia[111] (1992)	5 January 1991	24 June 1992	The separatist conflict leads to South Ossetia's de facto independence from Georgia.	1,000 killed[112]
1991–1992 Georgian coup d'état	Rebel factions of the National Guard Mkhedrioni Tetri Artsivi Merab Kostava Society Union of Afghans Replaced on 2 January by: Military Council Supported by:  Russia Transcaucasian Military District	National Guard of Georgia Black Pantyhose Battalion Lemi Supported by:  Chechnya	22 December 1991	6 January 1992	A military coup against Georgian President Zviad Gamsakhurdia results in him fleeing to Chechnya	113 killed
Georgian Civil War	Pro-Gamsakhurdia forces 22 December 1991 – 6 January 1992 Government of Georgia National Guard of Georgia 6 January 1992 – March 1992 National Disobedience Committee[113][114] March 1992 – September 1993 Gamsakhurdia's government-in-exile Partisans Units of the National Guard 2 September 1993 – 6 November 1993 Zugdidi-based government 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[113] 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	6 January 1992	31 December 1993	A civil war between the post-coup Georgian government of Eduard Shevardnadze and supporters of ousted President Zviad Gamsakhurdia results in Gamsakhurdia's defeat with Russian military support for Shevardnadze.	2,000 killed (including coup)[115]
War in Abkhazia (1992–1993)	Georgia	Abkhazia Confederation of Mountain Peoples of the Caucasus Supported by:  Russia[d]	14 August 1992	30 September 1993[116][e]	Abkhaz separatism leads to the de facto independence of Abkhazia from Georgia.	10,000–30,000 killed[118]
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[119]	Government of Azerbaijan Azerbaijani Armed Forces Supported by: Government of Turkey	13 March 1995	17 March 1996	A failed attempt to reinstall former president Abulfaz Elchibey	31 killed
War in Abkhazia (1998)	Georgian separatists White Legion Mkhedrioni Forest Brothers	Abkhazia	18 May 1998	26 May 1998	Ethnic Georgians launched an insurgency against the Abkhazian secessionist government.	100 killed[120]
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[121]
2001 Kodori crisis	Chechen division under Gelayev Georgian guerrillas[122]	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[123]
Pankisi Gorge crisis	Georgia Supported by:  United States  Russia	Chechen separatists 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.[125]	500 killed[126]
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
2014 Abkhazian Revolution	Anti-Ankvab protesters	Government of President	27 May 2014	1 June 2014	Series of protests that resulted in the resignation of then President Alexander Ankvab	None 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)[127][128][129] Syrian mercenaries[g][133][134]	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[135]
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[136]
2024 Abkhazian Protests	Coordination Council for Overcoming the Political Crisis: Forum for the National Unity of Abkhazia Abkhaz People's Movement Sovereignty Protection Committee Aruaa Apsny[137] Our Capital[138]	Government: President Parliament Security Council Internal Affairs Ministry State Security Service Supported by: Amtsakhara[139] Aitaira[140]	1 November 2024	19 November 2024	Demonstrations and protests led to the resignation of President Aslan Bzhania and Prime Minister Alexander Ankvab	None Killed

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 conflict	Transnistria Supported by: / Russia (military and diplomatic support)[141][142][143] / Ukraine (only during the Transnistria War)[144]	Moldova Supported by:  Romania (military and diplomatic support)[145][146]  Ukraine (diplomatic support)[147][148]	2 September 1990	present	Ongoing political conflict. Its major escalation was the Transnistria War of 1992.	Unknown
Transnistria War	Transnistria  Russia[149][150] Supported by: Ukraine[151]	/ Moldova[j] Supported by:  Romania	2 November 1990	21 July 1992	The Transnistria War started due to fear from Transnistria's population to a potential unification of Moldova with Romania. Heavy fighting started on 1 March 1992 and culminated on 21 July, and a ceasefire has been in place since 1992; Russian forces are illegally stationed in Moldova ever since.	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: [152][153]  Poland  Czech Republic  Romania  Slovakia  Hungary  Bulgaria  Estonia  Latvia  Lithuania  Moldova  Belarus  Ukraine  Georgia  Armenia  Azerbaijan  Kazakhstan  Kyrgyzstan  Uzbekistan  Tajikistan  Canada  Germany  Italy  Japan  South Korea  France  United Kingdom  United States  NATO  European Economic Community	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][154]	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[155] Internal Troops[156] Militsiya Security Service Alpha Group[157] Pro-government groups Pro-government civilian protestors[158][nb 1] Hired supporters[160] Titushky[161][162][nb 2] Militant groups: Red Sector[164] Donbas People's Militia[165] Ukrainian Front[166] Don Cossacks[167] Night Wolves[168] Parties Pro-government Party of Regions Supported by:  Russia	Anti-government protesters Maidan People's Union AutoMaidan[169] Vidsich[170] Batkivshchyna[171] Svoboda[172] UDAR Right Sector[173] UNA–UNSO[174] Other groups Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People[175] Democratic Alliance[176] United Left and Peasants[177] Spilna Sprava[178] Congress of Ukrainian Nationalists[179] Misanthropic Division[180] Unafilliated protesters Defected police officers[181] Afghan War veterans[182] 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,[194] a referendum (not recognised by the new Ukrainian authorities)[195] was held on the issue of reunification with Russia.[196] This took place in the aftermath of the Revolution of Dignity.[197] 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 the pro-Russian and pro-Ukrainian activists. 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 "people's republics" 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[198]
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 Russo-Ukrainian War escalated when Russian 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 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[203] 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

• Community for Democracy and Rights of Nations
• List of wars: 1990–2002
• List of wars: 2003–present
• Military history of the Russian Federation
• Post-Soviet states
• Second Cold War
• Ethnic conflicts in the Soviet Union